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| View Larger Image | Days of Infamy by Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen
| | List Price: | $27.95 | | Price: | $18.45 | | You Save: | $9.50 (34%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 9 to 11 days |  | |  | | Sales Rank: | 6420 | | Studio: | Thomas Dunne Books |  | | Binding: | Hardcover | | Number Of Pages: | 384 | | Publication Date: | April 29, 2008 | | Publisher: | Thomas Dunne Books |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS | Product Description
“Absolutely brilliant! Fast paced and filled with tension and suspense. Every page resonates with the momentous events and great personalities of World War II – and scenes so carefully crafted you feel like you’re there. This is a ‘must read’ for all who look at history and wonder: “What if…” -- Oliver North, Lt. Col., USMC (Ret.), host of War Stories on the Fox News Channel
In 2007, bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen launched a new epic adventure series about World War II in the Pacific, with their book Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th, 1941, which instantly rocketed to the New York Times bestseller list.
Gingrich and Forstchen’s now critically acclaimed approach, which they term “active history,” examines how a change in but one decision might have profoundly altered American history. In Pearl Harbor they explored how history might have been changed if Admiral Yamamoto had directly led the attack on that fateful day, instead of remaining in Japan. Building on that promise, Days of Infamy starts minutes after the close of Pearl Harbor, as both sides react to the monumental events triggered by the presence of Admiral Yamamoto. In direct command of the six carriers of the attacking fleet, Yamamoto decides to launch a fateful “third-wave attack” on the island of Oahu, and then keeps his fleet in the area to hunt down the surviving American aircraft carriers, which by luck and fate were not anchored in the harbor on that day.
Historians have often speculated about what might have transpired from legendary “matchups” of great generals and admirals. In this story of the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the notorious gambler Yamamoto is pitted against the equally legendary American admiral Bill Halsey in a battle of wits, nerve, and skill. Days of Infamy recounts this alternative history from a multitude of viewpoints---from President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and the two great admirals, on down to American pilots flying antiquated aircraft, bravely facing the vastly superior Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft. Gingrich and Forstchen have written a sequel that’s as much a homage to the survivors of the real Pearl Harbor attack as it is an imaginative and thrilling take on America’s entry into World War II.
Praise for the first book in the Pacific War Series, Pearl Harbor:
"A thrilling tale of American's darkest day." --W.E.B. Griffin
"Masterful storytelling that not only captures the heroic highs and hellish lows of that horrific day which lives on in infamy--it resonates with today's conflicts and challeneges." --William E. Butterworth IV, New York Times bestselling author of The Saboteurs
"A politician and a novelist, each an accomplished historian in his own right, are emerging as master authors of alternative history. In this “what if” treatment of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen combine their talents to make the diplomacy as suspenseful as the combat, even for readers who know what happens next–or think they know." --Dennis Showalter, former president of the Society of Military Historians
"This book is not only a great read, it is a fascinating historical story that applies today in Iraq as it did in the Western Pacific in the late 30s and 40s." --Captain Alex Fraser, USN (Ret.) |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 49 reviews)
| A well spun tale of what could have happened after December 7  I was unaware of the "alternative history" approach the authors took in this novel, and was expecting more of a personal narrative from different points of view. Imagine my surprise when Yamamoto launched the third attack wave on Pearl Harbor! As I was reading it, I was thinking, "That didn't happen!!! What are they talking about!?". It then dawned on me that this was an alternative history, and I found it extremely easy to fall into the story and read it avidly.
The book is historically accurate and personally engaging. It is easy to become involved with the characters, with their stories being told against a well-crafted background that places the reader well into the story. The "being there" aura is enhanced by a level of detail and plot development reminiscent of Tom Clancy's better work. This is a hard-to-put-down, an excellent read, and having figured out the genre it lives in, I look forward to reading more in the series. October 04, 2008 | | Great book  This is a great book. Gingrich and Forstchen is a great team and should write more books togther. Well worth your money. September 23, 2008 | | Not Good, Not bad  This novel wasn't the best of the Gingrich/Forstchen combos but it wasn't terrible. Way too many uses of the term "war gamed" throughout the book. September 07, 2008 | | Well Written  This is not one of my favorite authors. His first novel was more like a comic book than a work of Alternate History but my brother disagrees with me in regards to this fellow's work. My brother is something of a fan of his and loaned me his copy of this novel and his preceeding work Pearl Harbor. And I must confess these works are very good. A bit dry for my tastes in literature and rather loaded with minor errors of fact but otherwise well written and very well thought out though I must confess his statements in regards to American racism a bit pronounced to get friendly reviews from critics since the Japanese are hardly saints on this issue as Koreans and members of the Japanese Burukimin untouchable caste and others can attest.
A good though somewhat dull read. September 02, 2008 | | Lots of Action....Not Much Else  "Days of Infamy" reads well. If you like aerial and naval battle action with lots of descriptive blood and guts, this book is for you. On the other hand, if you are hoping to learn something about the facts, the strategies and the personalities of the war, this is not the place.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Pearl Harbor" by these authors. Although it too was alternative history, it seemed to portray the conditions, the rationale and the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor quite well. My only real complaint with it was that the authors never explained where the facts ended and the fiction began.
No problem with this one. It is almost pure fiction. The only takeaways from this book are that war IS hell, that Halsey and Yamomoto were gamblers and there was a backlash against Japanese Americans. Oh yes, and that Churchill and Roosevelt talked to each other and Roosevelt made an inspiring speach to the nation.
While I understand that Gingrich and Forstchen are writing alternative history, I still think it would be extremely helpful if they would provide either a foreword, footnotes or an appendix to help the reader reconcile the fiction vs the facts. Additionally, both "Pearl Harbor" and this book contain numerous photos that would be far more interesting if some explanation were provided. A couple of maps would also be useful to help the reader follow the action.
All in all, this is an entertaining read that misses a golden opportunity to educate the reader about much of anything. That was disappointing.
August 29, 2008 | |
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