Pearl Harbor by Steven M. Gillon Read Free Book Online

Charles Hagel. Newspaper headlines across the country screamed “INFAMY!” recalling FDR’s description of Japanese treachery on December 7, 1941. “This is our generation’s Pearl Harbor,” observed a writer in the New Republic . 11
    The United States confronted a very different crisis in 2001, but the Bush administration was eager to draw parallels between past and present. “In the 21st century, freedom is again under attack,” he declared on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in 2006, “and young Americans have stepped forward to serve in a global war on terror that will secure our liberty and determine the destiny of millions around the world. Like generations before, we will answer history’s call with confidence, confront threats to our way of life, and build a more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.” 12

    There can be no doubt that Franklin Roosevelt, and the generation that he inspired, created a more democratic and peaceful world. Whether the generation leading the nation today can achieve the same goals remains to be seen. The effort to link the modern struggle against terrorism with the fight against fascism reveals that both in history and in memory, Pearl Harbor remains a day that will truly live in infamy.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    I could not have written this book without the support of the University of Oklahoma and the History Channel, the dedication of skilled archivists, the insights of many colleagues and scholars, and the encouragement of friends.
    At the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, my thanks to chief archivist Robert Clark, who possesses a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the collection and a seemingly limitless supply of patience in dealing with pesky researchers. David Woolner, senior fellow and resident historian for the Roosevelt Institute, read a draft of the manuscript and provided many constructive comments. Mike Sampson offered valuable resources from the archives of the United States Secret Service.
    A number of people read the manuscript at various stages and offered helpful comments. My mentor, James T. Patterson, read the manuscript with extraordinary care, offering his usual blend of gentle encouragement, detailed criticism, and thoughtful commentary. At Basic Books, the talented editor Lara Heimert guided the project from beginning to end. She made this a much better book. My friend Gary Ginsberg volunteered to read the manuscript and, as always, offered encouragement, suggestions, and support.
    Dr. Matthew Miller of the Harvard School of Public Health tracked down sources that helped me to understand medical practices for dealing with sinus infections in the 1940s. Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, director of the New York Nasal and Sinus Center, was especially helpful and
shared with me his considerable knowledge of sinus infections and how physicians have treated them over the years.
    A number of research assistants helped along the way. Anthony Carlson, Eric England, and Doug Miller—all graduate students in history at the University of Oklahoma—copied articles, combed through newspapers, and read early drafts. At the FDR Library, Geraldine Hawkins tracked down a handful of documents.
    At the History Channel, Nancy Dubuc and David McKillop commissioned a two-hour special based on the book and placed it in the capable hands of Emmy Award–winning producer Anthony Giacchino.
    This book is dedicated to Abbe Raven. Every once in a while, if you are lucky, you meet someone special who manages to change your life. For me, Abbe has been one of those special people. I first met her around eighteen years ago when she was the head of programming for a fledging network called the History Channel and I was an assistant professor of history at Yale University. Although I lacked both experience and talent, she decided to put me on the air, hosting a show, His-toryCenter , which ran for the next eight seasons. Since then, she has provided me with