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The Silver Waterfall
In the desolate middle of the largest ocean on earth, two great navies approached, one bent on conclusive battle, the other lying in ambush.
Six months after Pearl Harbor, Yamamoto again crossed the Pacific with the 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 World War 2 Battle of Midway over three momentous days in June, 1942. Men uncertain, determined, fearful and courageous. Their story is one of daring and unfathomable loss.
"The Silver Waterfall" is a historic fiction novel of Midway told by today's master of carrier aviation fiction about those who fought in one of the most pivotal and epic naval battles in world history.
Six months after Pearl Harbor, Yamamoto again crossed the Pacific with the 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 World War 2 Battle of Midway over three momentous days in June, 1942. Men uncertain, determined, fearful and courageous. Their story is one of daring and unfathomable loss.
"The Silver Waterfall" is a historic fiction novel of Midway told by today's master of carrier aviation fiction about those who fought in one of the most pivotal and epic naval battles in world history.
358 pages, Paperback
Published May 18, 2020
895 people are currently reading
1480 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Miller
6 books181 followersCaptain Kevin Miller, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, is a former tactical naval aviator and has flown the A-7E Corsair II and FA-18 Hornet operationally. He commanded a carrier-based strike-fighter squadron, and, during his career, logged over 1,000 carrier-arrested landings, made possible as he served alongside outstanding men and women as part of a winning team. Captain Miller lives and writes in Pensacola, Florida.
His first novel, RAVEN ONE, was published in June 2014 and peaked at #29 in Amazon's sales ranking. The sequel, DECLARED HOSTILE, was published in August, 2016. HIGH DESERT REFLECTIONS is an autobiographical short story of his flying experiences in the American mountain west. FIGHT FIGHT was published in 2018 followed by HIGH END in 2024 to complete the R1 series, In June 2020, his long-awaited Battle of Midway historical fiction novel, THE SILVER WATERFALL, was published going on to win five writing awards. Please follow Kevin on Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kevin...
Raven One
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Declared Hostile
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Fight Fight
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Silver Waterfall
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
High Desert Reflections
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
His first novel, RAVEN ONE, was published in June 2014 and peaked at #29 in Amazon's sales ranking. The sequel, DECLARED HOSTILE, was published in August, 2016. HIGH DESERT REFLECTIONS is an autobiographical short story of his flying experiences in the American mountain west. FIGHT FIGHT was published in 2018 followed by HIGH END in 2024 to complete the R1 series, In June 2020, his long-awaited Battle of Midway historical fiction novel, THE SILVER WATERFALL, was published going on to win five writing awards. Please follow Kevin on Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kevin...
Raven One
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Declared Hostile
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Fight Fight
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Silver Waterfall
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
High Desert Reflections
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
October 14, 2021
Kevin Miller’s account of the Battle of Midway told from numerous viewpoints on both sides of the battle places him in illustrious company. His story is only the second version to have me weeping actual tears as I followed the emotions of the participants in the battle.
The only other narrative which had me in tears was “War and Remembrance”: The Battle of Midway by Herman Wouk
Before Midway, for all the missed chances and miscalculations of Adolf Hitler and the Japanese leaders, the war still hung in the balance. Had the United States lost this passage at arms, the Hawaiian Islands might well have become untenable. With his West Coast suddenly naked to Japanese might, Roosevelt might have had to reverse his notorious “Germany first” policy. The whole war could have taken a different turn.
—from “World Holocaust” by Armin von Roon
________________________________
Spruance hit out. It was hardly a “calculated risk.” It was the steepest and gravest of gambles with the future of his Navy and his country. Such decisions—only such once-in-a-lifetime personal decisions—test a Commander. Within the hour his far more experienced and stronger opponent, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, would face much the same hard choice.
________________________________
It was a perfect coordinated attack. It was timed almost to the second. It was a freak accident.
Wade McCluskey had sighted a lone Japanese destroyer heading northeast. It must be returning from some mission, he had guessed; if so, it was scoring a long white arrow on the sea pointing toward Nagumo. He had made the simple astute decision to turn and follow the arrow.
Meantime, the torpedo attacks of Waldron, Lindsey, and Massey had followed hard upon each other by luck. McCluskey had sighted the Striking Force at almost the next moment by luck. The Yorktown’s dive-bombers, launched a whole hour later, had arrived at the same time by luck.
In a planned coordinated attack, the dive-bombers were supposed to distract the enemy fighters, so as to give the vulnerable torpedo planes the chance to come in. Instead, the torpedo planes had pulled down the Zeros and cleared the air for the dive-bombers. What was not luck, but the soul of the United States of America in action, was this willingness of the torpedo plane squadrons to go in against hopeless odds. This was the extra ounce of martial weight that in a few decisive moments tipped the balance of history.
So long as men choose to settle the turns of history with the slaughter of youths—and even in a better day, when this form of human sacrifice has been abolished like the ancient, superstitious, but no more horrible form—the memory of these three American torpedo plane squadrons should not die. The old sagas would halt the tale to list the names and birthplaces of men who fought so well. Let this romance follow the tradition. These were the young men of the three squadrons, their names recovered from an already fading record.
[At this point Wouk listed all 68 aircrew killed, and all 14 surviving aircrew from Torpedo Three, Torpedo Six, and Torpedo Eight, along with their home towns from Amherst, Texas to Webster City, Iowa. However, Wouk neglected to include the names of the 16 killed and the 2 survivors of the Torpedo Eight detachment that operated six TBF Avengers from Midway itself, in the Grumman torpedo bomber’s combat debut.]
The only other narrative which had me in tears was “War and Remembrance”: The Battle of Midway by Herman Wouk
Before Midway, for all the missed chances and miscalculations of Adolf Hitler and the Japanese leaders, the war still hung in the balance. Had the United States lost this passage at arms, the Hawaiian Islands might well have become untenable. With his West Coast suddenly naked to Japanese might, Roosevelt might have had to reverse his notorious “Germany first” policy. The whole war could have taken a different turn.
—from “World Holocaust” by Armin von Roon
________________________________
Spruance hit out. It was hardly a “calculated risk.” It was the steepest and gravest of gambles with the future of his Navy and his country. Such decisions—only such once-in-a-lifetime personal decisions—test a Commander. Within the hour his far more experienced and stronger opponent, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, would face much the same hard choice.
________________________________
It was a perfect coordinated attack. It was timed almost to the second. It was a freak accident.
Wade McCluskey had sighted a lone Japanese destroyer heading northeast. It must be returning from some mission, he had guessed; if so, it was scoring a long white arrow on the sea pointing toward Nagumo. He had made the simple astute decision to turn and follow the arrow.
Meantime, the torpedo attacks of Waldron, Lindsey, and Massey had followed hard upon each other by luck. McCluskey had sighted the Striking Force at almost the next moment by luck. The Yorktown’s dive-bombers, launched a whole hour later, had arrived at the same time by luck.
In a planned coordinated attack, the dive-bombers were supposed to distract the enemy fighters, so as to give the vulnerable torpedo planes the chance to come in. Instead, the torpedo planes had pulled down the Zeros and cleared the air for the dive-bombers. What was not luck, but the soul of the United States of America in action, was this willingness of the torpedo plane squadrons to go in against hopeless odds. This was the extra ounce of martial weight that in a few decisive moments tipped the balance of history.
So long as men choose to settle the turns of history with the slaughter of youths—and even in a better day, when this form of human sacrifice has been abolished like the ancient, superstitious, but no more horrible form—the memory of these three American torpedo plane squadrons should not die. The old sagas would halt the tale to list the names and birthplaces of men who fought so well. Let this romance follow the tradition. These were the young men of the three squadrons, their names recovered from an already fading record.
[At this point Wouk listed all 68 aircrew killed, and all 14 surviving aircrew from Torpedo Three, Torpedo Six, and Torpedo Eight, along with their home towns from Amherst, Texas to Webster City, Iowa. However, Wouk neglected to include the names of the 16 killed and the 2 survivors of the Torpedo Eight detachment that operated six TBF Avengers from Midway itself, in the Grumman torpedo bomber’s combat debut.]
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June 10, 2021MWSA Review
The World War II battle for Midway Island is a classic war event told repeatedly since, with variations based on previously unknown or overlooked information. The story is so powerful and consequential that it appears in books, a movie, and now as a fictionalized account in Keven Miller’s, The Silver Waterfall. The author brings alive actual participants, both American and Japanese, in a fast-pace, action-packed version where aircrewmen to admirals, from both sides, expose their personal feelings in this deadly battle between ships and airplanes. Senior officers, some now famous, playing the life and death chess game come alive on the pages through author-imposed conversations as they endeavor to execute their next move based on questionable or missing vital information as the battle progresses over a critical three days.
Miller’s fictionalizing of the real participants brings crewmembers and leaders alive by revealing accounts of their emotions and reactions to events. Aircrewmen, innocent yet to death, expressed their sudden shock at witnessing friends’ instant, mid-air deaths. Leaders withholding depression from the loss of entire aircraft squadrons and eventually aircraft carriers, were exposed through their fictional thoughts. Rapid pace delivery in writing style arouses an intensity and page-turning urge. Captain Miller, USN (Ret), with his years as a naval aviator flying combat aircraft from carriers, in command, and on command staffs, brings cockpit and command reality to his characters. His further association with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation allowed him access not only to rare documents, but individuals knowledgeable with the battle’s history.
The addition of maps, for readers not familiar with the battle, could make the verbally described movements of both task forces and aircraft divisions more clearly understood. Dive bombing by a squadron of SBD Dauntless was described as a “silver waterfall” as the individual aircraft, three seconds apart, screamed nearly straight down at 240 knots toward the vulnerable ship-target, changing the course of war.
Review by Tom Beard (May 2021)
The World War II battle for Midway Island is a classic war event told repeatedly since, with variations based on previously unknown or overlooked information. The story is so powerful and consequential that it appears in books, a movie, and now as a fictionalized account in Keven Miller’s, The Silver Waterfall. The author brings alive actual participants, both American and Japanese, in a fast-pace, action-packed version where aircrewmen to admirals, from both sides, expose their personal feelings in this deadly battle between ships and airplanes. Senior officers, some now famous, playing the life and death chess game come alive on the pages through author-imposed conversations as they endeavor to execute their next move based on questionable or missing vital information as the battle progresses over a critical three days.
Miller’s fictionalizing of the real participants brings crewmembers and leaders alive by revealing accounts of their emotions and reactions to events. Aircrewmen, innocent yet to death, expressed their sudden shock at witnessing friends’ instant, mid-air deaths. Leaders withholding depression from the loss of entire aircraft squadrons and eventually aircraft carriers, were exposed through their fictional thoughts. Rapid pace delivery in writing style arouses an intensity and page-turning urge. Captain Miller, USN (Ret), with his years as a naval aviator flying combat aircraft from carriers, in command, and on command staffs, brings cockpit and command reality to his characters. His further association with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation allowed him access not only to rare documents, but individuals knowledgeable with the battle’s history.
The addition of maps, for readers not familiar with the battle, could make the verbally described movements of both task forces and aircraft divisions more clearly understood. Dive bombing by a squadron of SBD Dauntless was described as a “silver waterfall” as the individual aircraft, three seconds apart, screamed nearly straight down at 240 knots toward the vulnerable ship-target, changing the course of war.
Review by Tom Beard (May 2021)
September 29, 2020
Reviewed by David F, Winkler, Ph.D.
Since its inception, the Naval Historical Foundation book review program has welcomed historical fiction submissions, recognizing that fictional writers, released from the constraints of demonstrating documented sources, can sometimes convey a better sense of what actually happened to a broader audience. Such is the case with The Silver Waterfall, Kevin Miller’s first attempt at historical fiction. A retired Navy captain, Miller had earned his wings of gold and first flew A-7 Corsairs before switching to the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet. I first met Miller when he had command of VFA-105 embarked in Enterprise in the aftermath of strikes his squadron made against Iraq in December 1998 – an operation called Desert Fox. We later crossed paths when he was Chief Operating Officer of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Since then he has taken to writing. Following in the wake of Tom Clancy in the techno-thriller genre, he has published a trio of contemporary novels drawing on his experience as a naval aviator that have built quite the following.
Turning to the past, Miller now aims to replicate for Midway what Michael Shaara had accomplished for Gettysburg, A gifted story-teller, Miller’s depiction of the banter and emotions felt by the participants of the battle – mostly aviators – seems very credible. While he drew on his own time in the cockpit piloting Navy attack jets to relate to the reader the experience of diving on a Japanese carrier in a SBD Dauntless, what’s more evident is he spent much time with many of the veterans. Furthermore, during his tenure at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Miller got to know their aircraft.
Like Gettysburg, Midway is a three-day battle. For Shaara the battle climaxes on the third day with George Pickett’s charge through the wheat fields which is turned back after bloody hand-to-hand combat. Midway doesn’t play out as nicely for Miller. The climax of the battle occurs on the first day when “The Silver Waterfall” descends on Kido Butai to successfully takeout three of the four Japanese carriers supporting the planned seizure of Midway.
Miller handled the challenge of keeping the reader engaged over the following two days by recreating tensions and turmoil that where known to be present between Raymond Spruance, his chief of staff Miles Browning, and the carrier, air group, and squadron commanders. Miller makes it abundantly clear that in the American destruction of four of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s finest flattops, that Hornet did not cover itself in glory as its fighter and dive bomber squadrons missed out on the action of June 4 to leave Torpedo Squadron 8 to attack alone and get annihilated.
Indeed, Miller’s depiction of the discussions on the bridges of Japanese and American flagships make this book worthy reading material for case studies on command decision making.
What could make the book more suitable for such use is if Miller provided more explanatory footnotes. Because I’ve read many takes on the battle, including Craig Symonds most recent study, The Battle of Midway (2011), I understood the “backstory.” Readers unfamiliar with the battle do not. Miller provides some explanatory notes such as the Mogami-Mukuma collision, but he could have further enhanced his work had he chose to include biographical notes about his featured individuals, factoids about the ships and aircraft involved in the engagement, and additional aspects about the battle that could not be practically included in the narrative.
Overall, did Miller accomplish do for Midway what Shaara did for Gettysburg. I would have to answer with a resounding “Yes!”
Kevin Miller. The Silver Waterfall: A Novel of the Battle of Midway. Braveship Books, Los Angeles CA. 2020
Dr. David F. Winkler is the Staff Historian for the Naval Historical Foundation and the 2020-2021 Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the Smithian Institute.
Since its inception, the Naval Historical Foundation book review program has welcomed historical fiction submissions, recognizing that fictional writers, released from the constraints of demonstrating documented sources, can sometimes convey a better sense of what actually happened to a broader audience. Such is the case with The Silver Waterfall, Kevin Miller’s first attempt at historical fiction. A retired Navy captain, Miller had earned his wings of gold and first flew A-7 Corsairs before switching to the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet. I first met Miller when he had command of VFA-105 embarked in Enterprise in the aftermath of strikes his squadron made against Iraq in December 1998 – an operation called Desert Fox. We later crossed paths when he was Chief Operating Officer of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Since then he has taken to writing. Following in the wake of Tom Clancy in the techno-thriller genre, he has published a trio of contemporary novels drawing on his experience as a naval aviator that have built quite the following.
Turning to the past, Miller now aims to replicate for Midway what Michael Shaara had accomplished for Gettysburg, A gifted story-teller, Miller’s depiction of the banter and emotions felt by the participants of the battle – mostly aviators – seems very credible. While he drew on his own time in the cockpit piloting Navy attack jets to relate to the reader the experience of diving on a Japanese carrier in a SBD Dauntless, what’s more evident is he spent much time with many of the veterans. Furthermore, during his tenure at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Miller got to know their aircraft.
Like Gettysburg, Midway is a three-day battle. For Shaara the battle climaxes on the third day with George Pickett’s charge through the wheat fields which is turned back after bloody hand-to-hand combat. Midway doesn’t play out as nicely for Miller. The climax of the battle occurs on the first day when “The Silver Waterfall” descends on Kido Butai to successfully takeout three of the four Japanese carriers supporting the planned seizure of Midway.
Miller handled the challenge of keeping the reader engaged over the following two days by recreating tensions and turmoil that where known to be present between Raymond Spruance, his chief of staff Miles Browning, and the carrier, air group, and squadron commanders. Miller makes it abundantly clear that in the American destruction of four of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s finest flattops, that Hornet did not cover itself in glory as its fighter and dive bomber squadrons missed out on the action of June 4 to leave Torpedo Squadron 8 to attack alone and get annihilated.
Indeed, Miller’s depiction of the discussions on the bridges of Japanese and American flagships make this book worthy reading material for case studies on command decision making.
What could make the book more suitable for such use is if Miller provided more explanatory footnotes. Because I’ve read many takes on the battle, including Craig Symonds most recent study, The Battle of Midway (2011), I understood the “backstory.” Readers unfamiliar with the battle do not. Miller provides some explanatory notes such as the Mogami-Mukuma collision, but he could have further enhanced his work had he chose to include biographical notes about his featured individuals, factoids about the ships and aircraft involved in the engagement, and additional aspects about the battle that could not be practically included in the narrative.
Overall, did Miller accomplish do for Midway what Shaara did for Gettysburg. I would have to answer with a resounding “Yes!”
Kevin Miller. The Silver Waterfall: A Novel of the Battle of Midway. Braveship Books, Los Angeles CA. 2020
Dr. David F. Winkler is the Staff Historian for the Naval Historical Foundation and the 2020-2021 Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the Smithian Institute.
June 24, 2020
Really good read! If you enjoy historical novels this book is for you! Brings the epic battle down to a human level.
Really good read! I really enjoy historical novels and liked the offerings of how the people involved may have thought and interacted. I also liked the epilogue that covers their lives after the battle and the war. Very interesting and informative. Highly recommend.
Really good read! I really enjoy historical novels and liked the offerings of how the people involved may have thought and interacted. I also liked the epilogue that covers their lives after the battle and the war. Very interesting and informative. Highly recommend.
May 27, 2023
Great and riveting read
The Battle of Midway in a historical novel from the point of view of both sides. The characters are believable, the historical facts are largely correct and the tale is harsh and compelling. Even if you're not a history buff I would recommend it. As a gold star parent I endorse this story as a worthy tribute to those who gave all.
The Battle of Midway in a historical novel from the point of view of both sides. The characters are believable, the historical facts are largely correct and the tale is harsh and compelling. Even if you're not a history buff I would recommend it. As a gold star parent I endorse this story as a worthy tribute to those who gave all.
February 17, 2024
A vibrant account of Midway, told from close-in perspectives. Every moment you're standing next to a real person. Someone with doubts, fears, bravery, and character.
I've never read an account that made me feel so much like I was riding in the back of a dive bomber, or standing in the ward room of a carrier. I felt the desperation and the fear as much as the glory.
It was probably because I mostly read this over a long period of just a few pages per night, but the characters themselves did tend to blur a bit. That's not Miller's fault. It's just, with a huge battle and a large amount of perspectives, it was hard to remember who was who sometimes. The admirals are remembered solidly, but I sometimes got lost from one pilot to another. That's not the author's fault. I just wish I'd given it a little more focus.
Still, I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Midway beyond the silver-screen slices.
I've never read an account that made me feel so much like I was riding in the back of a dive bomber, or standing in the ward room of a carrier. I felt the desperation and the fear as much as the glory.
It was probably because I mostly read this over a long period of just a few pages per night, but the characters themselves did tend to blur a bit. That's not Miller's fault. It's just, with a huge battle and a large amount of perspectives, it was hard to remember who was who sometimes. The admirals are remembered solidly, but I sometimes got lost from one pilot to another. That's not the author's fault. I just wish I'd given it a little more focus.
Still, I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Midway beyond the silver-screen slices.
November 1, 2021
The entire narrative is too low-level, in that it's all from the perspective of normal people. While this may sound cool, it omits a LOT of the context of the battle. There's no high level narrator to tell you what is going on and to orient you as to what stage in the battle is currently being described, which is very confusing even to people who pretty much know how the battle went down, like myself (not a scholar or expert, just an enthusiast). The most extreme example is when an early attack originating from Midway report that they sunk a carrier far earlier in the battle than expected. I knew that this couldn't be true because a) it wasn't attacks from Midway that sunk any carriers, and b) no SINGLE carrier was sunk (Hiryu) until AFTER the initial 3 (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu), so I knew this timeline was not correct. Turns out there actually was a false report of a carrier sunk by a Midway attack early on in the battle, but this is an obscure detail that I've never run across, and since the book does not provide a high level narrator to explain these things, it left me performing a search outside of the book to verify the historical accuracy, which you can imagine kind of ruins the immersion.
So the upshot is that it's an interesting first-person perspective on the battle. However you need to come armed with an encyclopedia outlining every detail of the battle to keep the story in context, otherwise it's going to just be a bunch of disconnected action sequences.
So the upshot is that it's an interesting first-person perspective on the battle. However you need to come armed with an encyclopedia outlining every detail of the battle to keep the story in context, otherwise it's going to just be a bunch of disconnected action sequences.
October 19, 2020
Exciting Action at Sea
This story is a riveting fact-based account of the Battle of Midway. Hard to put down, the description of the people, ships, aircraft, and tactics involved in the battle keeps your interest and wanting more.
The author’s description of the mechanics of flying these aircraft shows off his deep knowledge and research and attention to detail.
The crucial Battle of Midway, victory at sea by the American forces at sea, the heavy losses by Japan in both men and ships set up the momentum for the final victory over Japan later.
‘The Silver Waterfall’ is an excellent read produced by an author at the top of his game.
This story is a riveting fact-based account of the Battle of Midway. Hard to put down, the description of the people, ships, aircraft, and tactics involved in the battle keeps your interest and wanting more.
The author’s description of the mechanics of flying these aircraft shows off his deep knowledge and research and attention to detail.
The crucial Battle of Midway, victory at sea by the American forces at sea, the heavy losses by Japan in both men and ships set up the momentum for the final victory over Japan later.
‘The Silver Waterfall’ is an excellent read produced by an author at the top of his game.
December 1, 2020
One of the best WW2 flying history books I’ve read in a while.
Pages are filled with personal warrior accounts from both sides of, arguably, one of the most important battles in modern history. Kevin Miller does a great job putting you “in the room” with each person to understand their point of view and their personal “Why?” Aerial actions and important decisions are given equal weight. The story illustrates some of the mistakes and lucky (or unlucky) guesses that influenced the outcome of the Battle of Midway.
Pages are filled with personal warrior accounts from both sides of, arguably, one of the most important battles in modern history. Kevin Miller does a great job putting you “in the room” with each person to understand their point of view and their personal “Why?” Aerial actions and important decisions are given equal weight. The story illustrates some of the mistakes and lucky (or unlucky) guesses that influenced the outcome of the Battle of Midway.
August 18, 2020
One of the best books I've read this summer during "home confinement'. Even though I knew a lot of the history and facts of the battle, the characters bring the story to life. I was finished all too soon. I include Kevin Miller in my list of favorite authors of aviation fiction, and now with The Silver Waterfall, he joins the likes of P.T. Deutermann and John J. Gobbell for writing fantastic WWII fiction. I've said it before, can't wait for his next book.
September 21, 2020
One of the best books of its genre published year.
This engrossing book tells the story through the eyes of the men who fought the Battle of Midway. You feel as if you are standing in the ready rooms and sitting in the cockpits as you read. It is highly engaging and you are sucked into the story from the beginning. This will be one of the best books you read this year in this genre.
Kevin Miller did it again.
This engrossing book tells the story through the eyes of the men who fought the Battle of Midway. You feel as if you are standing in the ready rooms and sitting in the cockpits as you read. It is highly engaging and you are sucked into the story from the beginning. This will be one of the best books you read this year in this genre.
Kevin Miller did it again.
May 20, 2022
a must read
Even though I’ve studied, and taught, the lessons from Midway, Kevin Miller’s writing hooked me and kept me involved with the personal stories you don’t see in the history books. Along with the likes of Stephen Pressfield, Kevin gives us a way to learn and feel history that few can replicate.
Even though I’ve studied, and taught, the lessons from Midway, Kevin Miller’s writing hooked me and kept me involved with the personal stories you don’t see in the history books. Along with the likes of Stephen Pressfield, Kevin gives us a way to learn and feel history that few can replicate.
July 14, 2020
If you thought you knew all about the Battle of Midway, think again.
Author Kevin Miller takes into account relatively recent scholarship by those such as Parshall and Tully in their magnificent book 'Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway', and fleshes them out for this remarkable narrative.
The flight scenes are awesome in their detail to attention that pilots and aircraft crew would have during flight and battle. The way Kevin Miller weaves the complicated timeline of the battle together into a coherent tale from multiple points of view is commendable.
Miller also captures the friction among the American command during the battle better than any account I have read, and I've been reading WW2 history since about 1975. Most accounts of the battle acknowledge some of the friction, but American losses have mostly been attributed to circumstances and bad luck. Miller gives us a more complete picture as to what really happened, including questionable decisions among American commanders.
Miller makes the scholarship of Parshall and Tully more accessible to a wider audience.
Outstanding job!
Author Kevin Miller takes into account relatively recent scholarship by those such as Parshall and Tully in their magnificent book 'Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway', and fleshes them out for this remarkable narrative.
The flight scenes are awesome in their detail to attention that pilots and aircraft crew would have during flight and battle. The way Kevin Miller weaves the complicated timeline of the battle together into a coherent tale from multiple points of view is commendable.
Miller also captures the friction among the American command during the battle better than any account I have read, and I've been reading WW2 history since about 1975. Most accounts of the battle acknowledge some of the friction, but American losses have mostly been attributed to circumstances and bad luck. Miller gives us a more complete picture as to what really happened, including questionable decisions among American commanders.
Miller makes the scholarship of Parshall and Tully more accessible to a wider audience.
Outstanding job!
September 18, 2023
The Battle of Midway has been a personal interest ever since one of my friends acquired a copy of the Avalon Hill wargame on the battle back in the 1960s. (The note at end about the life of Wade McClusky who flew an SBD Douglas Scout Bomber as Air Group Commander at the battle, omits the fact that he was listed by Avalon Hill as a technical advisor for the war game.) Between the war game, the two feature films made about the battle (and John Ford's documentary), and several histories of the battle, the background to this novel is very familiar, but Kevin Miller's emphasis upon the pilots gives the story a new feel as we spend a lot more time in cockpits than we do an Admirals bridges as most of the other accounts do. This novel focuses on the pilots and air gunners who manned the various aircraft that made possible a battle in which no opposing ships caught sight of each other. It must have taken a lot of research to reconstruct even as fiction all of the air activity recounted here. There are some tough moments to read but it's a very good attempt at a different perspective of a major event of World War II, it's earned a place on my shelves.
December 23, 2023
In The Silver Waterfall, Captain Miller recreates the 1942 Battle of Midway Island by placing us inside dozens of cockpits with pilots who are barely out of their teens, flying out of date and inferior aircraft, against the superior Japanese Zero. Captain Miller is an author who is capable of letting his readers experience the terror, indecision, pain and sometimes elation that those young men faced every day of their often short lives during the war. If you’ve read Captain Miller’s other novels you’ll understand what I mean when I say that this is another can’t-put-it-down reading experience. The perfect book for history buffs, private aviators, and especially teachers wanting to hook their students on WWII. Kevin Miller has combined his background as a career Navy pilot with an endless amount of reading and research to present the reader with a truly accurate and memorable experience. Few writers today can match his ability to capture the experience of combat flying with such realistic detail and excitement. This book is a great read.
July 10, 2021
A Historical Fictional Detailed Account of What Became the Turning Point of WWII in the Pacific
This epic's strong point provides detailed accounts of intense feelings and reactions for those involved in all phases of the air battles in the Battle of Midway, from Seaman to Admiral on both sides of the battle, both the U.S. and Japanes Navies. The other side of the coin is that the reader is forced to contend with far more names and nomenclature, that swallows the mind of the average reader in trying to recall the exact previous individuals involved in a sequence , as the reader advances through the stages of events in the book. Unless the reader has prior experience about the major events, the average reader is going to miss the real value of the author's intent that war is hell. Less names and nomenclature could be more if the author is after more readership. If the intent is documentationof events, feelings and hindsightat all levels, the author is on target.
This epic's strong point provides detailed accounts of intense feelings and reactions for those involved in all phases of the air battles in the Battle of Midway, from Seaman to Admiral on both sides of the battle, both the U.S. and Japanes Navies. The other side of the coin is that the reader is forced to contend with far more names and nomenclature, that swallows the mind of the average reader in trying to recall the exact previous individuals involved in a sequence , as the reader advances through the stages of events in the book. Unless the reader has prior experience about the major events, the average reader is going to miss the real value of the author's intent that war is hell. Less names and nomenclature could be more if the author is after more readership. If the intent is documentationof events, feelings and hindsightat all levels, the author is on target.
March 14, 2022
Miller has written an excellent novel based upon the Battle of Midway. Extremely accurate, well-researched, and excellently written, The Silver Waterfall would be a welcome addition to you library. Like his "Raven One" trilogy, Miller's latest book really puts you in the cockpit...a reflection of his skills as a writer and his background as an accomplished Naval Aviator.
2022 will mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway (BOM), and no doubt many of the books written about the Battle will be referenced throughout this year. Sadly, when it comes to historical fiction written about BOM, most of it is -in a word - terrible. Lame storylines full of sloppy research that parrots inaccuracies found in movies and prior poor works. Thankfully, The Silver Waterfall is the exception.
If you are a student of the BOM, a fan of Naval Aviation, or just enjoy a great novel about military history, you owe it to yourself to buy a copy of The Silver Waterfall.
2022 will mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway (BOM), and no doubt many of the books written about the Battle will be referenced throughout this year. Sadly, when it comes to historical fiction written about BOM, most of it is -in a word - terrible. Lame storylines full of sloppy research that parrots inaccuracies found in movies and prior poor works. Thankfully, The Silver Waterfall is the exception.
If you are a student of the BOM, a fan of Naval Aviation, or just enjoy a great novel about military history, you owe it to yourself to buy a copy of The Silver Waterfall.
January 10, 2025
The Silver Waterfall is a historical fiction novel centered on The Battle of Midway about those who fought in one of the most pivotal and epic naval engagements in U.S. and world history. The author is retired Navy Captain Kevin Miller who is a friend and fellow naval aviator. Kevin is a veteran carrier fighter pilot who uses his contemporary aviation experience and extensive historical knowledge to get into the heads of the US and Japanese fighter pilots and “bring them to life” with his words. This pivotal battle completely changed the course of the WWII Pacific Combat Theatre and was the beginning of the ultimate victory for the U.S. forces while also validating the critical importance of carrier-based forward engagement that lives on in today’s Navy. This is a great page-turning read that needs to be made into a streaming series!
January 11, 2025
The Silver Waterfall is a historical fiction novel centered on The Battle of Midway about those who fought in one of the most pivotal and epic naval engagements in U.S. and world history. The author is retired Navy Captain Kevin Miller who is a friend and fellow naval aviator. Kevin is a veteran carrier fighter pilot who uses his contemporary aviation experience and extensive historical knowledge to get into the heads of the US and Japanese fighter pilots and “bring them to life” with his words. This pivotal battle completely changed the course of the WWII Pacific Combat Theatre and was the beginning of the ultimate victory for the U.S. forces while also validating the critical importance of carrier-based forward engagement that lives on in today’s Navy. This is a great page-turning read that needs to be made into a streaming series!
August 14, 2020
Exciting and Enjoyable!
While hard to keep up with characters, because the author switched from one to other in no pattern. I enjoyed the personal descriptions and feelings! I have always had an interest in the Battle of Midway, because my father was flying in one of the PBY’s from Midway and have known one gentleman who flew SBD’s off the Enterprise until it was damaged and he was wounded. Another gentleman that I met in the early 70’s was a replacement F4F Pilot on the Yorktown before Midway. Last but not least, I was happy to see the brief coverage to the Naval Enlisted Pilots that here to fore have been left out of the stories. Also, according to my father, a good portion of the Marine Pilots on Midway were “Flying Sargents”.
While hard to keep up with characters, because the author switched from one to other in no pattern. I enjoyed the personal descriptions and feelings! I have always had an interest in the Battle of Midway, because my father was flying in one of the PBY’s from Midway and have known one gentleman who flew SBD’s off the Enterprise until it was damaged and he was wounded. Another gentleman that I met in the early 70’s was a replacement F4F Pilot on the Yorktown before Midway. Last but not least, I was happy to see the brief coverage to the Naval Enlisted Pilots that here to fore have been left out of the stories. Also, according to my father, a good portion of the Marine Pilots on Midway were “Flying Sargents”.
March 30, 2021
Very enlightening read on the Battle of Midway with a completely different perspective than most of the books I've read on the subject. Because I usually read in short spurts as time allows, I had a bit of a difficult time keeping track of the many characters and what units/ships and timeline they were from but that's more related to my reading style than any fault with the book. I have the same problem when I read anything by Jeff Shaara.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Raven One series, I would look forward to more books from Kevin Miller that, like The Silver Waterfall, are based upon historical events and include the actual people who tool part. And recap at the end with what happened to the major players was a great close to the book.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Raven One series, I would look forward to more books from Kevin Miller that, like The Silver Waterfall, are based upon historical events and include the actual people who tool part. And recap at the end with what happened to the major players was a great close to the book.
October 11, 2021
The Silver Waterfall is an entertaining and engaging retelling of the battle on Midway. The characters are well-crafted and the narrative flows well. The author generally handles switching between the various characters and points of view well, although occasionally I would have stop and think - who is this guy? The main reason this gets 4 stars vs 5 is his repetitive descriptions of the dive bomber attacks. Windmilling propellers, high g pullouts, red dive brakes were all featured a few too many times. But other than this minor point, I truly enjoyed The Silver Waterfall and would recommend it.
April 26, 2022
I loved other stories by Kevin Miller. I gave The Silver Waterfall four stars for all the effort that went into it and for the fact that this retells the story of real heroes. But I almost gave this story three stars because I had difficulty keeping track of who was who. Much of the story just involved one attack after another in a pace where I'd lose track of which pilots and what planes were involved in the attacks. Now that I know the pace of the writing and recognize many of the pilot names and did some research on the planes being flown, I'd probably enjoy the story more by reading it all over again.
March 18, 2024
a very well written book and a fun read
The author mentions Shasta and if you like that style of historical fiction from both father and son then you will like this book. Both the Japanese and US side are presented and key characters are followed in the story. He brings out a lot of technical details and goes into some of the mechanics of navy flying. As a retired AF pilot I will say the navy does do things differently not bad just different. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It is well worth reading. I read the ebook version and had no problems with links or typos. Overall well done
The author mentions Shasta and if you like that style of historical fiction from both father and son then you will like this book. Both the Japanese and US side are presented and key characters are followed in the story. He brings out a lot of technical details and goes into some of the mechanics of navy flying. As a retired AF pilot I will say the navy does do things differently not bad just different. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It is well worth reading. I read the ebook version and had no problems with links or typos. Overall well done
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February 8, 2021I had read other stories and seen TV shows and movies about The Battle of Midway, but this book really opened my eyes and gave me a whole new view of what happened. Highly recommend this book.
I've visited Midway several times over the last 50 years while in the Navy and later as a civilian. It's hard to visualize what it was like there during the attacks as you stand on a beautiful white sand beach with the trade winds gently swaying the palm trees and watching the goodie birds.
I've visited Midway several times over the last 50 years while in the Navy and later as a civilian. It's hard to visualize what it was like there during the attacks as you stand on a beautiful white sand beach with the trade winds gently swaying the palm trees and watching the goodie birds.
May 11, 2021
I really wanted to like this book more than I did, but I felt it was incomplete. The chapters consist primarily of interactions among the men that fought the Battle of Midway presented from both the American and Japanese perspectives. These are well written, but there is a meager narrative framework surrounding them. Unless the reader is familiar with the events of the Battle, the story can be confusing. In addition, the author uses extensive Navy jargon and acronyms without explanation. This is a diamond in the rough.
December 2, 2023
I love Kevin Miller's stories but this book, while good, wasn't up to the same standard as his others. I think it was due to the nature of this book. It was about the Battle of Midway but focused on assumed dialog among the participants. I like historical fiction which combine facts about the particular history and adds some dialog to make it come alive. This book focused mainly on the dialog and, in my opinion, shortchanged the history.
December 27, 2024
The Silver Waterfall is a gripping historical fiction novel set during the Battle of Midway, one of World War II's most decisive naval battles. Over three intense days in June 1942, the story follows the courageous and conflicted men—veterans and rookies alike—who fought in the battle. With rich detail and emotional depth, this novel captures the heroism, fears, and sacrifices of those who shaped history. A must-read for fans of naval history and wartime fiction.
June 18, 2020
Historical fiction at its best
Very accurate telling of the Midway battle with appropriate fictional dialog. The use of actual participants names lends credibility to this account. I was very impressed to find the name of a personal acquaintance who flew in the battle in a footnote. I completely enjoyed the book
Very accurate telling of the Midway battle with appropriate fictional dialog. The use of actual participants names lends credibility to this account. I was very impressed to find the name of a personal acquaintance who flew in the battle in a footnote. I completely enjoyed the book
July 6, 2020
Written has only a Naval Aviator could
The author makes the famous characters come to life with real life conversations and thoughts they must have had in early June 1942. Also included are less remembered facts and parts of this great battle. A very good read in this former PR-1's (Aircrew) humble opinion.
The author makes the famous characters come to life with real life conversations and thoughts they must have had in early June 1942. Also included are less remembered facts and parts of this great battle. A very good read in this former PR-1's (Aircrew) humble opinion.
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