Mason Lecture | Jonathan Parshall: The 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway

As part of The General Raymond E. Mason, Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series on World War II, hear author Jonathan Parshall discuss decisive strategies of both the Imperial Navy and Allied Navy during the Battle of Midway in World War II. This event was a "Turning Point" of the war that ultimately led to a Japanese naval defeat in which they were never able to fully recover from.

[robertphillips]

I could listen to Johnathan Parshal for hours. So much detailed knowledge

[jamesthompson]

Jon you are absolutely wonderful. Could listen to you all day! Thank you !!!!

[Pan_Z]

Interesting Half in the Bag episode. Hope they review more historical films.

[ppumpkin]

One of the best analysis of the battle of Midway.

[hoplite]

Really great lecture! I had read the book "shattered sword..." before watching this lecture, but Hearing him make his Argument orally is even better than the book!

[TheDavidlloydjones]

Congratulations and thanks to the video editor at the Museum who put this together. The video shows the excellent speaker and his slides with equal and appropriate on-screen area. This is as it should be.
This video formatting is exemplary for all of YouTube (and a huge relief for us, the audience.) I hope it will get around.

[sgwilcox]

Perhaps the best operational analysis of the Battle of Midway I have ever heard. I immediately added his book to my list. His points are cogent and well thought-out. I especially liked his points on the disparity of forces myth and the analysis of the battle as a 'turning point.' Very well done.

[dukebrooks]

Jon is a great guy; he's been a guest on my internet radio show and I'll be speaking on-air with him again next June. The book is awesome.

[joshuaevans]

This is a fantastic video presentation! I've watched a bunch of these kinds of talks, and this is the first time I've actually been able to see the presenter and the slides at the same time

[RahulDevanarayanan]

What is this intro, food wishes? Chef John sure changed professions

Jokes aside, Loved the presentation. I could watch Parshall for hours

[dancolley]

I am hoping that your growing interest in the impact of WW2 upon India grows legs. So many people died there yet there is very little on (for example) the shelves of Barnes and Noble about that part of WW2. That country, along with Ceylon, Burma and surrounds, such a gnarley environment to fight a war in. Vinegar Joe fought there with a band of what were essentially a group of guerrillas and gave the Japanese fits. Your particular classy and well thought out writing would give us naive readers a great insight into that part of the war. I hope that your early research leads you down the trail to writing that book you spoke of. A great subject.

[kasrkinmullet]

I thought I was watching Redletter Media with that intro music lol

[Iowahorse]

Nice. I learned a bit, and opened myself to new Ideas here. Thanks for posting.

[kennethdeanmiller]

Yeah, it's funny that I am just now seeing this for the first time. I became homeless around Thanksgiving almost 3 years ago now. And about a year before that I had become interested in WW2. I had a Grandfather that I never met live through the war & a couple of Great Uncles that were pilots died in the war. But during my search of war history, I found a YouTube Channel called Drachinifel that did a "5 minute guide" on warships. And then started a Q & A called "The Drydock" & also started doing "specials" about different battles & different engineering aspects of warships & in general does other "specials" on things that are of interest to his fans that have made certain "requests."
But anyway, for the "80 Anniversary of Midway" John Parshall is on with Drachinifel & they do like a 3 hour long thing about Midway. And so to me, seeing this, 10 years before that, but now in 2024 is a bit strange but also really cool at the same time. Especially considering that now, they have been able to see & study the wrecks of the ships on the bottom of the ocean floor too. So John Parshal, if you ever read this, THANK YOU for your studies & presenting these battles in their truist form.

[velvetable]

This battle caused my life to change as a young person. I became obsessed with the military after watching movies about this battle. What a story. Frankly, the mythos is not far off (i.e. torpedo planes did in fact cause Japanese CAP to be low,  just not the massacred squadrons). Those squadron did in fact keep Nagumo from launching and they would have hit the US hard, even if they were being sunk in the interim. There weren't planes on the carrier decks but there were sure planes and bombs strewn across the hangar due to confusion and re-arming. Even the movie Midway makes note of these things. I do not find his presentation to be controversial at all. 

[jamesfisher]

Parshall's account of the timeline sheds an entirely new light on the battle.

[sammybaugues]

Enjoyed this lecture ..Partially is a great source for WWII

[onesec]

I would like to postulate that the first time encounting the Thatch Weave would have been a big factor as to why so many fighters were focused low.

[jimsilvey]

Incredible talk. His book Shattered Sword, about the battle is equally good.

[EllieMaes-Grandad]

Remember, take the time to do so, lots of time, lots of hurt, how the people who fought that day gave everything they had. They gave their today, for our tomorrow; be humble.