ebooks The Coral Sea 1942: The first carrier battle (Campaign) by Mark Stille in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. First carrier fight...By HMS WarspiteThe Battle of the Coral Sea is often overlooked in the histories of the Second World War; in favor of the more dramatic and more decisive Battle of Midway. In May 1942; the Japanese Imperial Navy had not yet known defeat. Its next big objective in the Southwest Pacific was Port Moresby in New Guinea. Carrier Division 5 escorted the Japanese landing force. The U.S. Navy sent half its Pacific aircraft carriers; the Yorktown and Lexington; to turn back the assault. Over several days; the two task forces maneuvered almost blindly in the Coral Sea; each seeking the moment to launch killing carrier aviation strikes against the other. What happened next was the first carrier battle of the war. Author Mark Stille puts that clash in proper perspective in this Osprey Campaign Series entry; "The Coral Sea 1942"; with illustrations by John White.The author sets the stage for the campaign; and matches the opposing commanders and their forces and plans. The heart of the narrative is the actual fight in the Coral Sea. Stille does a superb job breaking down the action for the general reader; nicely supported by maps; battle diagrams; and period photography. He also challenges the conventional evaluation of the battle; that Coral Sea was a U.S. tactical defeat but ultimately a strategic victory. Students of the conflict can wrestle over his conclusions; thanks to the terrific presentation. Highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Narrative of the First Carrier Battle.By Mike DillemuthThe author; Mark Stille; did an excellent job of maximizing the limited space available in an Osprey book. The narrative is well written and flows like a novel. The maps and photos are appropriately located next to the relevant text. The Order of Battle information is presented in a succinct and orderly fashion that only takes up 3 ½ pages. All in all; this book is well done.The photographs are a definite highlight. The author included everything from personnel to action shots of the battle. Many of the photos are from the Japanese side. This book has photos of an airstrike preparing to lunch from the HIJMS Shokaku and one of the HIJMS Shoho shortly before she sank. There are also dramatic photos; taken by the Japanese; of the USS Lexington under attack. A subsequent picture shows the USS Lexington burning out of control. An American photo captures a Devastator torpedo bomber flying away after attacking HIJMS Shoho. The photos definitely add to the narrative.The author's writing style allows the reader to easily follow the course of events. For example; the Opposing Plans section provides an excellent overview of the respective goals on each side. It also covers the events that led up to the battle. The battle itself is then segmented into various stages. All in all; the author does a good job of painting a clear picture.The maps are also well done. This book has three 3D Birds' Eye View maps that clearly illustrate the airplane attack approaches to the ships. Essentially; they cover both the horizontal and vertical movements of the battle. The book also has five 2D tactical maps that are uncluttered and easy to read. The maps effectively illustrate the locations of the various ships at specific times and dates. They are an excellent supplement to the narrative.Bottom line: this is an excellent book. The clear narrative is effectively supported by numerous maps. As such; the reader should have little difficulty in following the course of the action. Of note is that this book contains an excellent collection of photographs. This is definitely one of the better books in the Osprey Campaign series.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Great Introduction to the Battle of the Coral SeaBy C. P. GilmoreThis is a fantastic history of the world's first-ever carrier-against-carrier battle! While it's not a concise; blow-by-blow historical study of the battle; it is nevertheless a wonderful introduction which gives a clear explanation of what was happening in the Coral Sea in May 1942. Using the color coded and numbered timeline maps for which Osprey battle books have become famous; it's easy to follow the course of the battle as it happened; from the Japanese attack on Tulagi and the Yorktown Air Group's subsequent attack on this newly acquired Japanese base; to the sinking of the IJN Shoho three days later and the loss of the USS Lexington on the final day of the battle. I especially like the way the book is organized; with detailed comparisons of the military leaders on both sides; the ships used on both sides and the explanation of the differences in the composition of air groups on both sides and how they were used. Mr. Stille puts everything in perspective in a most logical way. I highly recommend this book to naval and aviation historians alike.