"In the desolate middle of the largest ocean on earth, two great navies met, one bent on conclusive battle, the other lying in ambush. Six months after Pearl Harbor, Yamamoto again crossed the Pacific with the largest and most powerful naval armada the world had ever seen, this time to finish the job. Nimitz waited for him with what he had, placed exactly where he needed it. Both admirals depended on their fliers, some veterans of battle, others raw and unproven. Striking first meant decisive victory. This is the story of the men who fought the Battle of Midway over three monentou days in June, 1942. Men uncertain, determined, fearful and courageous. Men under crushing pressure, desperate and hopeful. Their story is one of daring, of unfathomable loss, of survival inside rickety airplanes and burning ships. What happened off Midway is a story of reckless pride, and cold realization."