| Builders for Battle - How the Pacific Naval Air Bases Were Constructed
(1946)
|
| Front Cover |
Book Details |
|
| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
Contractors Pacific Naval Air Bases; Air Bases - United States; World War, 1939-1945 - Engineering and construction; Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941 |
| Publication Date |
1946 |
| Format |
Hardcover (10.0
x
7.0
mm)
|
| Publisher |
E. P. Dutton and Company |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover |
|
| Personal Details |
| Store |
American Political Biography Press |
| Purchase Price |
$50.00 |
| Condition |
Very Good/Very Good |
| Rating |
0 |
| Links |
Library of Congress
|
|
| Product Details |
| Edition |
[1st ed.] |
| No. of Pages |
415 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
|
| Notes/Review |
As always, when I read a book about the war written during or immediately afterward, I have to apply a "jingoism" filter. This one was published in 1946, so I wasn't surprised to encounter a number of stereotypes and some regrettable language. As is common for the era, we didn't fight the Japanese, we fought "Japs". There are illustrations of near-sighted, buck-toothed Japanese, we read about a "typical Japanese grin", and we are told that the Oriental Exclusion act of 1924 was "a sound measure".
These examples and most other objectionable language were in the early pages of the book. Once the author got into the substance of his subject, such examples became fewer and farther between.
The substance of the book is the story of the construction of PNAB: Pacific Naval Air Bases. Primarily, we're talking about Pearl Harbor and other Oahu installations, Midway, Wake, Palmyra, and Johnston islands. These are more than just airstrips atop coral atolls: we're talking underground fuel storage and giant radio antennas, housing and hospitals. It isn't just the construction itself, but all elements of logistics and appropriation.
This isn't about the Navy or Marines or Army, but the construction foremen and workers. Some of the first American prisoners of war were the civilian workers on Wake Island. And the Seabees had their origin here as well.
It is often said that the industrial might of the United States was what won the war. In the countless words written about the war, it is rare to find a book that supports this argument. (See American Miracle by Van Rensselaer Sill for a view of the domestic war construction effort.)
Anybody who aims to gain a complete understanding of WWII should read books on this topic. This is not a perfect book, but there are precious few books about this important topic.
Recommended. |
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