Last year, when I visited Pearl Harbor, I had a real spark of interest in history that I haven’t felt since completing my PhD over a decade ago. Since then, I’ve been reading a number of books on the subject. Most recent was Walter R. Borneman’s Brothers Down: Pearl Harbor and the Fate of the Many Brothers Aboard the USS Arizona.
While it does
include a fairly good rundown of what happened on December 7, there is the
unique perspective of focusing on the 40-some sets of brothers (or father/son)
aboard the doomed battleship. I never
realized to that point, it was naval policy to allow and even encourage family
members to serve on the same ship to promote comradery and morale. After Pearl Harbor, and later the Sullivans
on the Juneau, it was discouraged in war time.
This was a fascinating book. It’s maybe not the best entry book into Pearl Harbor, but it definitely is a worthy addition to the history. Personal stories are always, in my opinion, best and most effective. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in WWII.
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