Each month Abington Library will feature a favorite book from a faculty, staff member, or student. They will give a brief synopsis of their chosen book.
Lana Chumley is Academic Advisor/Testing at ASU-Heber Springs.
Incredible Victory by Walter Lord
Review by Lana Chumley
As an avid reader, it was extremely difficult to choose my “favorite” book. Instead, I chose to highlight a book I read for the first time in junior high. My father and step-father were both World War II veterans, who served in the Pacific theater. Walter Lord’s Incredible Victory resonates with me for that reason.
Incredible Victory is an in-depth look at the Battle of Midway Island. In June 1942, the American military and her citizens were still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor just six months before. The awesome might of the American war-production machine was ramping up, but its Navy was still woefully short of ships. In contrast, the Imperial Japanese Navy was considered to be the finest in the world. The Japanese outnumbered the US forces in men, planes and ships. These two forces met at a small speck of sand called Midway Island and the Americans were able to virtually annihilate the Japanese Navy and end their Naval dominance in the Pacific.
Walter Lord walks the reader through every phase of the operation, from code-breaking to the final shot. His use of firsthand accounts gives one the feeling of being there. His meticulous research and insight make this book a fascinating portrait of men during war. I highly recommend Incredible Victory to anyone who is interested in US history, Naval history, or just winning against impossible odds.
