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Reflections of Pearl Harbor
RICHARDSON, Kent D. Reflections of Pearl Harbor: An Oral History of December 7, 1941. Cary, NC: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. 192 p. ISBN 978-0-275-98516-5. HC. $39.95. Index. Bib. Acid-Free.
Over 180 accounts of the day Pearl Harbor was attacked have been gathered by Kent Richardson, a writer for the Venice Cornerstone newspaper of Ross, Ohio. Most gripping are the eyewitness accounts in the first chapter from military personnel and civilians who were on or near Oahu when the attack occurred. The remaining five chapters are mostly memories of people on the continental United States—what they were doing that day, how they heard the news, and the life-changes that occurred as the nation went to war. Those chapters contain stories from children, women, servicemen, those who enlisted after the attack, those who lost loved ones or were sent to concentration camps, and others. Sunday dinners, church, dates, movies, bowling, family visits—together, these narratives form a collage of America on December 7, 1941.
Some familiarity with naval terminology and the major events of the attack will help readers to follow the narratives in the first chapter. The shock, confusion, and determination of the people at the scene are vividly captured throughout the pages: “I spotted one of my shipmates lying near the edge and he was on fire. I took a step towards him and collapsed. That’s when I realized my leg was broken.” Sailors were scrambling into action: “I headed for my battle station, losing the towel, thongs, soap, and washrag.” People made do with whatever was on hand: “I remember one sailor came out [of the quarters] barefoot wearing a tuxedo.” The end of the chapter will leave readers wishing for more, especially as less than one-third of the book is about those who were at or near Pearl Harbor when the war began.
In the following chapters, there are numerous mentions of infamy, blackened out windows, rationing, and learning to identify planes by shape, as well as school and work experiences after the start of the war. Many accounts are only one paragraph, while others are several pages long. Some remembrances stray from December 7th to the war in general. Many of these recollections are valuable and appropriate, but occasional narratives seem to be off target considering the intent (and title) of the book. One example has a single paragraph about hearing the news of Pearl Harbor but eleven paragraphs of later events, some of which seem to occur years after the war has ended.
The last chapter is specially dedicated to those who lost family or friends to the war, as well as Japanese Americans who were held at internment camps. However, the impact of these sobering accounts may have been greater if they were integrated into the rest of the book rather than gathered together at the end. As it is, the recounting of loss after loss is numbing, while the rest of the book unrealistically has almost everyone emerging safely from combat. Still, the matter-of-fact narratives capture the pain inherent in war.
Included is a useful index with the names of the contributors, ships, and locations of events. There are also a few notes at the end of the book, which is printed on acid-free paper.
Richardson solicited these written stories from across the country through newspaper and magazine ads. He also sent flyers to places for seniors and veterans, such as retirement homes. Additionally, approximately one third of his stories came from responses to messages he posted on websites for senior citizens. Richardson also conducted a number of telephone interviews. Because volunteers generally wrote their contributions rather than spoke it, there are a few passages that feel awkward and out of place—“flowery prose,” as Max Arthur of the Financial Times put it. This may also be the reason for occasional instances when the background of the person is unclear, or their account ends somewhat abruptly.
There are many other similar books written about Pearl Harbor, but the unique contribution of Reflections is its inclusion of recollections from people from across the country, not just those who were in Hawaii during the assault. One comparable book is Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women (Robert S. La Forte and Ronald E. Marcello, Scholarly Resources, 1991), which pulls together 40 extensive interviews. It has a more uniform style than Reflections, as it includes a brief introduction of the subject preceding each narrative and follow-up information afterwards. Pearl Harbor Survivors: An Oral History of 24 Servicemen by Harry Spiller (McFarland & Company, 2002) is more similar to Reflections in the length of the narratives. It includes a good number of photographs, is nicely organized, and provides more background information about the ships and the attack. Also, Lawrence Rodriggs’ We Remember Pearl Harbor (Communications Concepts, 1991) compiles 50 substantial interviews with civilians of Honolulu.
Reflections of Pearl Harbor documents this historical day for the benefit of future generations. Unlike other books which have more detailed interviews from a particular group of people, Reflections provides short remembrances from a broader range of individuals, including military and civilian eyewitnesses and people from all over the United States. Because of the personal nature of the work and the brevity of the individual segments, it is highly readable. This book will be appreciated by those with an interest in Pearl Harbor or American life during World War II. Although the price is a little steep for a casual reader, research libraries may find this book worth the investment.
Richardson’s next book is a work of science fiction called Journey Across Time (Dailey Swan Publishing). It is due to be released later this year.
See other reviews:
"HISTORY (GENERAL)." Reference & Research Book News 20.3 (Aug. 2005): 28-34.
Freeman, Jay. "Reflections of Pearl Harbor: An Oral History of December 7, 1941." Booklist 101.19/20 (01 June 2005): 1746-1746.
Arthur, Max. “Voices of the People: The Recollections of the Ordinary Men and Women Who Bore the Brunt of War Give Us a Ringside Seat At Events That Changed The Course of History.” Financial Times (London, England) (7 May 2005): 26.
Over 180 accounts of the day Pearl Harbor was attacked have been gathered by Kent Richardson, a writer for the Venice Cornerstone newspaper of Ross, Ohio. Most gripping are the eyewitness accounts in the first chapter from military personnel and civilians who were on or near Oahu when the attack occurred. The remaining five chapters are mostly memories of people on the continental United States—what they were doing that day, how they heard the news, and the life-changes that occurred as the nation went to war. Those chapters contain stories from children, women, servicemen, those who enlisted after the attack, those who lost loved ones or were sent to concentration camps, and others. Sunday dinners, church, dates, movies, bowling, family visits—together, these narratives form a collage of America on December 7, 1941.
Some familiarity with naval terminology and the major events of the attack will help readers to follow the narratives in the first chapter. The shock, confusion, and determination of the people at the scene are vividly captured throughout the pages: “I spotted one of my shipmates lying near the edge and he was on fire. I took a step towards him and collapsed. That’s when I realized my leg was broken.” Sailors were scrambling into action: “I headed for my battle station, losing the towel, thongs, soap, and washrag.” People made do with whatever was on hand: “I remember one sailor came out [of the quarters] barefoot wearing a tuxedo.” The end of the chapter will leave readers wishing for more, especially as less than one-third of the book is about those who were at or near Pearl Harbor when the war began.
In the following chapters, there are numerous mentions of infamy, blackened out windows, rationing, and learning to identify planes by shape, as well as school and work experiences after the start of the war. Many accounts are only one paragraph, while others are several pages long. Some remembrances stray from December 7th to the war in general. Many of these recollections are valuable and appropriate, but occasional narratives seem to be off target considering the intent (and title) of the book. One example has a single paragraph about hearing the news of Pearl Harbor but eleven paragraphs of later events, some of which seem to occur years after the war has ended.
The last chapter is specially dedicated to those who lost family or friends to the war, as well as Japanese Americans who were held at internment camps. However, the impact of these sobering accounts may have been greater if they were integrated into the rest of the book rather than gathered together at the end. As it is, the recounting of loss after loss is numbing, while the rest of the book unrealistically has almost everyone emerging safely from combat. Still, the matter-of-fact narratives capture the pain inherent in war.
Included is a useful index with the names of the contributors, ships, and locations of events. There are also a few notes at the end of the book, which is printed on acid-free paper.
Richardson solicited these written stories from across the country through newspaper and magazine ads. He also sent flyers to places for seniors and veterans, such as retirement homes. Additionally, approximately one third of his stories came from responses to messages he posted on websites for senior citizens. Richardson also conducted a number of telephone interviews. Because volunteers generally wrote their contributions rather than spoke it, there are a few passages that feel awkward and out of place—“flowery prose,” as Max Arthur of the Financial Times put it. This may also be the reason for occasional instances when the background of the person is unclear, or their account ends somewhat abruptly.
There are many other similar books written about Pearl Harbor, but the unique contribution of Reflections is its inclusion of recollections from people from across the country, not just those who were in Hawaii during the assault. One comparable book is Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women (Robert S. La Forte and Ronald E. Marcello, Scholarly Resources, 1991), which pulls together 40 extensive interviews. It has a more uniform style than Reflections, as it includes a brief introduction of the subject preceding each narrative and follow-up information afterwards. Pearl Harbor Survivors: An Oral History of 24 Servicemen by Harry Spiller (McFarland & Company, 2002) is more similar to Reflections in the length of the narratives. It includes a good number of photographs, is nicely organized, and provides more background information about the ships and the attack. Also, Lawrence Rodriggs’ We Remember Pearl Harbor (Communications Concepts, 1991) compiles 50 substantial interviews with civilians of Honolulu.
Reflections of Pearl Harbor documents this historical day for the benefit of future generations. Unlike other books which have more detailed interviews from a particular group of people, Reflections provides short remembrances from a broader range of individuals, including military and civilian eyewitnesses and people from all over the United States. Because of the personal nature of the work and the brevity of the individual segments, it is highly readable. This book will be appreciated by those with an interest in Pearl Harbor or American life during World War II. Although the price is a little steep for a casual reader, research libraries may find this book worth the investment.
Richardson’s next book is a work of science fiction called Journey Across Time (Dailey Swan Publishing). It is due to be released later this year.
Submitted in April, 2008 by Leslie Hamasaki, LIS student, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
See other reviews:
"HISTORY (GENERAL)." Reference & Research Book News 20.3 (Aug. 2005): 28-34.
Freeman, Jay. "Reflections of Pearl Harbor: An Oral History of December 7, 1941." Booklist 101.19/20 (01 June 2005): 1746-1746.
Arthur, Max. “Voices of the People: The Recollections of the Ordinary Men and Women Who Bore the Brunt of War Give Us a Ringside Seat At Events That Changed The Course of History.” Financial Times (London, England) (7 May 2005): 26.
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