Never Look Back

This compact, workmanlike history of the 1941-45 war in the Pacific provides the Japanese and the American viewpoints toward its origins and conduct. Tracing the relationship between the two countries from the turn of the century, the authors describe the planning and execution of the attack on Pearl Harbor and give succinct accounts of the major military campaigns that followed, showing how the advent of new weapons (particularly the carrier) led to new strategy and tactics. The book highlights the importance of U.S. military intelligence in contributing to victory, including the influence on the turning-point battle of Midway of Admiral Chester Nimitz's chief intelligence officer, Joseph Rochefort. The authors argue that Emperor Hirohito's August 1945 decision to surrender to the Americans was not so much due to the atomic-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as to his fear of Soviet occupation (``We must act now,'' his chief counselor advised, ``while our main adversary is still the United States''). The late Renzi taught history at the University of Wisconsin; Roehrs is a doctoral candidate in history at Louisiana State University. Photos. (Aug.)