Japanese aerial photo of Pearl Harbor attack.
Resouces
In “Pearl Harbor: A Novel of Dec. 8, 1941,” Newt Gingrich postulates what could have happened if the Japanese had launched a third attack on American forces in Hawaii, destroying not just the Pacific Fleet, but the dry docks, fuel storage farm and support facilities.
The book is part of the two-book the former speaker of the house co-authored with William R. Fortschen, a noted science fiction writer. These books, and an earlier three-book set focused on the Battle of Gettysburg, are what the authors call active history novels.
Active history immerses the reader in the setting “to engage their brains to think actively about what might have happened in history, not just to memorize what did happen,” Gingrich explains.
They describe the actions of actual historic figures, who make realistic – but different – choices, in the real-word the situation they faced, using the technology available to them and the doctrines and principles they believed in.
The lessons of Pearl Harbor are very relevant to international situation the United States faces today.
The first lesson of Pearl Harbor is that intelligence can fail. “You can suddenly be surprised, just as we were surprised on 9/11,” Gingrich said. Rather than relying on conspiracy theories or traitorous actions, the novels show how American military leaders simply missed the signs.
This lesson is linked to the second. Pearl Harbor is a vivid reminder of what can happen when dealing with a culture you don't understand.
“It very clear looking back that the Americans and British really misunderstood the Japanese and the Japanese really misunderstood the Americans and British,” noted Gingrich.
Gingrich thinks that may be true today in American relations with Iran, for example. “They are saying one thing, we're hearing another. They are saying one thing, we're hearing another.”
The authors subtly remind readers of this cultural gap in the subtitle of the book. For the United States, the attack occurred on December 7, but it was December 8 in Tokyo.
The third lesson is that technology matters. American military leaders grossly underestimated Japanese military power. The Japanese perfected the ability to refuel at sea, formed a superb carrier aviation establishment and developed a shallow-water torpedo, enabling them to cross the Pacific undetected, and devastate the American fleet in Hawaii from the air.
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