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"In the end, despite more than fifty years having passed since their publication, Morison's volumes remain an important, credible source of knowledge on any of the U.S. Navy's campaigns. In many cases, Morison's orders of battle and other operational details have been corrected and clarified by more recent works. But his gift for narrative, and his conveyance of the 'big picture,' has never been superseded. It is safe to say that Morison will still be read another fifty years from now for the simple fact that he had a gift for conveying the importance, and immediacy, of the crucial events he wrote about."
Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942-August 1942, Volume 4 in the series, is a detailed look at two of the pivotal naval engagements of the Pacific war that marked the turning point from defeat to victory. In addition to covering these great carrier actions, where for the first time aircraft played a defining role in determining the outcome of a sea battle, this volume also fully examines the little-known exploits of the fledgling American submarine corps in the Pacific and its courageous attacks on Japanese shipping during the first year of the war.
Samuel Eliot Morison taught history at Harvard from 1915 to 1955, except for active duty service in the Navy on board eleven different ships in all theaters of the war. In addition to this series, Rear Admiral Morison wrote many other popular and award-winning books on maritime history, including Two Ocean War. Morison, who died in 1976, was the recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes, two Bancroft Prizes, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
