“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.)
Good follow up of the book Pearl Harbor The book is a good follow up from the Pearl Harbor one. There are factual errors in both books that will make the knowledgable of the battle grimace. Days of Infamy still gives a good account of the what posibly could have happened if the Japanese launched more attacks and consequences for both the U.S. and Japanese fleets in the following days.
Very good alternative history Really good action and hard to stop listening to. I listened to the Audible version of this. Excellent book to listen to. As a history buff I thought it was really done well and true to history. Yamamoto would have been much more aggresive. Halsey well is Halsey... Great job Gingrich and Forstchen, is there another coming?
Good Gingrich book I found Newt's WWII historical ficton books more entertaining than the Civil war books.
They are both good but I guess I am more interested in the modern mechanics of ware rather than the strategies of the Civil war.
This book certainly holds you attention as the Japanese fleet and US Aircraft carrier commanders go up against each other immediately after Pearl Harbor.
I would recommend this to any WWII buff. Just remember it is FICTON... :-)
Alternate WWII Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen have teamed up before; their trilogy of alternate Civil War history was received quite well. In that series, they examined the consequences of a Confederate victory in July 1863, and the outcome of Lee's assault on Washington, D.C. Before that, in the ill-fated 1945, they showed us a world where the Third Reich dominates Europe and threatens the United States.
This current series started with Pearl Harbor; in fact, if you have not read that book, this book, though entertaining, won't make as much sense. Pearl Harbor establishes the "point of divergence" in this alternate history - Yamamoto himself is present during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and a third assault is launched against the island, causing more material damage and generating more chaos than it did in "real life." Days of Infamy shows what happens as a result of that divergence.
The United States Navy is reeling after the attack in Hawaii, but the hunt for the Japanese fleet is on. Of course, Yamamoto is searching for the American carriers, and has a carefully laid trap set for them. The American carrier groups are split, and are forced to observe strict radio silence to prevent the Japanese fleet from finding them. It's a complex naval chess game, played out in the Pacific Ocean, with real casualties. The inexperience of the American troops is highlighted, as many of the pilots flying into combat have only recently graduated from flight school. Many don't make it to their second mission, falling prey to the superior Japanese planes and pilots.
The thing I appreciate most about this book is how believable it is. As with their Civil War series, Gingrich and Forstchen have crafted a narrative that sounds like it really happened. The benefit of alternate histories is their ability to make us think about how important one minor event can be to the outcome of a battle, a war, and more. As bad as the attack on Pearl Harbor was, it could have been much worse, and the aftermath could have been vastly different from what we read in the history books.
The characters in the Days of Infamy are very true to life, though there's not much development in the narrative. Of course, the events of the book take place between 7:45 PM on December 7 and 10:00 AM on December 11, so there's not a lot of time for characters to develop and change. But Gingrich and Forstchen have packed a lot into 3 1/2 days. The pacing of the book can sometimes leave you breathless, and more than once I found myself reading "just one more page" after I'd just finished two chapters. This is a great beach read for people who don't always read beach books.
Days of Infamy An interesting twist inspired by a real piece of history, Days of Infamy is a brilliant story that is hard to put down once you start. I have high standards in my reading recommendations, and this is a book that is worthy of my precious time. It will stir your imagination and your emotions, and will give you a keen appreciation of why there is a US Navy, and why there will always be a USS Enterprise. Jim Luisi, Colts Neck, NJ
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