On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces stunned America by launching a shocking air raid on Pearl Harbor, destroying all the battleships of the U.S. fleet. No one imagined that Japan would be bold enough to plan an attack so close to the mainland, and in Hawaii the shock was complete as soldiers and sailors rushed to escape from the fires and wreckage of their ships. In this engrossing and extensively researched account, war correspondent Edwin P. Hoyt--who served in the Pacific theater--takes a close look at the personalities involved and Japan's careful planning as the kido butai   (or striking force) was assembled. An endpaper map lays out the geography of the Pacific Ocean, and internal charts, maps, and historic photos appear throughout. Edwin P.

Hoyt served in the Pacific theater during World War II and afterward became a war correspondent in Asia and the Middle East. He was a news editor for the U.S. Office of War Information and a member of the psychological warfare team in India, Burma, and China. He was a reporter for the Denver Post and the San Francisco Chronicle as well as a producer for CBS News. An avid military historian, Hoyt is the author of more than 150 books.    .