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This was written in response to an article by Jon Parshall that appeared in the Spring 2010 Naval War College Review.1 When I first came across Parshall's article I was interested and even intrigued, but the more I read, the more apparent it became that his work was not sound.
One element, I believe, that may have colored what otherwise might have been an objective analysis was Parshall's clearly stated goal to "bury Fuchida." Generally, a biased, set conclusion is not a good starting point for a historical analysis.
Good research begins with questions and ends with conclusions, when facts permit. Parshall attempts to make the facts fit his conclusions, and when he cannot, he uses conjecture and assumptions to try to bridge the gap. Throughout his article, Parshall employs a wide variety of euphemisms accusing Fuchida of "lies." One would expect a less snarky, cynical analysis from a historian.
On my first reading I knew that Parshall had made some mistakes, but I never realized just how many until I actually started checking. There is no doubt that Jon Parshall is a smart and knowledgeable historian who has done some great work. Yet instead of overturning the record on Fuchida, he has instead turned a light onto his own methods and thereby called into question the trustworthiness of the entire body of research underpinning his coauthored book, Shattered Sword.
Since most of the arguments come down to the credibility of four individuals, here is a look at who they are.
Jon Parshall's biographical note for his article in the Review describes him as the "coauthor of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway and the owner of a website on the Imperial Japanese Navy, www.combinedfleet.com. Mr. Parshall has been published in such periodicals as the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, World War II, and this journal, and he has made frequent television and guest lecture appearances on the topic of the Imperial Navy in World War II. He is also an adjunct lecturer for the Naval War College. Mr. Parshall is currently in the software industry."
Gordon W. Prange received his PhD in history in 1937 from the University of Iowa and began his teaching career the same year as a professor...