DAY OF INFAMY is the second Osprey 'Graphic History' comic I have read. While it is an improvement, in terms of historical accuracy, over EMPIRE FALLS: THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, I'm afraid I have to give DAY OF INFAMY a low grade because of the poor artwork found in the book.

First of all, I didn't like giving this book a three-star rating. Osprey deserves all the credit in the world for introducing the 'Graphic History' line. The series, aimed at younger readers and ESL students, is a marvelous attempt to bring history alive to those audiences. And, perhaps, reviewers should cut these books some slack because they are graphic novels and not 'serious' history.

Having said that, DAY OF INFAMY'S factual errors are small potatoes (i.e. USS Curtiss not Curtis; the book claims 169 aircraft lost vs. actual losses of 188; USS Blue was a DD not a cruiser; etc.).

In terms of imagery, the illustrations are colorful, exciting and will make the Pearl Harbor story come alive to readers. The accuracy of the artwork however is poor. The renderings of ships and aircraft are one step above cartoon-level. Most of the ship drawings bear little resemblance to the actual vessel. Aircraft drawings range from acceptable to awful. Didn't the artist check any photographs before putting pen to paper?

Bottom line: a great way to introduce history to new readers; the final product however needs work. Recommended with reservations.

The same is achieved in Steve White's DAY OF INFAMY: ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, which provides a colorful graphic novel focusing on Pearl Harbor events. These histories will also appeal to young adults studying the facts of military history - this audience will find a much more accessible format and history, here.