Beginning with prehistoric trade routes, a gro up of acknowledged experrs then traces commercial relatio ns through classical times, the Middle Ages, the age of discovery, the age of empires, and up to modern times . At times the book focuses on cargos, at other times on the merchants, and at others on the routes themselves and the technologies that allowed these to be used most effectively. The narrative is strong and authoritative-at times a bit pedantic as the tone borders on a textbook- but always engaging. The real value of this tome is in its rich accompaniment of m aps, visuals, and other eye-catching treats. Scarcely a page goes by that one is not dazzled by sidebars and photographs, drawings, and asso rted renderings. By itself, The Great Trade Routes probably offers little that is new or revelatory about any of the different exchange nerworks that are discussed . Indeed, many of the entries merely synthes ize the latest or best-known wo rks about these disparate topics, but that in itself is notable: h ere, in one volume (albeit a h efry one), we have a collection of information and images that is sure to provide the answers to questions concerning the construction of glo bal and regional trading nerworks . The Great Trade Routes, th en, is a valuable comp ilation of important info rmation and beautiful images. Its size and format make it a bit difficult to use comfortably, but this is an encyclopedic compendium that will be useful for those wh o want to learn more abo ut the wo rld that trade created. H andsomely laid out and with a strong editorial hand that smoothes out the voices of a dozen and a half contributors, this volume will reward both a ca reful read and a casual perusal. TIMOTHY G. LYNCH, PttD Vallejo, C alifornia
Pacific Crucible: U'ar at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 by Ian W Toll (WW Norton and Company, Inc. , New York, 2012, 597pp, illus, m aps, notes, biblio, index, ISB N 978-0-39 3-34341-0; $19 .95pb) The US Navy's recent television ad campaign carried the motto "America's Navy-A Global Force for Good." Throughout its history, however, there have been many moments when the US Navy proved unable to defend America's interest and appeared SEA HISTORY 143, SUMMER 2013
on the verge of annihilation. Ian Toll has examined rwo of these key moments, and in his latest work, Pacific Crucible: Wtir At Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942, he stans with the destruction of the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl H arbor and follows it for the next six months until it is able to swing the tide against Imperial Japa n at the Battle of Mi dway. Ian Toll entered the history field with
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Six Frigates: The Epic History ofthe Fo unding of the US Navy (2006) . This earlier work focused on the story of the half-dozen frigates authorized in 1794 that would form the backbone of the early US Navy thro ugh the War of 1812. With Pacific Crucible, much as he did with Six Frigates, the author has brought the topic to life by integrating key individuals, battles, ships, and tactics into a continuous narrative. From the onset, Toll weaves together th e issues that undersco red the initial phase of the Pacific War, with an analysis of Alfred Thayer Mahan and how both the United States and Imperial Japan hoped to embrace his three dogmas-the cult of the big-gun battles hip, th e iro n rule of concentration, and the annihilation of the enemy fleet in a single decisive battle. As Toll demonstrates, this peri od witnessed the eclipse of the battlesh ip, the use of mobile striking forces built around carriers, and the climactic battl e that severely damaged the Japanese, but marked o nly the beginning of a bloody three-year struggle of attrition across the Pacific. Pacific Crucible tackles a subject and time period th at is hardly new to historians. In fact, it has been extensively examined by the likes of H . P. W illmott, Edwin Hoyt, Samuel Eliot Morison, John Lundstrom, Gordon Prange, C lark Reynolds, and John Toland. Toll attempts to make some salient points, such as that the attack on Pearl Harbor was the pivotal moment of the Second World War and the Indian Ocean was the crux of geo politics in the conflict, yet he only provides a curso ry analysis of these item s. Perhaps Toll's greatest lapse is his failure to capitalize on the wealth of primary sources recently made available. Instead, he relies on secondary sources and, at times, oft- repeated stories related from earlier wo rks. Norwithstanding this criticism , Pacific Crucible is an excellem overview of the
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