Martin Caidin (1927–1997)

This is the novelization of the movie of the same name. This movie has been one of my favorites since I first saw it in the early 1980s, with the intriguing notion of a modern aircraft carrier traveling through time to the day before Pearl Harbor. How could it change history? Could it change history? And should it change history?

I am very familiar with the movie, so it was easy to picture the events described in the book. Computer expert Warren Lasky didn't expect to be pulled from his current work with Tideman Industries and sent to spend several days onboard the Nimitz with no instructions other than to be there. The ship's captain, Matt Yelland, isn't thrilled to have a civilian on board, but orders are orders. Neither expect the stunning events that occur nor the moral and ethical choices they face.

Because the book must use words to paint the pictures, there is a lot of technical description that can get a little overwhelming for the casual reader. I found myself skimming some of those sections to get to the meat of the story. When the ship goes through the vortex that hurls it back in time, Warren figures out what happened well before anyone else. I could feel the captain's frustration with him as Warren stayed quiet and let him come to the correct conclusion on his own. The Air Wing Commander, Richard Owens, is a history buff who knows a lot about the attack on Pearl Harbor, and his input is critical to the decisions made.

Matters become complicated when two Japanese fighters attack a pleasure boat off the coast of Hawaii, killing several of the passengers but leaving two alive. It's an exciting scene in the movie and book, as two modern fighters intervene. The subsequent rescue of the two passengers and one pilot creates further headaches for the captain when he discovers who one of the passengers is. There are some amusing scenes as the two passengers face the improbability of what they see. There is also a scary scene with the Japanese pilot when he breaks free of his confinement. Commander Owens plays a pivotal role in the resolution of that issue.

It was interesting to see how Captain Yelland decided to handle the situation. Putting the safety of the civilians first, his actions there had unintended consequences that only became clear at the end of the book. But when it comes time to take action, who will win - the Nimitz or time itself?

As a fan of the Outlander series, I could see parallels between the two attempts to change history. In Outlander, Claire and Jaime try their best to prevent the disaster at Culloden but discover that, while little things can be changed, significant events are much harder to affect. In this book, their desire to prevent the destruction at Pearl Harbor runs up against the same problem.

I loved the ending and seeing the surprise that waited for Warren on his return to Pearl Harbor. The book has more detail than the movie, and I found the prospects discussed intriguing.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when the female passenger, Laurel, an intelligent and ambitious woman who must deal with the prejudices of the time, says, "Captain, your crew is fabulous. I feel this is the first time I have been with a group of men who appreciate someone for what that person is, and that sex doesn't matter." And the captain replies, "You might say we're just a bit ahead of our time."

I have one small quibble with the back cover copy. The Nimitz doesn't go back in time on December 7, 1980. According to the book's text, that happens on July 13, 1980.… (meer)

Saburo Sakai became a living legend in Japan during World War II. Pilots everywhere spoke in awe of his incredible exploits in the air.
Sakai enjoyed a singular and most cherished reputation among fighter pilots. Of all Japan’s aces, Saburo Sakai is the only pilot who never lost a wingman in combat. This is an astounding performance for a man who engaged in more than two hundred aerial melees, and it explains the fierce competition, sometimes approaching physical violence, among the other pilots who aspired to fly his wing positions.
The reader will doubtless be surprised to learn that Saburo Sakai never received recognition by his government in the form of medals or decorations. The awarding of medals or other citations was unknown to the Japanese. Recognition was given only posthumously. Where the aces of other nations, including our own, were bedecked with rows of colorful medals and ribbons, awarded with great ceremony, Saburo Sakai and his fellow pilots flew repeatedly in combat without ever knowing the satisfaction of such recognition…… (meer)