"Execute against Japan": The U.S. Decision to Conduct Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (Volume 121) (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) - Softcover

Holwitt, Joel Ira

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1623490618 ISBN 13: 9781623490614

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2013

Synopsis

“ . . . until now how the Navy managed to instantaneously move from the overt legal restrictions of the naval arms treaties that bound submarines to the cruiser rules of the eighteenth century to a declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare against Japan immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor has never been explained. Lieutenant Holwitt has dissected this process and has created a compelling story of who did what, when, and to whom.”—The Submarine Review

“Execute against Japan should be required reading for naval officers (especially in submarine wardrooms), as well as for anyone interested in history, policy, or international law.”—Adm. James P. Wisecup, President, US Naval War College (for Naval War College Review)

“Although the policy of unrestricted air and submarine warfare proved critical to the Pacific war’s course, this splendid work is the first comprehensive account of its origins—illustrating that historians have by no means exhausted questions about this conflict.”—World War II Magazine

“US Navy submarine officer Joel Ira Holwitt has performed an impressive feat with this book. . . . Holwitt is to be commended for not shying away from moral judgments . . . This is a superb book that fully explains how the United States came to adopt a strategy regarded by many as illegal and tantamount to ‘terror’.”—Military Review

About this title

About the Author:

JOEL IRA HOLWITT earned his PhD in history from Ohio State University in 2005. His work has also been published in the US Naval Institute Proceedings magazine, Naval History magazine, the Journal of Military History, Military History of the West, the Submarine Review, and US Naval Academy textbooks. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, he is an active duty submarine officer in the US Navy.

Review:

". . . Holwitt, a U.S. Navy submariner, delivers an impressive account . . . although the policy of unrestricted air and submarine warfare proved critical to the Pacific war's course, this splendid work is the first comprehensive account of its origins--illustrating that historians have by no means exhausted questions about this conflict."--World War II Magazine

(World War II Magazine)

". . . Holwitt has filled an important gap in World War II history with his well-written and well-researched exploration of this major American policy shift."--Proceedings

(Proceedings 2010-01-01)

"The radical change in U.S. warfare policy discussed in this book has been noticed a number of times before, but this study is without doubt the most comprehensive and compelling analysis yet published. The heart of the book is a finely detailed and carefully nuanced analysis of the development of ideas and policy in the critical years before the U.S. entered the Second World War . . . The carefully researched narrative of this book makes it more suited for academic readers, although general readers with an interest in the subject will undoubtedly find it interesting as well. This worthwhile book also deserves the attention of scholars not only of naval and military policy, but those with an interest in civil-military relations."--International Journal of Maritime History

(International Journal of Maritime History 2010-02-01)

"Holwitt has meticulously researched a study of the legal history relating to the order given on 7 December 1941 and it should be included in a collection of anyone who is seriously interested in either naval warfare or the issue of warfare and the legal attempts to restrict it . . . a must-read for anyone interested in this field. This elevates the work above that of what might be considered for the casual reader, as the more knowledge you have relating to the period, the legal issues or even the international relations of the time, the more you will appreciate Holwitt's efforts."--Northern Mariner (Robert M. Dienesch Northern Mariner)

"Proving that the many books about that war have not exhausted study of this cataclysmic period, Holwitt's well-executed treatise is not only a meaningful addition to the vast literature, but it actually fills a void." - Proceedings (Proceedings 2010-05-12)

 "Holwitt’s conclusions are provocative, nuanced, and convincing . . . The depth of its scholarship and breadth of its conclusions make this book a “must” read not only for historians and naval professionals but also for Americans citizens in general."--Pacific Historical Review

(Roger Dingman Pacific Historical Review 2010-06-01)

 “Holwitt has meticulously researched a study of the legal history relating to the order given on 7 December 1941 and it should be included in a collection of anyone who is seriously interested in either naval warfare or the issue of warfare and the legal attempts to restrict it. The fact that the book aims itself at arguably the most important issue related to the submarine war, one not really discussed or understood, makes this a must-read for anyone interested in this field.”--The Northern Mariner

(Robert M. Dienesch The Northern Mariner 2010-06-01)

 " . . . until now how the Navy managed to instantaneously move from the overt legal restrictions of the naval arms treaties that bound submarines to the cruiser rules of the eighteenth century to a declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare against Japan immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor has never been explained. Lieutenant Holwitt has dissected this process and has created a compelling story of who did what, when and to whom.”--The Submarine Review

(Rear Admiral Jerry Holland The Submarine Review 2010-06-01)

"Execute Against Japan should be required reading for naval officers (especially in submarine wardrooms), as well as for anyone interested in history, policy, or international law."--Admiral James P. Wisecup, President, U.S. Naval War College for Naval War College Review (Rear Admiral James P. Wisecup Naval War College Review)

"Lieutenant Joel Ira Holwitt of the US Navy's submarine force has written a useful analysis of how American naval leaders discarded long-standing American notions of freedom of the seas for the sake of strategic advantage against  Japan through unrestricted submarine warfare against Japanese merchant shipping . . . Holwitt has made an able contribution to the history of his service."--Military History of the West (Wayne Wei-Siang Hsieh Military History of the West)

About this edition

• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1623490618
• ISBN 13: 9781623490614
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 262