Day of Infamy

Participants in the WWII bombing of Pearl Harbor share their stories in this bestselling classic from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Incredible Victory.

“There have been many books on Pearl Harbor . . . but none of them have ever equaled Lord’s in telling the story of Pearl Harbor.” —Stephen E. Ambrose

“Stuns the reader with the weight of reality.” —James Michener, The New York Times

The Day of Infamy began as a quiet morning on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. But as Japan’s deadly torpedoes suddenly rained down on the Pacific fleet, soldiers, generals, and civilians alike felt shock, then fear, then rage. From the chaos, a thousand personal stories of courage emerged. Drawn from hundreds of interviews, letters, and diaries, Walter Lord recounts the many tales of heroism and tragedy by those who experienced the attack firsthand. From the musicians of the USS Nevada who insisted on finishing “The Star Spangled Banner” before taking cover, to the men trapped in the capsized USS Oklahoma who methodically voted on the best means of escape, each story conveys the terror and confusion of the raid, as well as the fortitude of those who survived.