Reassessing Pearl Harbor : Scapegoats, a False Hero and the Myth of Surprise Attack

Following Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel, commander of the Pacific Fleet, and General Walter Short, commander of the U.S. Army's Hawaiian Department, were accused of dereliction of duty and relieved of their commands. Hours after the attack, General Douglas MacArthur, in command of the Philippines, suffered a similar defeat at the hands of the Japanese and was awarded the Medal of Honor. This book re-examines the circumstances surrounding Pearl Harbor to answer the questions: were Kimmel and Short incompetent officers or convenient scapegoats; and was the attack really the surprise the Roosevelt administration led Americans to believe? "Following Pearl Harbor, commanders in the Pacific and Hawaii were accused of dereliction of duty and relieved of command. Hours following, the Philippines commander suffering a similar defeat, was awarded the Medal of Honor. This re-examines Pearl Harbor to answer the questions: were these convenient scapegoats; and was the attack the surprise Americans were led to believe?"-- Provided by publisher Dereliction of duty -- Japan's targets -- The world stage -- Change of command -- Lend-lease and its delivery -- Spy warnings -- Negotiations -- Final warnings -- Air raid Pearl Harbor, this is no drill -- Aftermath and investigations