This second volume of a three-volume history of the war in the Pacific tells of the situation in which Japan found herself in spring 1942 when confronted by the reality that her enemies would not negotiate an end to the war that she had initiated in December 1941.The book also explains the basis of Allied miscalculations and provides explanations for the defeats that overwhelmed American, British, and Dutch forces throughout Southeast Asia during this same period and the process whereby the Americans picked up the burden of the prosecution of war in the southwest Pacific. From this development, when tied to signals intelligence and related matters, there was fought actions in the Coral Sea and subsequently off Midway, and the story of these two battles form the basis of this book. Historical b&w photos and maps are included. The book was first published in 1983; this is the first paperback edition. Willmott is a member of the Royal Historical Society and a research associate with Greenwich Maritime Institute, University of Greenwich. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)