The Eagle's Claw: A Novel of the Battle of Midway
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- Create Date：2021-06-20 12:31:11
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Jeff Shaara
- ISBN：1984845691
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Cheryl
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I was looking forward to a Jeff Shaara novel， but Midway has been done to death。
Ron Welton
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Jerr Shaara takes the facts of a complex battle and fills them in with narration and dialog that brings the Battle of Midway to life in The Eagle's Claw。 I enjoyed the read and appreciate the additional follow-up factual information provided in the after-word。 Jerr Shaara takes the facts of a complex battle and fills them in with narration and dialog that brings the Battle of Midway to life in The Eagle's Claw。 I enjoyed the read and appreciate the additional follow-up factual information provided in the after-word。 。。。more
Joe
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World War II in the Pacific features names that have endured through 80 years: Pearl Harbor， Iwo Jima， Guadalcanal， Midway， and others。 For Midway， the battle was mainly fought in the air over open ocean by carrier-based planes from American and Japan。 Shaara gives his reliably excellent account of the battle and the major players from both sides。 Of particular interest is his examination of the American cryptographic intelligence unit that deciphered the Japanese military code and allowed the U World War II in the Pacific features names that have endured through 80 years: Pearl Harbor， Iwo Jima， Guadalcanal， Midway， and others。 For Midway， the battle was mainly fought in the air over open ocean by carrier-based planes from American and Japan。 Shaara gives his reliably excellent account of the battle and the major players from both sides。 Of particular interest is his examination of the American cryptographic intelligence unit that deciphered the Japanese military code and allowed the US Navy to catch the Japanese fleet unprepared。 Happening just six months after Pearl Harbor it was a much needed victory for the Americans that had lasting consequences for the balance of naval power。Shaara has made his name with accurately portrayed military historical fiction and to his credit he never glamorizes the horrific actions and losses of battle。 The Eagle's Claw joins his impressive lineup of books on WWII。 。。。more
Thomas
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Shaara， Jeff。 The Eagle’s Claw: A Novel of the Battle of Midway。 Ballantine， 2021。The Eagle’s Claw is Jeff Shaara’s latest historical novel on the major events of World War II。 In many historical novels， fictional characters are placed on a historical stage to act out private dramas。 The Eagle’s Claw is more a novelization of history than fiction in a historical setting。 Most of his major characters are historical figures and fictional characters play a very minor role。 Shaara creates imagined d Shaara， Jeff。 The Eagle’s Claw: A Novel of the Battle of Midway。 Ballantine， 2021。The Eagle’s Claw is Jeff Shaara’s latest historical novel on the major events of World War II。 In many historical novels， fictional characters are placed on a historical stage to act out private dramas。 The Eagle’s Claw is more a novelization of history than fiction in a historical setting。 Most of his major characters are historical figures and fictional characters play a very minor role。 Shaara creates imagined dialogue but does not stray， as far as I can tell， from actions in the historical record。 The pace is quick and the action exciting and clearly described。 We get a good sense of the conflict between the admirals in the field and their Washington bosses and of the difficulty a nonconforming code breaker had in selling his discoveries to all his superiors but Halsey and Nimitz。 We also get a big picture of the Japanese strategy。 The idea was to lure American aircraft carriers out from the relative safety of Pearl Harbor and take Midway as a forward operating base。 But communication problems， exacerbated by Yamamoto’s imposition of radio silence on his fleet， let the American Navy out maneuver him。 His decision to divide his forces in the name of security also proved disastrous。 The Japanese Zero was a faster， more maneuverable plane than anything Americans had at the time， but superior American combat tactics prevailed。 The most moving story in novel is of the sinking of the aircraft carrier Yorktown。 If you like historical fiction， this one makes a quick beach read。 4 stars。 。。。more
Stephen
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Midway was one of the battles of WW2， the turning point of the Pacific War that， six months following Pearl Harbor， announced to Dai Nippon that its days in the sun were numbered。 The Japanese planned to seize the Midway Atoll， both as a staging area for a later invasion of Hawaii， and as an opportunity to draw the US carrier fleet into the open， so that it might be destroyed and complete the work begun at Pearl。 Unfortunately for Yamamato， US cryptographers were reading enough Japanese transmis Midway was one of the battles of WW2， the turning point of the Pacific War that， six months following Pearl Harbor， announced to Dai Nippon that its days in the sun were numbered。 The Japanese planned to seize the Midway Atoll， both as a staging area for a later invasion of Hawaii， and as an opportunity to draw the US carrier fleet into the open， so that it might be destroyed and complete the work begun at Pearl。 Unfortunately for Yamamato， US cryptographers were reading enough Japanese transmissions to know that something was being planned – allowing US forces to position themselves to ambush the ambushers。 In The Eagle’s Claw， Jeff Shaara takes us through the weeks before Midway and then through the battle itself， using his and his father’s signature style to put us into the minds of various American and Japanese officers and men， from the code-cracking dungeon to the dogfights high above the Pacific。 Although the novel rightly lauds Joseph Rochefort’s crypto team for their role in allowing the US Navy to deliver proper vengeance for Pearl Harbor （the Empire lost four of their carriers）， Shaara does not omit the factor of glorious luck – of dive bombers arriving over the Japanese carrier fleet just as the Japanese were loading ordinance for a second bombing run on the Atoll， and their fighters running on fumes。 Shaara also includes a little scene with John Ford， who had arrived on the Atoll on orders from the OSS。 。。。more
Doug Kohl
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Important Retelling of HistoryI really like Shaara's way of telling a story through exhaustive research。 One would hope we'd be smart enough to not repeat the atrocities， but alas， war continues。 Important Retelling of HistoryI really like Shaara's way of telling a story through exhaustive research。 One would hope we'd be smart enough to not repeat the atrocities， but alas， war continues。 。。。more
Timothy R。
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Another fantastic book by Jeff ShaaraI'm a retired history teacher。 I've read all Jeff's books and highly recommended them all。 In my opinion he is one of the finest historical fiction writers I've ever read。 He never fails to teach me something new in each book。 Thanks again Jeff！ Another fantastic book by Jeff ShaaraI'm a retired history teacher。 I've read all Jeff's books and highly recommended them all。 In my opinion he is one of the finest historical fiction writers I've ever read。 He never fails to teach me something new in each book。 Thanks again Jeff！ 。。。more
William
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A superb account of the battle for Midway Shaara telling of both the American and Japanese accounts leading up to and during the battle of Midway is exceptional。 You get to know the individuals on both side of this conflict。 Highly recommended。
Boston64329
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I like the book but not as much as some of his others。 I've read all but one。 I like that he uses a general or admiral， a lieutenant or captain and enlisted man to tell the story of these battles。 A perspective that gives a complete picture of what happened。 He also gives a brief bio of the characters after the battle。 It also exposes the rivalry between the Naval DC and Hawaiian Intelligence。 The Hawaiian is more accurate which the DC staff resents。 So who wins？ The DC staff who were wrong a ve I like the book but not as much as some of his others。 I've read all but one。 I like that he uses a general or admiral， a lieutenant or captain and enlisted man to tell the story of these battles。 A perspective that gives a complete picture of what happened。 He also gives a brief bio of the characters after the battle。 It also exposes the rivalry between the Naval DC and Hawaiian Intelligence。 The Hawaiian is more accurate which the DC staff resents。 So who wins？ The DC staff who were wrong a very high percent of the time。 。。。more
Tony Garcia
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4。5。 Another entertaining book by jeff
PottWab Regional Library
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SM
Rob Roy
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I have been waiting eagerly for this book to come out， and I was not disappointed。 Shaara brings the human side of the battle to the forefront， and does it magnificently。 The key players are here， but also the little folk that did their job， and did it very well。 If you are a World War II fan， or a Naval History fan， or simply a fan of good writing， do pick up a copy and enjoy。
William Hodson Sr
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Great book for sureJeff hit it out of the park again。 I was thoroughly engrossed in this book， just like all the others。 It is a real winner！
Bob
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Another historical journey。 Thank you。 Thank you Jeff Shaara for another wonderful historical journey into， perhaps， the most pivotal naval battle in US history， or certainly in WW II。 I always enjoy your work。
Kathy
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This is very well written and a very important topic to study for those of us who have not become familiar with the Battle of Midway for one reason or another。 The anniversary in August is coming up and I wanted to educate myself on this topic I know so little about。 However。。。I am getting too upset reading it and have to put it aside for another day， another attempt。 I recall watching news coverage last August from Japan but I also remember some ugly incidents when I was very young。 I was born This is very well written and a very important topic to study for those of us who have not become familiar with the Battle of Midway for one reason or another。 The anniversary in August is coming up and I wanted to educate myself on this topic I know so little about。 However。。。I am getting too upset reading it and have to put it aside for another day， another attempt。 I recall watching news coverage last August from Japan but I also remember some ugly incidents when I was very young。 I was born in 1945 and prejudice was alive in the US when I was a youngster。 I will return to the book later when able。Part of my problem is the writing is very dynamic and takes the reader into the immediacy of the action。One quote in intro: "If the enemy is efficient--prepare for him。 If he is arrogant， behave timidly， to encourage his arrogance。 Advance when he does not expect you。" Sun Tzu， The Art of War， 500 B。C。Library Loan 。。。more
David
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Shaara continues his unique treatment of past battles with this book that focuses on the Battle of Midway， arguably a major turning point （positive for the Americans， not so much for the Japanese） of WWII in the Pacific theater。 Shaara does a great job of analyzing the many strategies of both sides and clearly describes the battles， clearing the so-called fog of war。Shaara uses a well-developed format， pioneered by his father， to tell his stories。 That format is front and center in this book。 Co Shaara continues his unique treatment of past battles with this book that focuses on the Battle of Midway， arguably a major turning point （positive for the Americans， not so much for the Japanese） of WWII in the Pacific theater。 Shaara does a great job of analyzing the many strategies of both sides and clearly describes the battles， clearing the so-called fog of war。Shaara uses a well-developed format， pioneered by his father， to tell his stories。 That format is front and center in this book。 Comforting， enjoyable but maybe a little overdone in this book。 And， as always in Shaara’s retelling of battles， the eventual losers （Japanese in this case） always know they’re going to lose。 Probably not the case but doubts expressed by those running the battles， in hindsight， kind of make sense。 。。。more
Curtis Taylor
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Another Great Novel by Jeff Shaara。 The Battle of Midway was the turning point to the Pacific War with Japan。 This Battle was fought not from overwhelming numbers of American Ships but from a few men who gave their all to change to tide of war。 Having served twice on the USS Midway （cv-41）， I have heard all the stories about the Battle。 As a Navy Master Chief I conducted Military Training about the Battle of Midway。 Knowing all of this I can say that Jeff Shaara nail it in his approach to the st Another Great Novel by Jeff Shaara。 The Battle of Midway was the turning point to the Pacific War with Japan。 This Battle was fought not from overwhelming numbers of American Ships but from a few men who gave their all to change to tide of war。 Having served twice on the USS Midway （cv-41）， I have heard all the stories about the Battle。 As a Navy Master Chief I conducted Military Training about the Battle of Midway。 Knowing all of this I can say that Jeff Shaara nail it in his approach to the story。 Adding the personal sides to the players in the both the Japanese Leadership and the US's leadership adds greatly to the plot of the battle for the Pacific。 "Hand Salute" to a job well done。 Outstanding！ 。。。more
Peter Barnett
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Not Shaara’s Best EffortThis is a heavily documented， well known event in the history of WWII。 Shaara seemed to stick to all of the highlights of the battle but he didn’t really add anything that isn’t already in the history books。 As a novelist， he has license to wander off on any number of tangents， or build the characters in interesting ways。 Instead， he focused on history。I have read all of Shaara’s books。 This effort smacks more of a need to remain relevant as a writer than the fascination Not Shaara’s Best EffortThis is a heavily documented， well known event in the history of WWII。 Shaara seemed to stick to all of the highlights of the battle but he didn’t really add anything that isn’t already in the history books。 As a novelist， he has license to wander off on any number of tangents， or build the characters in interesting ways。 Instead， he focused on history。I have read all of Shaara’s books。 This effort smacks more of a need to remain relevant as a writer than the fascination of the event and history he usually communicates in his books。 Still a good read but only a C+ from an A+ writer。 。。。more
Michael Driscoll
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Jeff Shaara is definitely one of my favorite author's， making American battles and wars come to life more than a history book can。 He does this again in The Eagle's Claw with the Battle of Midway quite well， and yet I find myself just a little disappointed ultimately。 It's not that the book is bad， or different from previous novels， but I think an artifact of the battle itself。 There is very little direct action between the players， the entire battle of actual "fighting" is measured in minutes， Jeff Shaara is definitely one of my favorite author's， making American battles and wars come to life more than a history book can。 He does this again in The Eagle's Claw with the Battle of Midway quite well， and yet I find myself just a little disappointed ultimately。 It's not that the book is bad， or different from previous novels， but I think an artifact of the battle itself。 There is very little direct action between the players， the entire battle of actual "fighting" is measured in minutes， not hours or days。 There's not *too* much to talk about there， the actual battle itself is only a few chapters of the book， the rest is the build up， which makes sense but doesn't work as well for a story。 Plus he focuses too much on the fighters I believe， and far less on the dive bombers/torpedo bombers， I assume because he mostly spoke to surviving fighters pilots。Also after reading Shattered Sword， you realize how much there actually is to the battle underneath and how some of the myths of the battle that survive due to previous authors （particularly Fuchida's account）。 Most any Japanese commander would have made the same errors as Nagumo from how doctrinal they were with how to launch planes， which Shaara repeats as being more a personal failing on Nagumo's part。 Regardless， it's a good book I read in a few days and makes for a fun read， but it is fiction， so one should keep that in mind before taking away too much from it historically。 。。。more
Jeff Dow
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More like 3 1/2 stars。。。solid， you know what you are going to get。
Spectre
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As a modern day Kenneth Roberts， Jeff Shaara's historical fiction serves as a terrific starting point for anyone who has an interest in wars and significant battles fought by the United States military ranging from the Revolutionary War through the Korean conflict。 His historical insights allow the reader to understand a particular conflict and， through further reading and study， understand the battles from the point of view of Generals and Privates and those in between。 His narrative of the bat As a modern day Kenneth Roberts， Jeff Shaara's historical fiction serves as a terrific starting point for anyone who has an interest in wars and significant battles fought by the United States military ranging from the Revolutionary War through the Korean conflict。 His historical insights allow the reader to understand a particular conflict and， through further reading and study， understand the battles from the point of view of Generals and Privates and those in between。 His narrative of the battle that turned the tide in the Pacific Theater， The Battle of Midway， is no exception to his excellent work。 。。。more
Robert Lee
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Another great read。I have read all of Jeff Shaara's novels， and have truly enjoyed all of them。 I have read many books on the battle of Midway， and， while this one is not the best， it is still a good read。 I think the characters could have been developed better， and felt there needed to be more action。 But， it would be hard to bring anything new to a battle that has been so extensively written about。 But， like all of his books， I enjoyed it and look forward to his next book。 Another great read。I have read all of Jeff Shaara's novels， and have truly enjoyed all of them。 I have read many books on the battle of Midway， and， while this one is not the best， it is still a good read。 I think the characters could have been developed better， and felt there needed to be more action。 But， it would be hard to bring anything new to a battle that has been so extensively written about。 But， like all of his books， I enjoyed it and look forward to his next book。 。。。more
John Bond
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Another great one from Jeff Shaara。 Great topic: one of the most important moments in US history， now nearly faded and unknown by many--the Battle of Midway。 Highly recommend。
Robert S
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Jeff Sharra is a writer of huge distinction with his up close and personal accounts of major wartime battles and of the men who fought them。 As always， the thoughts， actions and final decisions of the men commanding troops at war， is unparalleled。 The machinations of the Japanese， with their false sense of superiority， is laid out plainly and with no prejudice， either way。 The Americans， fighting as the underdogs that they were in The Battle of Midway， use their talents as code-breakers to even Jeff Sharra is a writer of huge distinction with his up close and personal accounts of major wartime battles and of the men who fought them。 As always， the thoughts， actions and final decisions of the men commanding troops at war， is unparalleled。 The machinations of the Japanese， with their false sense of superiority， is laid out plainly and with no prejudice， either way。 The Americans， fighting as the underdogs that they were in The Battle of Midway， use their talents as code-breakers to even up the odds of victory。 This was a splendid account of， maybe， the most significant battle in the Pacific in World War II。 Somehow， it lacked just a little of the excitement and intrigue of some of his other novels。 But， I'm just being a little picky here。 It really was a page-turner for me。 。。。more
Jay Ward
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OutstandingThis is the kind of story you barely breath until it's over。 The tension is that high。 I would say one of the author's finest novels。 Incredibly written & researched。 A fitting tribute to so many courageous heroes who gave their all for our freedom。 OutstandingThis is the kind of story you barely breath until it's over。 The tension is that high。 I would say one of the author's finest novels。 Incredibly written & researched。 A fitting tribute to so many courageous heroes who gave their all for our freedom。 。。。more
Mary Vogelsong
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Jeff Shaara's latest historical fiction is not his best， but it is still worth a read。 His best， in my opinion， is To Wake the Giant。 I like that one because he builds a story around individual characters。In The Eagle's Claw， Shaara examines the Battle of Midway from American and Japanese viewpoints。 Navy pilots Doolittle and Thach （who developed the Thach Weave） have sections devoted to their participation。 I would have liked to learn more about Doolittle。It was a decisive American victory， des Jeff Shaara's latest historical fiction is not his best， but it is still worth a read。 His best， in my opinion， is To Wake the Giant。 I like that one because he builds a story around individual characters。In The Eagle's Claw， Shaara examines the Battle of Midway from American and Japanese viewpoints。 Navy pilots Doolittle and Thach （who developed the Thach Weave） have sections devoted to their participation。 I would have liked to learn more about Doolittle。It was a decisive American victory， despite heavy losses on both sides。 I think in this case， the Americans had more ships and pilots， and so came out ahead。 。。。more
Rob
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If you’re a military history buff， the Battle of Midway is a well-known story。 Historians have claimed that Midway was the most complete naval victory since Horatio Nelson’s near annihilation of the Spanish and French fleets at Trafalgar in 1805。 In May 1942， Japan was the premier naval power of the world。 The attack on Pearl Harbor the previous December left America’s Pacific fleet in tatters， with one notable exception: the United States still had her carriers。 The key to turning the tide come If you’re a military history buff， the Battle of Midway is a well-known story。 Historians have claimed that Midway was the most complete naval victory since Horatio Nelson’s near annihilation of the Spanish and French fleets at Trafalgar in 1805。 In May 1942， Japan was the premier naval power of the world。 The attack on Pearl Harbor the previous December left America’s Pacific fleet in tatters， with one notable exception: the United States still had her carriers。 The key to turning the tide comes from Commander Joe Rochefort， a little-known “code breaker” who cracks the Japanese military encryption system。 Now Admiral Chester Nimitz knows precisely what the Japanese are planning。 In typical Shaara style， he recounts in electrifying detail what happens when these two sides finally meet outside a small atoll northwest of Hawaii。 With the sinking of four Japanese carriers， the battle will become the turning point of the war in the Pacific。 As always， Shaara throws in plenty of interesting tidbits of unique military history – new facts even for those who fully know the story – justifying the price of admission。 。。。more
John Bushby
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The author clearly knows nothing about naval aviation or about flying in general。 While the historical references are not in dispute， he has no grasp of the process of flying， nor of the aircraft involved in the battle of Midway。
Nancy
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The best he has written yet。 This book continues his novel to Wake the Giant and includes what happened after the attack on Pearl Harbor。 A great read。
Andrew
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