Comparing Midway histories through their sources

How should a reader choose between Midway histories such as Shattered Sword and older accounts?

Read more than one: newer works can introduce valuable interpretations, while older works may retain different contemporary contacts; he particularly recommends Thomas C. Hone's edited Battle of Midway for its sourcing.

A good Midway reading list should compare interpretations instead of treating novelty as a substitute for evidence. Shattered Sword offers interesting ideas, but the discussion raises concerns about the quality of some of its references. The Battle of Midway, edited by Thomas C. Hone, reaches some similar conclusions through chapters by several authors and is recommended for its stronger sourcing. Older works can also preserve closer contact with people and evidence from the period. Reading across those layers is more useful than discarding earlier scholarship whenever a newer account appears.