1942

by Robert Conroy

Book Overview

December 7 is "the date which will live in infamy." But now Japan is hatching another, far greater plan to bring America to its knees. . . . The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was a resounding success-except for one detail- a second bombing mission, to destroy crucial oil storage facilities, was aborted that day. Now, in this gripping and stunning work of alternate history, Robert Conroy reimagines December 7, 1941, to include the attack...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345506073
• ISBN13: 9780345506078
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Almost perfect

I caught robert's books at borders years ago and have enjoyed them since. Great writer and his book Red Inferno got me a little emotional. This book is almost as good as that one, I love the writing, and his negative writing towards the Japanese truly shows realistically how they were from the 1930s through the 1940s. Kids now a days don't understand how awful they were, even before the war.... Against their own fellow Asians... For lack of a better word ATM. Buy this book, it's worth the read hands down. Btw I'm a Japanese American.

Wa and War

Alternative history usually diverges at a set point and keeps diverging, becoming more and more unlike our timeline. In 1942, Conroy posits that Admiral Nagumo follows up the original air strike on Pearl Harbor with a raid that takes out the U. S. planes and oil storage tanks - as Yamamoto indeed ordered. The Japanese fleet, with its carriers, planes, and pilots, proceed to conquer the Hawaiian islands. But then our 'actual' timeline, or perhaps the author's patriotism, at once determined and determining, reasserts itself and orchestrates a return to historical homeostasis and an American victory in the Pacific. Several factors sabotage the initial triumph of the Japanese military force. The historically accurate ones include the code of bushido, a kind of hubristic honor, that lead the highly trained and irreplaceable pilots to die with their planes because they refused to wear parachutes - even in defiance of direct orders. On the fictional side, a heroic army captain named Jake Novacek leads a guerilla resistance force of military irregulars, Hawaiian natives and Japanese Americans. He contrives to communicate with US forces on the mainland, arranging for supplies and personnel, eventually staging a multi-pronged uprising that reverses the fortunes of war. His work is made easier in several ways: the governing Japanese quickly lapse into self-indulgent behavior; and the more brutal ones, who clearly never read Machiavelli, arouse the hatred of the entire native population, provoking them to rebellion. Along with all the action, there is an emerging love story between Jake and a young widow. Her harrowing experiences show the face of that war from the woman's perspective. Another love story happens on the mainland between a young officer, Jamie Priest, the sole survivor of the battleship Pennsylvania, and a young woman on the intel team. As with any really good alternative history, actual historical personages and events are scattered throughout, and actual political pressures are described. One of the mini-storylines is Roosevelt's failing health, and the genuine horror his military advisors feel at the prospect of him dying and leaving vice-president Henry A. Wallace in charge. They may not like their Democratic president much, but Wallace, who admires Stalin, would be their worst nightmare. Another side story details an investigation into the failure of the Mark 14 torpedoes to detonate. Thousands of navy personnel, and millions of dollars' worth of submarines and destroyers were lost because they did not perform as marketed. That's the real world of warfare for you. Most WWII fiction focuses on the Atlantic front. Conroy has done an excellent bit of work presenting the Pacific side.

Anither good Alternate History story

Robert Conroy's take on an invasion of Hawaii soon after Pearl Harbor strike is plausable and an enjoyable read. He posits a third strike on the fuel storage and shipyard followed by an invasion of Oahu. Good book for discussion on the "What if..." scenario. A good read, recommended.

Wonderful ending to a novel about December 7th.

Alternative History novels must be completely logical where "real" History sometime isn't as believable. Robert Conroy creates real people to follow during his novels. 1942 has the Japanese sending the "Third Wave" of attack on Pearl Harbor. The Third Wave destroys the Dry Docks and Fuel Tanks at Pearl. This sets up the logical retreat from Pearl Harbor for the U.S. Navy and for the Japanese to decide to invade Hawaii. The ending which I will NOT spoil for the readers is completely logical and emotionally satisfying. Readers who have enjoyed Newt Gingrich & William R. Forstchen books "Pearl Harbor-A novel of December 8th" and "Days of Infamy" along with Harry Turtledove's "Days of Infamy (Pearl Harbor)" and "End of the Beinning" must buy Robert Conroy's "1942"!

An Exciting "What If" Novel

In this thrilling novel, author Robert Conroy explores the question of what would have happened if Japan had launched a successful third wave against Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In Conroy's book, Japan succeeds in not only destroying the American Pacific fleet, but the repair shops, dry docks, and fuel storage tanks are destroyed as well. Soon, Japanese forces have occupied the islands and the remnants of the American Pacific fleet have fled to the relative safety of California. The Japanese secret police, led by Col. Omori, have begun a reign of terror against many of the civilians, especially those of white descent. Omori has chosen Alexa Sanderson, whose husband died on the USS Oklahoma, to be his mistress. Alexa sees no choice but to give in to Omori, believing that this is her only chance at survival. Jake Novacek, who has befriended Alexa after her husband's death, has been sent to the big island of Hawaii to rescue Commander Joe Rochefort, who has secret knowledge of Japanese codes. Upon Rochefort's successful rescue, Jake has remained and, along with the help of volunteers, has begun a covert war against the Japanese. However, Jake has to deal with not only the Japanese, but betrayal from some Americans who have become sympathetic to the Japanese. The Navy has also made plans to strike back at Hawaii. Col. Jimmy Doolittle has been assigned to convert several flying boats into bombers, take off from California, and attack the Japanese fleet, which has now entered Pearl Harbor. The remnants of the American fleet have assembled off the island of Samoa, and are steaming toward Pearl Harbor in hopes of attacking the Japanese ships. A small group of American fighters are also ready to attack the Japanese. An American submarine has been stationed outside the entrance to Pearl Harbor to attack Japanese shipping. If all of these elements are successful, the Japanese could be driven from Hawaii. If they fail, the Japanese will destroy the remnants of American resistance. Which will it be? I enjoyed this book very much. I thought that the story was well-conceived, and the character development is very good. The reader can truly relate to the characters in the book. I thought Conroy's portrayal of Roosevelt as a worn-out leader looking for a ray of hope was truly acurate as to the way FDR actually felt at the time. Also, I liked the way Conroy changed Admiral Spruance's personality from the passive observer to the aggressive attacker. The portrayal of the Japanese characters. especially Col. Omori, was very good, and Conroy pulled no punches with his descriptions of the Japanese atrocities committed against civilians. I give this book my highest recommendation. Fans of alternative history will definitely want to read "1942".