Bibliography

These books have been selected as essential resources for anyone doing research on the attack on Pearl Harbour. I have chosen them based upon two major criteria. First, they provide a broad overview of the issues. Second, they are in print and thus easily available.

(1)    Beach, Edward L.Scapegoats: A Defence of Kimmel and Short at Pearl Harbour Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1995.
This book reappraises the revisionist argument in light of new information and concludes that, while it is unlikely that FDR deliberately allowed the attack, the command in Washington did fail to send the necessary information to the commanders in Hawaii, then destroyed those men's careers in order to cover their own mistakes. In particular, Beach lays a heavy proportion of the blame upon Admiral Richmond Kelly "Terrible" Turner, who was taking over functions outside of his purview in order to build his own power in the Navy Department

(2)    Prange, Gordon W. At Dawn We Slept. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981
The first of a series of three books on Pearl Harbour, this book is an in-depth examination of the personalities and events involved in the attack. It is very critical of Admiral Kimmel and scathing of revisionist theories.

(3)    Toland, John. Infamy: Pearl Harbour and Its Aftermath. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1982.
The most well known and best researched of all the revisionist accounts of Pearl Harbour, this book concentrates primarily upon the manner in which the various investigations were handled and mis- handled. Although the first several chapters do discuss the mechanics of the attack itself, this is not the primary focus of the book. Rather it is the manner in which Admiral Kimmel and General Short were discarded like trash and subsequently prevented from ever receiving a fair hearing on their cases.