Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway

Written by Walter Lord

Narrated by Norman Dietz

New York Times Bestseller: Outgunned and outmanned on the Pacific Ocean, a small American fleet defied the odds and turned the tide of World War II.



On the morning of June 4, 1942, doom sailed on Midway. Hoping to put itself within striking distance of Hawaii and California, the Japanese navy planned an ambush that would obliterate the remnants of the American Pacific fleet. On paper, the Americans had no chance of winning. They had fewer ships, slower fighters, and almost no battle experience. But because their codebreakers knew what was coming, the American navy was able to prepare an ambush of its own.



Over two days of savage battle, American sailors and pilots broke the spine of the Japanese war machine. The United States prevailed against momentous odds; never again did Japan advance. In stunning detail, Walter Lord, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Day of Infamy and A Night to Remember, tells the story of one of the greatest upsets in naval history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jul 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977383907

Walter Lord

Walter Lord (1917–2002) was an acclaimed and bestselling author of literary nonfiction best known for his gripping and meticulously researched accounts of watershed historical events. His first book was The Fremantle Diary (1954), a volume of Civil War diaries that became a surprising success. But it was Lord’s next book, A Night to Remember (1955), that made him famous. Lord went on to use the book’s interview-heavy format as a template for most of his following works, which included detailed reconstructions of the Pearl Harbor attack in Day of Infamy (1957), the battle of Midway in Incredible Victory (1967), and the integration of the University of Mississippi in The Past That Would Not Die (1965).      

Reviews for Incredible Victory

[hagelstein_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A stunning combination of research and extremely skillful writing. In a thrilling multi-faceted account Walter Lord details the events leading up to the Battle of Midway, the many aspects of the battle itself, and the aftermath. Switching between many points of view – including the Japanese side – Lord pieces it all together in a way that reads more like a thriller than the meticulously researched classic of naval war history that this is.

[nick decarlis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Terrific storytelling, never a doll moment. Frankly I was surprised that it was originally written in the 1960s

[pochefamily · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The action is particularly well described in this book.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

OK book about Midway battle at sea during WW II. Not exactly sure when I read it.

[martinhughharvey_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my fourth book on this topic and as always, I find the topic engrossing and fresh. While the battle was fought over a relatively small area of the Pacific 1000 miles from Hawaii elements of it stretched to the Aleutians, Sydney, and the west coast of Africa. I really enjoyed this version as, while accurate and related to in-depth aspects, it read like an adventure novel and really I couldn't put it down. The most readable and enjoyable work I've read in ages. If you want to learn something about this most important of battles - a key WWII turning point like El Alamein or Kursk or Stalingrad - a just enjoy a ripping read then go for it!

[bill5bradford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read this well over 30 years ago. It was an amazing read then and it has not lost any of its power.

Walter Lord was a great historical writer. He took information from a large number of sources and pulled it all together into an account that encompasses the full breadth of the story. A large part of the book's power comes from his ability to tell the story. However, it is an incredible story, and his opening sums this up well - this was a turning point in history.

If you like naval history this is something you should definitely have on your bookshelf.

[mikedraper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fine story detailing a turning point in WWII. The narrative skills are so well done by Walter Lord that it's as if Walter Cronkite had returned to TV for another episode of You Are There.
The history is told from both the U.S. and Japanese sides with the author giving a meaning of what the struggle means to the people of the United States and Japan. It also reveals the heroism of so many young fighter pilots who attacked the Japanese fleet with outdated airoplanes wile the superior Japanese zeros outmanuvered and shot so many down. However the drive and determination of the U.S. fliers resulted in the final victory.

[seoulful · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very fast moving, but complete account of the important battle of Midway. Written with the help of interviews, a sense of drama and a background in military history, Walter Lord is able to pull together a full picture of one of the turning points in the War in the Pacific.