World War II Day by Day explains in simple terms why the war started and how it was fought in different theaters across the world. Day-by-day entries describe how events unfolded, while pictures show what it was like to be there. Boxes highlight key moments and individuals, and eyewitness accounts add a personal voice to the story. The Pacific follows the war against Japan from the raid on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945. It shows how Japan made remarkable initial gains in Asia and the Pacific, and how the United States and its allies plotted a thrust across the vast Pacific Ocean, based on aircraft carriers, air power, and amphibious landings on scattered islands. Eventually, the campaign brought Allied bombers within striking distance of Japan itself.