In this historical reference, author Summers, tells the story Husband Kimmel, the Admiral in charge of the Pacific Fleet during the Pearl Harbor attack. As a hobbyist WWII historian, it has always been intriguing how ADM Kimmel was dealt with in the aftermath. The research and information that I had studied suggested that maybe he wasn't as much at fault as history leads us to believe.

This book does an excellent job of bringing all of the material together to give the best picture of what actually took place. Ultimately, Kimmel was the man in charge and was responsible but there was a lot of extenuating circumstances that stacked the deck for success against him. For example, the compartmentalization in Washington kept key intelligence data from Kimmel. Had he known that the Japanese had studied a successful harbor bombing, in shallow water with aerial torpedos in Italy, he might of changed his strategy. When he requested torpedo nets for the entrances to the harbor, it was declined. He asked for more airplanes to cover reconnaissance and routine patrols but was denied. This led to a poorly informed Commander who could only act on with the data and resources provided.

Once Pearl Harbor was attacked, ADM Kimmel was promptly fired and sent back to the U.S. in utter disgrace. During the hearings afterwards, there was a significant amount of politicians that looked to obfuscate and protect their own careers. In the end, ADM Kimmel was reduced in rank to Rear Admiral and left the Navy. He and later, his family, have continued to try and clear his name. It is truly a matter of honor.