Blunting the Spear

“Naval historian Stern delivers a gripping, meticulously researched account of the chaotic first four months of the Pacific War…The narrative balances sweeping strategic analysis with technical precision and vivid personal perspectives, from commanders like William “Bull” Halsey to the exploits of aviators like Edward “Butch” O’Hare. By tracing the planning of the Doolittle Raid and connecting these early, misunderstood encounters to upcoming clashes at Coral Sea and Midway, Stern demonstrates how the blueprint for the turning points of the war was forged in initial adversity.”—Booklist

“What the author has done so well in this excellent book is to provide a curtain opener for the drama that was about to unfold. This is a deeply researched, and very readable account and study of a neglected period in the literature of the period it so vividly describes.”—Warships International Fleet Review

“Anyone interested in the first few months of U.S. and Japanese carrier operations in the Pacific War would be well served by reading Blunting the Spear. Robert Stern has an uncanny ability to interweave highly technical and intricate detail with a knowledgeable and profound analysis of the “bigger picture.” The well-selected maps and photos nicely complement the highly readable text, and the notes, references, and index will satisfy even the most demanding academic.”—William Jurens, associate editor of Warship International and co-author of Battleship Bismarck: A Design and Operational History

“Robert C. Stern delivers a gripping account that brings to life the often-overlooked U.S. Navy’s struggle to slow the rapid Japanese advance in the crucial early months of the Pacific War. Based on meticulous archival research yet sweeping in scope, Blunting the Spear is a compelling narrative that captures not only critical strategy and innovative tactics but also the personal clashes, rivalries, and dilemmas that set the stage for the decisive naval battles of the Coral Sea and Midway.”—Michał A. Piegzik, author of Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, The Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway

“Robert Stern’s book on the carrier operations in the Pacific in the months immediately after Pearl Harbor is an informative and enjoyable read that offers a fresh perspective on an often-overlooked period of naval history. The major personalities are identified and their roles in the events that followed detailed in text, images, and maps showing how the Allies reacted to the Japanese onslaught that threatened to overrun the Pacific.”—Anthony Tully, author of The Battle of Surigao Strait, co-author of Shattered Sword, and managing editor of CombinedFleet.com

“Before Coral Sea and Midway came months of experimentation, small victories, setbacks, calculated risks, and lessons learned under fire. By concentrating on those months, Stern shows the Pacific carrier war being created almost in real time. The U.S. Navy had not yet stopped the Japanese advance, much less begun the long drive across the Pacific. It was simply trying to survive, adapt, and find ways to strike back. That makes Blunting the Spear more than a prelude to better-known battles. It is the story of how the groundwork for those battles was laid—and how, during one of the darkest periods of the Pacific War, the first tentative efforts to slow Japan’s advance began to change the direction of the conflict.”—Alameda Magazine

"Quite obviously the result of a vast amount of research into both American and Japanese sources, the resulting book is not only a valuable work of naval history but a great read. It is "unputdownable". Replete with excellent photographs and very useful maps, the book also benefits from a very extensive bibliography that encourages further reading and research."—Baird Maritime