The Silver Waterfall

How America Won the War in the Pacific at Midway

By: Brendan Simms, Steven McGregor

Narrated by: David DeVries

Eighty years after the stunning and decisive battle, a revelatory new history of Midway

​The Battle of Midway was, on paper, an improbable victory for the smaller, less experienced American navy and air force, so much so that it was quickly described as “a miracle.” Yet fortune favored the Americans at Midway, and the conventional wisdom has it that the Americans’ lucky streak continued as the war in the Pacific turned against the Japanese. This new history demonstrates that luck, let alone miracles, had little to do with it.

In The Silver Waterfall, Brendan Simms and Steven McGregor show how the efforts of America’s peacetime navy combined with creative innovations made by designers and industrialists were largely responsible for the victory. The Douglas Dauntless Dive Bomber, a uniquely conceived fighting weapon, delivered a brutally accurate attack the Japanese quickly came to dread.

Told through a vivid narrative, Simms and McGregor show how the course of the war in the Pacific was dramatically altered, emphasizing the crucial combination of a culture of innovation, a brilliant contribution from immigrants, and a vital intelligence coup that allowed the navy to orchestrate the devastating attack on the Japanese and dominate the Pacific for good.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Brendan Simms and Steven McGregor (P)2022 PublicAffairs

Critic reviews

“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

Read "The Silver Waterfall"

An excellent history and analysis of both the battle, it's antecedents, and equally importantly, what it can do to inform us of our current strategic situation in the Pacific.

Excellent historical review from both sides

As a retired USN flight surgeon who has made two cruises aboard carriers I appreciate how well the terrific hazards of flight ops are described both on the American aspect, but also on the Japanese. The personal aspect is appreciated.
Great read!

A most exciting title

Sorry, but in my opinion, the most exciting part of this read/listen is the title.