“The battle of Midway in June 1942 has rightly held a commanding place in the history of the Second World War. And this great and significant new book by Professor Brendan Simms and veteran Steve McGregor not only reminds us of Midway’s importance and drama, but also clearly establishes that the US victory was not just luck, despite common views to the contrary. Simms and McGregor relate a riveting story of migration, innovation, and skill that takes us from 1920s California to the climactic five minutes that doomed the Japanese strike force to destruction—and from there to the lessons of a climactic battle for a United States that once more faces a rising power in the Pacific. The Silver Waterfall is story of authentic American characters, settings, issues, and heroism that will stay with readers long after they put the book down.”—General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and US/Coalition Forces in Afghanistan and former Director of the CIA

“While the Battle of Midway was decided by a margin of just five minutes, this was a critical difference made possible by the U.S. Navy's relentless, painstaking effort. Numerous books have been written on this monumental battle to prove this point, but none shed better light on the battle-winning weapon, the Dauntless, than The Silver Waterfall. With extensive research on the technologies, tactics, and people behind the battle’s aerial warfare, this book stands out among the literature, skillfully elucidating the ultimate causes of U.S. naval victory.”—Tsukamoto Katsuya, Head of the Security and Economy Division of the National Institute for Defense Studies, Japan

“Silver Waterfall provides a top-to-bottom description of the epic Battle of Midway.”—Barrett Tillman, author of Enterprise: America's Fightingest Ship