Alaska's Hidden Wars

Book excerpt: On the eve of World War II, the national interests of Japan, the United States, and the Soviet Union collided in the North Pacific. Alaska's Hidden Wars tells the story of the war in the North Pacific-a story of savage weather, isolation, and sacrifice. Two island chains-the Aleutians and the Kuriles-became the focus of a series of major campaigns that pitted the Americans against the Japanese. Alaska's Hidden Wars chronicles the role of Japanese-American intelligence specialists and details a Japanese eyewitness account of the defense of Attu. Two virtually unknown aspects of the North Pacific war are also exposed: the brutal North Pacific weather and the internment of American airmen in Kamchatka. Alaska's Hidden Wars is a fast-moving history that brings declassified archival sources to light and draws the reader into the lonely, bitter war fought in the North Pacific.