Ghosts of Honolulu

A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor

By: Mark Harmon

Narrated by: Mark Harmon, Leon Carroll

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Read by the author.

"A fast-paced debut...Espionage buffs will savor this vibrant account." — Publishers Weekly

A U.S. naval counterintelligence officer working to safeguard Pearl Harbor; a Japanese spy ordered to Hawaii to gather information on the American fleet. On December 7, 1941, their hidden stories are exposed by a morning of bloodshed that would change the world forever. Scrutinizing long-buried historical documents, NCIS star Mark Harmon and co-author Leon Carroll, a former NCIS Special Agent, have brought forth a true-life NCIS story of deception, discovery, and danger.

Hawaii, 1941. War clouds with Japan are gathering and the islands of Hawaii have become battlegrounds of spies, intelligence agents, and military officials - with the island's residents caught between them. Toiling in the shadows are Douglas Wada, the only Japanese American agent in naval intelligence, and Takeo Yoshikawa, a Japanese spy sent to Pearl Harbor to gather information on the U.S. fleet.

Douglas Wada's experiences in his native Honolulu include posing undercover as a newspaper reporter, translating wiretaps on the Japanese Consulate, and interrogating America's first captured POW of World War II, a submarine officer found on the beach. Takeo Yoshikawa is a Japanese spy operating as a junior diplomat with the consulate who is collecting vital information that goes straight to Admiral Yamamoto. Their dueling stories anchor Ghosts of Honolulu's gripping depiction of the world-changing cat and mouse games played between Japanese and US military intelligence agents (and a mercenary Nazi) in Hawaii before the outbreak of the second world war.

Also caught in the upheaval are Honolulu's innocent residents - including Douglas Wada's father - who endure the war's anti-Japanese fervor and a cadre of intelligence professionals who must prevent Hawaii from adopting the same destructive mass internments as California.

Ghosts of Honolulu depicts the incredible high stakes game of naval intelligence and the need to define what is real and what only appears to be real.

©2023 Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll (P)2023 Harper Select

Excellent

Really enjoyed the true account of these individuals during WW2. Very factual, now I am interested in more information on the people and places mentioned in the book.

Mark Harmon

Very interesting piece of history. Told a lot about the beginning of NCIS and about the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

An excellent historical review of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor.

An excellent historical review of the environment, people and activities around the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor. A very insightful yet depressing revelation of human and political actions that related some very shameful and destructive actions of the US Government.

Ghosts of Honolulu

Wonderful Take on the attack on Pearl Harbor not heard before. Narrator Mark Harmon did a good job

Steeler book

I learned so much about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This book was informative and entertaining.

I liked new insights into what happened on the island.

I enjoyed the new-to-me information, but like others commented, I had a hard time with the narration. Mr. Harmon is a good actor, but whatever happened here, it wasn't good. I decided that maybe my reading speed got messed up, but it didn't matter how I adjusted it it just did come out well. I would have been better off reading the hard copy.

Amazing History lesson ono Pearl Harbor

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. Mark Harmon has told a brillient story of courage and fortitude. The Pearl Harbor Story will never be just a day of an attack for me any more. The very human tradgety of this war took on Japaneese Americans has been touchingly protrade here. This book is absolutely a must read.

Excellent

Mark Harman took you inside Pearl Harbor’s worst day and made you understand the human side of it. Loved it.

Story Great. Reader not so great

The story and history were fantastic. I thought I knew but I didn’t really. Mr. Harmon needs to review before he reads. And where were the editors? Example, “Calvary” instead of Cavalry. There were several mispronunciations throughout. Lest we forget the dog barking in the background, which I really didn’t mind, but it further points to the poor production quality of the book. I am a fan of Mr. Harmon, but he disappointed on this book.

Fascinating Story

I enjoyed the history as it isn’t known. The downside is the pronunciation of local names and foreign names and locations by Mark Harmon. It came off as a ‘haole’ not being interested or vested enough to learn the correct pronunciation and took away from the narration. I was born and raised in Hawaii and my Dad was in the 522 Field Artillery Battalion in WW II. Overall, a really good book.