"World War II in the Pacific: An Encyclopedia offers comprehensive coverage of the military campaigns, diplomacy, politics, personalities, and social effects of this cataclysmic conflict. Its sweep extends from the 1930s, when the United States and Japan began to move inexorably toward war, to 1945, when the United States accepted the formal surrender of the Japanese military aboard the battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay.

With more than 250 authoritative entries, the encyclopedia covers not only the American point of view but also Japanese perspectives on and expectations for the war. The lively and accessible style makes articles on military subjects especially interesting for the nonspecialist. Readers will also learn how the war affected civilians: about the roles that women played in the conflict: and about the ways the war touched the lives of the often-forgotten indigenous peoples of the Pacific islands.".

"For those interested in additional research, a list of readings at the end of each article provides sources for further exploration. Also of special interest are the photos, which provide a visual history of the conflict's major moments."--BOOK JACKET.