There are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever. In this absolutely riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America's leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice. Symonds begins with the arrival of Admiral Cheste.

Cover; Contents; Maps; Editor's Note; Introduction; 1 CinCPac; 2 The Kido Butai; 3 The Brown Shoe Navy; 4 American Counterstrike; 5 Seeking the Decisive Battle; 6 Pete and Jimmy; 7 The Code Breakers; 8 The Battle of the Coral Sea; 9 The Eve of Battle; 10 Opening Act; 11 Nagumo's Dilemma (4:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.); 12 The Flight to Nowhere (7:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.); 13 Attack of the Torpedo Squadrons (8:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.); 14 The Tipping Point (7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.); 15 The Japanese Counterstrike (11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.); 16 Denouement; Epilogue; Acknowledgments. APPENDIX A: American and Japanese Aircraft CarriersAPPENDIX B: American and Japanese Aircraft; APPENDIX C: American Order of Battle at Midway; APPENDIX D: Japanese Order of Battle at Midway; APPENDIX E: How Much Did the U.S. Know of Japanese Plans?; APPENDIX F: The Flight to Nowhere; Notes; A Note on Sources; Bibliography; Index.