Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of alternate military history and was really looking forward to this book. However, as I ready along I was somewhat disappointed. Why this book does fall in the genre of alternate history it is more of a backdrop to the story of the various characters. While it made for in interesting and sometimes exciting reading does not quite live up to the alternate history genre.

SPOILER ALERT
Starting with the defeat of the US Navy at Midway, the author starts with MacArthur using political manuvering to single the Pacific Theater as a single command with him in charge instead of the historic division. Then as the story follows several characters the author does into great detail about them at times and there actions at that moment but when it comes to the alternate history part only gives a momentarily passing mention to it. One example when talking about the bypassed Iwo Jima and one of the characters thinking what a blood bath it would have been had the Marines invaded that island. None of the alternative decisions are giving any thought or discussion as too why it was done instead of what really happened other than it fit in the grand scheme of MacArthur's return to the Phillipines.

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