On December 7, 1941, even as Japanese carrier-launched aircraft flew toward Pearl Harbor, a small American cargo ship chartered by the Army reported that it was under attack from a submarine halfway between Seattle and Honolulu. After that one cryptic message, the humble lumber carrier Cynthia Olson and her crew vanished without a trace, sparking one of the most enduring nautical mysteries of the war. What happened to the ill-fated ship? What happened to her crew? And was she Japan's first American victim of the Pacific War? Based on years of research, Dawn of Infamy explores both the military and human aspects of the Cynthia Olson story, bringing to life a complex tale of courage, tenacity, hubris, and arrogance in the opening hours of America's war in the Pacific.
Stephen Harding is the author of eight previous books, including the New York Times bestseller The Last Battle. He is a longtime journalist specializing in military affairs. For nearly two decades he was on the staff of Soldiers, the official magazine of the U.S. Army, reporting from Northern Ireland, Israel, Egypt, New Zealand, Bosnia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Currently he is editor-in-chief of Military History magazine. His contributions on defence topics and aviation, military, and maritime history have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Air & Space Smithsonian, World War II, Jane's defence Weekly, and Air Enthusiast. He lives in Northern Virginia.
Title: Dawn of Infamy: A Sunken Ship, a Vanished Crew, and the Final Mystery of Pearl Harbor
Author: Harding, Stephen
ISBN: 9780306825033
Binding:
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication Date: 2016-11-22
Number of Pages: 280
Weight: 0.4537 kg
Library Journal, 9/15/16 Harding's thorough research reconstructs the Cynthia Olson's last days...While the story of the Cynthia Olson often appears as a side note in other histories about Pearl Harbor, this harrowing account brings it to the fore, telling how a Japanese submarine was able to sail close to the U.S. mainland and sink an unarmed ship in the hours before America entered World War II...Will appeal to nautical and military historians alike. Kirkus Reviews, 10/15/16 A detailed, well-researched book presented in a logical fashion--will appeal most to Pearl Harbor scholars and those interested in submarine warfare. An account of a little known incident that might have seen the opening shots of the Japanese war against the United States...Their story needed to be told. ?New York Journal of Books Harding takes a minor incident that could be reduced to a single sentence and, despite the lack of hard information about many aspects of the event, turns it into a fast-paced piece of historical detective work with very human dimensions and consequences...An engaging and satisfying book. ?Stone & Stone Based on years of research, Dawn of Infamy explores both the military and human aspects of the Cynthia Olson story, bringing to life a complex tale of courage, tenacity, hubris and arrogance in the opening hours of America's war in the Pacific. ?Bookreporter.com Stephen Harding researched a small part of World War II military history...with the amazing details typical of a good journalist. ?Seattle Book Review
