{"product_id":"gamble-in-the-coral-sea-japans-offensive-the-carrier-battle-and-the-road-to-midway-hardcover","title":"Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichal A. Piegzik\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDriven by extensive Japanese primary sources, \u003ci\u003eGamble in the Coral Sea\u003c\/i\u003e offers an operational analysis of the first clash of aircraft carriers at the pivotal Battle of the Coral Sea from the Japanese perspective, including leadership, tactics, and errors that brought a numeric victory but a strategic loss for Japan that halted their bold advance into the South Pacific and ultimately set the stage for Midway. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The opening salvos of the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first large-scale carrier clash in history, were fired one month before Midway. \u003ci\u003eGamble in the Coral Sea \u003c\/i\u003erecounts, for the first time in English, the story of this battle from the Japanese point of view. Based on extensive Japanese-language sources, author Michal A. Piegzik forcefully challenges established Western narratives surrounding this critical engagement in the Pacific War. \u003cp\u003e Operation MO, the Japanese plan to seize Port Moresby, kicked off in early May 1942. By committing three carriers, including the famous \u003ci\u003eShōkaku\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eZuikaku\u003c\/i\u003e, the Nippon Kaigun's command risked a critical part of their fleet just before the envisaged decisive battle at Midway in the Central Pacific, scheduled for early July. The operation was considered a vital part of Japanese strategy. Victory would isolate Australia and New Zealand and extend access to vital resources crucial to Japan's war effort. Victory, however, would prove elusive after American codebreakers deciphered Japanese radio traffic that revealed their plans in the weeks leading up to the launch of Operation MO. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Using this intelligence to their advantage, U.S forces located elements of the Japanese navy as they steamed through the Coral Sea. Soon after, history's first carrier battle began. Piegzik combines expertise in military history with mastery of the Japanese language to provide a rare perspective on the Imperial Japanese Navy's operational choices during the battle. His use of Japanese archival documents and personal testimonies from surviving Japanese crew members uncovers new dimensions to the battle. The clash proved to be a Pyrrhic victory for the Japanese, who sunk the \u003ci\u003eLexington \u003c\/i\u003eand crippled the \u003ci\u003eYorktown \u003c\/i\u003ebut were forced to call off Operation MO due to the severe damage inflicted on \u003ci\u003eShōkaku \u003c\/i\u003eand the heavy losses among their aircrews. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Revealed here are the circumstances and actual reasons for the Japanese failure and the revised impact of the Battle of the Coral Sea on the Battle of Midway. Beyond tactical details, Piegzik offers insight into the broader consequences of the battle. He engages with sources previously underexplored and integrates them with Allied perspectives to ensure a well-rounded understanding of the events. A vital addition to any World War II collection, \u003ci\u003eGamble in the Coral Sea\u003c\/i\u003e offers a nuanced and thorough exploration of a battle that significantly shaped the trajectory of the war in the Pacific. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichal A. Piegzik\u003c\/b\u003e is a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University with a PhD in Japanese private law. He was awarded the Japanese Ministry of Education scholarship for exceptional research results. The Pacific War is his life's passion. He has published in Poland, Japan, the UK, and the Netherlands. \u003ci\u003eGamble in the Coral Sea\u003c\/i\u003e is his debut book in the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.57 x 9.06 x 6.06 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 18, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51978194420013,"sku":"9781682479964","price":32.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/whikSk2JXe9781682479964.webp?v=1775800950","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/gamble-in-the-coral-sea-japans-offensive-the-carrier-battle-and-the-road-to-midway-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}