15 Best Books About Japan & the Pacific during WWII

This book list covers the Pacific Theater during World War Two, which was a major area of combat. There were many historic battles that took place, and many war heroes that emerged. This book list about WWII also includes books on Japan, and the way the war impacted that country as a whole. In this post, you’ll find books that cover Iwo Jima, Peleliu, Guadalcanal, Pearl Harbor, Doolittle’s raids and more.

You may also like our list of the 15 Best Books About the European Theater

Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of WWII by John W. Dower

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this book examines and explains the immediate devastating aftermath of WWII in Japan. Written by one of the best historians in this area, it’s an important part of understanding this time in our past, and Japan’s. The American occupation, which lasted over 6 years, affected every single level of Japanese society, and in many ways that neither side could have anticipated. This is a masterfully researched book, complete with interviews, photographs and written as a book in a way everyone can understand.

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge

With the Old Breed is an excellent memoir of the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. Eugene Sledge was a private in the United States Marine Corps from Alambam who saw intense combat on Peleliu and Okinawa. He fought as a member of the storied 1st Marine Division in two of the bloodiest battles of the war, in some of the most difficult areas in the world to find yourself in combat. This is a remarkable book that allows the reader to feel like you’re right there alongside of Eugene the whole way.

Flags of Our Fathers by John Bradley

Flags of Our Fathers is the true story behind the iconic photograph of the flag being raised on Iwo Jima that rallied a war-tired nation and renewed the collective sense of hope in that war was coming to an end. Written by the son of one of the flag raisers, this is a powerful documentation of six young men from very different backgrounds came together in a moment that lives on to this day. John Bradley’s father never spoke of the war or the photograph, but when John comes across it after his father’s death, he retraces the steps of the men in Easy Company and writes one of the most moving books about Iwo Jima I’ve ever read. It was made into a movie, but I do highly recommend reading the book first. It’s such a profound book, and a beautiful tribute to his father and the men he served with.

Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal by James D. Hornfischer

Written from interviews with survivors, eyewitness accounts and documents, this account paints a remarkable picture of the men who carried out these major naval actions, at a time when the war seemed entirely unlikely to be won, and when America was fighting on a hope and a prayer. This is a gripping narrative of the enlisted men who were behind the incredible events that shaped the course of the war, and our history.

Descent into Darkness Pearl Harbor, 1941: The True Story of a Navy Diver by Edward C. Raymer

Decent into Darkness is a memoir that tells the story of a team of U.S. Navy divers who are hurriedly flown to Oahu to where the great battleships Oklahoma, Utah and Arizona are burning and sinking in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Headed by Edward C. Raymer, they are given only two orders: save the lives of as many trapped sailors as possible, and rescue as much of America’s once powerful pacific fleet as possible.

Perils and Pearls: In World War II, a Family’s Story of Survival and Freedom from Japanese Jungle Prison Camps by Hulda Bachman-Neeb

When much of Asia fell under Japanese occupation, non-Asians were forced into concentration camps until the end of the war- if they lived that long under intense brutality, starvation and inhumane conditions. This is the story of a Dutch family, resident in the Dutch East Indies, that fell victim to the Japanese occupation and was interned in jungle camps throughout the war. It tells the journey from riches to rags, from fear and suffering, to the joy of freedom and recovery.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour by James D. Hornfischer

James D. Hornfischer, the author of Flags of Our Fathers listed above, paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.

Last Mission to Tokyo by Michel Paradis

Dolittle’s Raid managed to pull off something that had never been done before- they struck the mainland of Japan, and permanently turned the tide of the war. The raid captured public attention, and has remained a moment many point at as a U.S. success in the decades since. However, that was only part of the story. The aftermath of the raid involved lost crews that were captured and tortured, a dramatic rescue, an international manhunt and trial in which both Japan and the U.S. accused each other of war crimes. It’s an important part of our history that changed international law and relations between the two countries forever.

The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs by Robert J. Mrazek

With a wealth of original sources including taped interviews, personal journals, and unpublished memoirs, this true story of an unsung hero takes place up against the Bataan Death March and the daily struggle to survive a brutal occupying force. Florence saved countless American lives in the Philippines, has an incredible story of courage and sacrifice, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her determination and service to the Allies, yet she didn’t share her story for over 50 years, not even to her children. This narrative finally gives her her due and brings forth the story of a bold woman who only wanted to do what was right.

Red Blood Black Sand by Chuck Tatum

Chuck Tatum s a WWII Marine who trained under legendary Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone and fought with him on Iwo Jima. There, Chuck received the Bronze Star for firing a machine gun from the hip while single-handedly covering the retrieval of two wounded comrades. This is his gripping memoir, what he calls his final act of service, to ensure no one forgets the events that took place on that small strip of Island, the men and friends he lost but also tried to survive for. You’ll be pulled into the story, and feel like you’re right back in 1940’s America as Chuck brings us along through the secret training, the mission to Iwo Jima and the fateful events that took place there.

Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Manchester

This is one of the most moving memoirs by a combat vet in the pacific theater that I’ve read. William Manchester beings experiencing nightmares 23 years after his active role in WWII ended. He goes back and retraces his steps where he fought the Japanese as a young man almost 3 decades ago, and in doing so, tells us the story of his experiences in an honest, gripping and haunting narrative.

The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima by Gary W. Toyn

This is an extraordinary story that details Iwo Jima from the perspective of Medal of Honor recipient George Wahlen, who remained silent on his experiences for decades until now. This is a powerful documentation of one of most intense battles the U.S. has ever seen, and the bravery of one man who’s bravery and courage saved countless marines. The significance of Iwo Jima in turning the tide of the war in the Pacific can’t be understated, but it also can’t be forgotten that it came at a high cost, and this book, through Wahlen’s gritty experiences, gives us a deep understanding and respect for all they endured and how normal men became heroes to us, and to each other.

Day of Infamy by Walter Lord

In this brilliantly detailed account of the events of Pearl Harbor, Lord expertly retells the day’s unforgettable events. This book covers it all. From the men at the US airfields, bases and hospitals, the crews on the sinking warships, the spies and Japanese pilots, to the housewives and children who stood in the aftermath. This is a narrative based on the collection of thousands of interviews with American and Japanese individuals who played a role in that infamous day. Lord poured over testimony, documents, maps, diaries, newspapers and more in his quest to weave together the events of one of the deadliest attacks in US History.

Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds by Pamela Rotner Sakamoto

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, the true story of a Japanese American family that found itself on opposite sides during World War II—an epic tale of family, separation, divided loyalties, love, reconciliation, loss, and redemption—this is a riveting chronicle of U.S.–Japan relations and the Japanese experience in America.

This book is also featured on our list of Best Books About Japanese Interment Camps in America

The Pacific: Hell Was an Ocean Away by Hugh Ambrose

What Band of Brothers is to the European Theater, this book is to the Pacific Theater. The author focuses on 5 real life men and how their fates collided in key battles in the war against Japan. From Battan, Midway, Okinawa, Iwo Jima to Guadalcanal, the narrative is woven together to read as a novel while giving the reader an overview of the events that took place, and how they impacted these men for years to come.

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