The Final Act of the Pacific War

Cleaver, author of numerous works in aviation, Marine Corps, and World War II history, such as Frozen Chosen and Pacific Thunder: The US Navy's Central Pacific Campaign, August 1943–October 1944, gives us this aptly titled account of the final ten months of the Pacific War.

Cleaver gives us a lively account, and has the knack of being able to shift smoothly from topic to topic. He managed to give us looks at grand strategy, pilots dog fighting over tropic isles, ships being pounded by fierce storms, troops on embattled beachheads, aircraft stats, lookouts on submarine conning towers, desperate anti-aircraft gunners firing on determined kamikaze, carrier deck operations, profiles of soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen from several nations, and more, all tied together in a virtually seamless narrative. The result is a clear, informative, and fast paced picture of the final operations of the war in the Central Pacific.

Tidal Wave is primarily a work for the lay reader, unlikely to be familiar with the events or military and naval practice of the day, but the serious student of the war will likely to find if of some interest as well.

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