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The attack on Pearl Harbor has been one of the great moments of American history. It has also been shrouded in heavy controversy. As the compiler of The Pearl Harbor Revisionism Bibliography, let me make available a selecton of the most important books on the subject for study. These are all still in print and available for you to buy through Amazon.com.
Scapegoats
by Edward L. Beach
Published by the Naval Institute Press
In this recent work of revisionist scholarship on Pearl Harbor, Beach argues that the primary villain was Admiral Richmond Kelly "Terrible" Turner, who was taking over the Navy Department in order to increase his own power. In a vendetta against Naval Intelligence, he prevented vital intelligence information from going to the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. Beach has a persuasive argument why he believes that Admiral Kimmel and General Short should be posthumously exonerated of the blame for the attack.
Click here for an in-depth review of Scapegoats.
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Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women
edited by Robert S La Forte and Ronald E. Marcello
Published by Scholarly Resources
1991
This collection of personal accounts of survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is an important addition to the library of any scholar of the events of December 7, 1941.
Click here for an in-depth review of Remembering Pearl Harbor.
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Day of Infamy
by Walter Lord
This classic account of the attack on Pearl Harbor provides a basic summation of the events of that fateful day. The author does not seek to go into the thorny issues of responsibility and culpability.
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Pearl Harbor Child: A Child's View of Pearl Harbor-- from Attack to Peace
by Dorinda Makanaonalani Nicholson
Published by Woodson House
1993
A child's eye view of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, this is primary-source material suitable for introducing young people to this dark era of American history. It also includes several brief personal accounts by servicemen who survived the attack.
Click here for an in-depth review of Pearl Harbor Child.
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At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor
By Gordon Prange
Published by Viking Press
This book is the great traditionalist interpretation of the attack on Pearl Harbor. After years of extensive research Prange concluded that Roosevelt could not possibly bear any blame for the attack, and that it should still rest primarily upon the commanders in Hawaii.
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Infamy: Pearl Harbor and its Aftermath
by John Toland
Published by Berkley
This book, written by one of the foremost scholars of World War II and author of a two-volume biography of Adolf Hitler, is one of most extensively researched books to take the revisionist position.
Click here for an in-depth review of Infamy.
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Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor
By Robert B. Stinnett
Published by Free Press
A new look at the controversy surrounding Pearl Harbor, this time focusing primarily on the actions of the Roosevelt Administration. The author's central thesis is that the attack was deliberately provoked as a method to end the push toward isolationism and unite America behind the war effort.
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Tora! Tora! Tora!
This is one of the best movies about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although a dramatization rather than a true documentary (it uses actors to play the roles of the historical figures and reconstructs the events, rather than using newsreel footage and still photographs), it seeks to maintan as much historical accuracy as possible.
Click here for an in-depth review of Tora! Tora! Tora!
Click here to buy Tora! Tora! Tora! on VHS
Click here to buy Tora! Tora! Tora! on DVD
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Last updated March 30, 2001
