Defenseless: Command Failure at Pearl Harbor

Rating:
Summary: Dereliction of Duty
Review: Of all the books on the subject, this one presents the most reasoned case yet as to why Kimmel and Short were rightly accused of derelection of duty. If there wasn't already the Clinton book by the same name, that would have been the appropriate title. It is hard to disagree with the facts presented by Lambert and Polmar.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Basic Book About The Failures of Short & Kimmel
Review: This book attempts to provide some insight into the subject of Admiral Husband Kimmel and General Walter Short and their roles in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although the information presented in the book is good, it is very basic and does not go into much detail. The information included in the book really only amounts to a thumbnail sketch, and the author seems to concentrate his discussion more on the shortcomings of General Short than Admiral Kimmel.

The author bases his arguments from information obtained from the several Pearl Harbor inquiries, mainly the Army and Navy board inquiries. For example, in the chapter entitled "Accountability", each charge against Short is listed, along with an analysis of the response of Short. What perplexed me is why a similar approach was not taken in regards to Admiral Kimmel? I felt that by reading this book, much of Admiral Kimmel's story was omitted.

There are some interesting parts of the book, however. The author presents compelling evidence about the inter-service rivalries that existed between the Army and Navy, and how these rivalries directly lead to the disaster on December 7. Also, the failure to coordinate training and liasion activities between the two branches is effectively discussed.

Overall, I found this book to be interesting, but very basic. The information presented is good, but only the surface is scratched and the author doesn't go into great detail on any subject. I would recommend this as an introductory book, but there are other books about Pearl Harbor that discuss these same topics in much greater detail than this one does.