I Will Run Wild

The Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway

By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

Narrated by: Lance C Fuller

Bloomsbury presents I Will Run Wild by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, read by Lance C Fuller.

This fascinating volume offers a vivid narrative history of the early stages of the Pacific War, as US and Allied forces desperately tried to slow the Japanese onslaught that began with the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

In many popular histories of the Pacific War, the period from the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor to the US victory at Midway is often passed over because it is seen as a period of darkness. Indeed, it is easy to see the period as one of unmitigated disaster for the Allies, with the fall of the Philippines, Malaya, Burma and the Dutch East Indies, and the wholesale retreat and humiliation at the hands of Japan throughout Southeast Asia.

However, there are also stories of courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds: the stand of the Marines at Wake Island; the fighting retreat in the Philippines that forced the Japanese to take 140 days to accomplish what they had expected would take 50; the fight against the odds at Singapore and over Java; the stirring tale of the American Volunteer Group in China; and the beginnings of resistance to further Japanese expansion. In these events, there are many individual stories that have either not been told or not been told widely which are every bit as gripping as the stories associated with the turning tide after Midway.

I Will Run Wild draws on extensive first-hand accounts and fascinating new analysis to tell the story of Americans, British, Dutch, Australians and New Zealanders taken by surprise from Pearl Harbor to Singapore that first Sunday of December 1941, who went on to fight with what they had at hand against a stronger and better-prepared foe, and in so doing built the basis for a reversal of fortune and an eventual victory.©2020 Thomas McKelvey Cleaver (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Great book. Awesome research.

Loved the content. Hock full of detailed research and some teally great stories. Content was really remarkable.

Unfortunately the reading performance left me grinding my teeth. So many mispronounced words, curious inflections, and strange cadence made it a tough listen.

Almost stopped in the first few chapters to just buy a hard copy to read it myself. I will be avoiding this “performer” in the future.

Very informative

I have read and listened to numerous books about WW2 in the pacific and this ranks among the best.

Excellent book, great detail, gotta get used to the narrator

A comprehensive look at the early days of WW2. From Pearl Harbor to Missy. Great references to early fighting in Dutch East Indies, Philliines, and Australia.

The author uses facts an d many first person interviews to tell this rarely told WW2 tale

I recommend the detailed story that brings you into history.

fantastic

really good mix of factual timeline with personal stories of the experiences... well performed and most importantly well researched

Pacific Theater: 1941-1943

Narration is a bit stilted and lacking variety of reflection and pacing that makes narrations optimally engaging, but is otherwise good.

Unique content does justice to these heroic warriors at the forefront of early air battles in the Pacific theater. Only detailed, riveting account of these early-on front line warriors. This is long overdue accounting of their heroism.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Detailed

Of all the books I've encountered about the War in the Pacific, this is the very best. The author's attention to detail is amazing. I finally have a cohesive sense of the first six months of the war with Japan.
The narration was pitch-perfect clear.

complete detailed history of early ww2

interesting account that corrects some common misinformation concerning early months of ww2 in the Pacific.

Lots of good info

This book contains many events with details that I have not seen in many other books on the Pacific war. It also contained aerial combat loss verifIcation/corrections of US claims from Japanese records. I was very pleased with this book in all aspects. Highly recommend.

Good book for reading, near impossible to listen

While reading a book like this you are highly like to focus on the story not the endless repetition of Rank First Middle Last Name w Nickname paired to aircraft letter-number, production run and nickname and... frankly it was tough to finish. The readers military lecture style was not in the least of help. The first 2/3 focus on the lesser known parts of the war was excellent, but the endless addition of awards, medals and citations was not. random remarks to the roll of Naval War College gaming in defining not only strategy and tactics, but also training and ship construction prior to 1941 another miss.