# War on Our Doorstep - Book Review



## rolandstrong (9 Jun 2003)

I was actually shopping at our local grocery store and noticed a rack with a number of books by local authors. This one caught my eye, so i picked it up, and relized I stumbled upon some obscure yet significant military history.

"War on Our Doorstep: The Unknown Campaign on North America‘s West Coast" by Brendan Coyle deals with the Japanese invasion of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians, their submarine war along the Pacific coast, and the American/Canadian response.

While not discussed in military circles very much, the Japanese invasion of Attu and Kiska was initiated as a decoy from the planned attack on Midway in 1942. As we all know, it failed, and the Americans dealt a huge blow to Japanese naval forces. Needless to say, the Japanese invaded anyway, and posted several thousand troops on these two desolate islands. It was the first and only invasion on a sovereign North America. 

While seemingly insignificant, the Canadians and Americans were in constant conflict with the garrison there, flying hundreds of sorties. In 1943, while battles were raging in the South Pacific, the Americans invaded these forgotten islands, and suffered some of the most significant casualties of the war due to a sticky japanese defense fighting to the last man and inhospitable weather. The weather caused more casualties to allied forces than any other theatre of war.

Other noteable events were the Japanese attacks on merchant shippping along Vancouver Island, Washington State and Oregon. They even sent planes (submarine based) over Oregon and firebombed forests! Thousands of tons of merchant shipping were lost right on the Pacific coast, and kept quiet by the Canadian and American governments in order to keep the North American public calm.

I consider myself a World War II historian, and thought I knew a good deal about the war on most fronts. This info felt new, interesting, and right in my back yard!

Interestingly, it was this event that finally ended the consription crisis in Canada, allowing ETO troops to be reinforced by the draft.


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## Danjanou (9 Jun 2003)

Nice review Roland and good to see this forum isn‘t a solo act anymore.

I have to find a copy of this one, guess I‘ll check my corner store out if it‘s not in Chapters.

As an aside this campaign was where the US/Canadian 1st SSF, the Devils Brigade first saw action before being shipped to the Italian Theatre.


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## rolandstrong (17 Jun 2003)

another aside is that the american forces were composed of the the native american divisions that suffered badly from the weather.


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## MBC (16 Aug 2005)

Hello
Thanks for the review. I came across it on the internet. The book has done well in Canada and picking up overseas. Thanks for the endorsement.
Regarrds,
Brendan Coyle


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## 3rd Herd (2 Nov 2005)

You were right to find it in a grocery store. Having researched this particular topic off and on for the last ten years it could have been more substantial. For a more pure and in depth, although American outlook is Bert Weber(?)'s Silent Siege. which is unfortunately no longer in print but can be found in some libraries and through abebooks on-line. Another interesting but pure military history work is Hadley and Sarty's "Tin Pots and Pirate Ships" in which the ground work for the 1939-45 west coast war is established, i.e. the fear of German sea raiders in WW1


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## Hiab (2 Jan 2006)

Kind of harsh aren't you? Yes there are many books on the Aleutians war and the author states the book is from a Canadian perspective. I thought the book did pretty well on the subject.


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## 3rd Herd (2 Jan 2006)

harsh- not really, just allot more out there which was not covered including allot of primary material


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## Hiab (13 Jan 2006)

I and the person that recommended it to me enjoyed it. It also does a service in bringing to light a little known aspect of Canadian WW2 history.


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