Midway - The Pacific War's Most Famous Battle

A detailed re-examination of Midway, one of the most significant battles in the Pacific Theater of World War II. In April 1942, the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy was at the zenith of its power. It had struck a severe blow against the US Navy at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, before spearheading the Japanese advance through Southeast Asia and rampaging across the South Pacific. Only a few months later, in June 1942, the US Navy managed to inflict a decisive defeat on this mighty force off Midway Atoll and the strategic initiative in the Pacific Theater passed to the US Navy. Midway is one of the most mythologized battles of World War II. The traditional view of the battle, popularized in its immediate aftermath and surviving through to the present day, is of a heavily outnumbered American force snatching victory in the face of overwhelming odds. This view is simplistic and, in many respects, wrong. Pacific War expert Mark E. Stille provides a detailed analysis of this pivotal battle, and argues that Midway was neither a miraculous American victory, nor a product of good fortune, but that the plans, personalities, doctrines, ships and weapons of the two sides meant that a Japanese defeat was the more likely outcome. This up to date study provides an unparalleled level of insight and thorough analysis into one of the decisive moments of the Pacific War.

About the author

Mark E. Stille

Product details

• Authors: Mark Stille, Mark Stille, Stille Mark
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 10.03.2026
• EAN: 9781472862075
• ISBN: 978-1-4728-6207-5
• No. of pages: 400
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 232 mm x 34 mm
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; USA, Japan, Asia, military history, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / Military / Naval, HISTORY / Military / United States, HISTORY / Asia / Japan, Naval forces & warfare, Second World War, United States of America, USA, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Asian History, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Naval forces and warfare, Battles and campaigns, Specific battles, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General