The origins of the war predate Dec. 7, 1941; tracing the events that lead up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; Japan's interest in taking over China; the strategic need for oil and other supplies threatened by the US-controlled Philippines.

The attack on Pearl Harbor is a tactical success for Japan; it also proves to be one of the most irresponsible strategic decisions in the history of warfare; the events that occur on the day of infamy; how and why the US is caught off guard.

During the first six months of 1942, the Japanese military juggernaut moves from success to success in the Pacific; the Japanese wreck Allied naval forces in the Java Sea; the invasion of the Philippines; Douglas MacArthur's escape to Australia.

In 1942, the United States needs a morale boost; the Doolittle Raid against Tokyo is a public relations coup; many of the operational decisions in the Pacific Theater revolve around logistics and supplies; equipping planes with enough fuel.

Codebreaking is one of the most captivating stories in World War II, both in Europe and the Pacific; Americans stationed in Hawaii wrestle with Japanese intercepts; what they can decipher; even partial codebreaking contributes to success in battle.

The Battle of the Coral Sea is the first naval battle in history fought entirely by carrier-based airplanes; the Japanese inflict more tactical damage; the sinking of the US carrier Lexington; they fail to conquer Port Moresby in New Guinea.