Harry Turtledove, Days of Infamy Reviews

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Good Points: Shows a good appreciation of the real history, including some of the technical aspects of the personalities and equipment involved, with one caveat (see below).

Bad Points: The only criticism is that the book desperately anticipates a sequel. If one is not on the horizon soon, the memories of the many characters I have come to know and become acquainted with will pester me. I demand to know what happens to them!
One techical error: The Japanese referred to the American dive bombers as Helldivers when in fact they were Dauntlesses. The Helldiver did not come into service until after 1943 and it was despised by its pilots. Possibly Turtledove is more astute than I am thinking and is referring to the possible fact that the Japanese were in error in identifying the aircraft. In that case, the egg is on my face!

General comments: Harry Turtledove, Days of Infamy - My overall positive remarks assume that "Days of Infamy" will be followed up with sequel. If there is none, then my ratings are at least twice as generous as they should be.

Turtledove does an excellent job of not just writing an alternate history, but of adhering to the facts of the real history. There are many exammple of this. For instance, Admiral Nagumo was known to be a very cautious commander. Who knows what the alternative history would be if he only launched a third strike against Pearl Harbor even without an invasion? And so, even in the support of an invasion, we see his reluctance to commit to such a bold move.
Turtledove also shows an appreciation for some of the technical details of the invasion and following conflicts. Everybody knows that the Zero was a far superior dogfighter than the Wildcat. But in the hands of skilled pilots who appreciated the Wildcat's superior rugged construction, such tactics as the "Thatch Weave" made the Wildcat a dangerous opponent to the best-trained naval air power in the world at that time (the Japanese). And he even brings out the sad fact that not only was the Devastator a hopelessly outclassed torpedo bomber, but its crews often wasted their lives in delivering a torpedo that failed to work as often as not.
Less exciting but a mindful (and necessary) consideration nonetheless is the account of the Japanese occupation of the islands. The different responses by the whites, the native Japanese, the Japanese-Americans, and the Hawaiians are given careful attention through Turtledove's development of the dozen or so characters we got to know in the book.
As I said earlier, I look forward to the next in the series, and there better be one! I can find no information anywhere that one is planned, but a careful reading of the jacket cover, when compared with the content of the book seems to hint that one is in mind (sorry I can't say more than that!).

Richard Anderson

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Days of Infamy
Harry Turtledove
NAL, Nov 2004, $24.95, 464
ISBN: 0451213076

The Japanese plan to bomb Pearl Harbor when Commander Genda persuades Admiral Yamamoto to also occupy Hawaii. That would enable the Japanese to extend their territorial base and make for ease to bomb the American far west and cut the enemy off from allies like Australia and New Zealand. His superiors approve the daring plan.

Whites control Hawaii with Japanese treated as third class citizens. When the attack ...