Eagle Against the Sun

So the United States had done the impossible. It had waged war simultaneously on two fronts, separated by thousands of miles, and had prevailed. . . . In the end, it was superior American industrial power and organizational ability which had succeeded (560).

After all, the United States did win the war, so it is inevitable that an American author such as Spector---as both historian and Marine reserve---would focus on the major elements

of that victory, and corresponding elements of the Japanese defeat. Such a pro-American bias is perhaps inevitable, particularly with respect to a war which began with an attack such as the one delivered by Japan upon Pearl Harbor.

Still, this is no propagandistic account of the war. Spector does manage to present both sides of the war in as objective and enlightening a manner as possible from such a perspective. For example, in discussing the various historical views on the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan to end the war, Spector presents an entire spectrum of opinions, including those which t

. . .
tional military thinking to fit the contingencies of the war: The United States entered the war with four more-or-less independent armed services, each with its own organizational goals, interested, and dogmas. Each service was led by officers committed to these organizational views. . . . How successful these officers were in modifying, or in some cases transcending, their service outlook and careerism would, in large measure, determine their success in the Pacific War (28). Of course, the branches of the military in the United States were able to modify and transcend their independent views and goals, and the cooperative effort which resulted led to victory over Japan. Ironically, before the war started, the Japanese military was organized more cooperatively, but there were obstacles to effective military execution among Japanese leaders which were not overcome through the course of the war. For example, "If the [Japanese] army and navy could not agree on a joint undertaking, the operation had to be postponed or even abandoned" (49). The picture painted by Spector is hardly one in which the United States overpowered the Japanese from the start of the war, that is, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. To the contrary, the victor
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Japanese Spector, Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt's, Pacific War, Japan United, Japan Ironically, War II, Communist China, Bataan Corregidor, Marine Reserves, pearl harbor, spector makes, war japan, attack pearl, world war, attack pearl harbor, atomic bombs, japan pearl harbor, war attack, civilian targets, victory united, american military, world war ii, dropping atomic bombs,
Approximate Word count = 1499
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Eagle Against the Sun