Key decisions and events of the Pacific War are explored in this work by juxtaposing Allied and Japanese accounts, giving voice to both sides in this epic confrontation.Competing Voices from the Pacific War: Fighting Words covers the period from July 1937 to September 1945, touching briefly on the post-war Allied occupation of Japan. Although it emphasizes American and Japanese accounts, it also includes perspectives from other nations. Materials covering political and strategic issues, the experiences of combatants and prisoners of war, the experiences of civilians caught up in the various war zones, and the impact of the war on the various home fronts, are also included.By including a range of primary sources representing the experiences and views of participants and commentators of all sides and setting them in their historical contexts, this unique anthology promotes an understanding of the Pacific War, the events that led up to it, and its legacies. Alongside sources that reflect traditional military history, material that considers the war from the perspective of the "new military history" is also included.

Presents eyewitness accounts to bring aspects of the war vividly alive

Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Growing Tensions: Japan, China, and the United StatesChapter 3: Pearl HarborChapter 4: Japanese Conquests, Allied Defeats, 1941-1942Chapter 5: Turning Points at Sea, 1942: Coral Sea and MidwayChapter 6: Turning the Tide on Land, 1942: Guadalcanal and New GuineaChapter 7: Wartime Life in Occupied Asia and the PacificChapter 8: Home Fronts: Japan, the United States, and AustraliaChapter 9: The Prisoner-of-War ExperienceChapter 10: Allied Offensive, 1943-45Chapter 11: Hiroshima and the Defeat of JapanChapter 12: SurrenderChapter 13: Legacies: The Significance of the Pacific War