The respected British military historian H. P. Willmott presents the first of a three-volume appraisal of the strategic policies of the countries involved in the Pacific War. Remarkable in its scope and depth of research, his thoughtful analysis covers the whole range of political, economic, military, and naval activity in the Pacific.

This first volume comprehensively covers events between December 1941 at Pearl Harbour and April 1942, concluding with the Doolittle Raid, which was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese home island of Honshūduring World War II.

When published in hardcover in 1982, the book was hailed as an eloquent portrayal of great empires on trial that no one should miss. Willmott’s stimulating and original approach to the subject remains unmatched even today.

H. P. Willmott, a member of the Royal Historical Society, has written more than a dozen books on modern naval and military subjects, including the final work in his trilogy, Grave of a Dozen Schemes, and the critically acclaimed history of the Second World War, The Great Crusade. He holds a doctorate from London University and has taught at Sandhurst and other institutions in both Great Britain and the United States.