Sorry to not answer your question about books on WW2... but from personal experience I can say that if you're headed for the Pacific you can see:
- Saipan already mentioned by Mike. Hike the mountains and explore the tunnels dug by the Japanese (via slave labor of course). Banzai / suicide cliffs and the old command bunker. Be sure to snorkel / dive the Blue Lagoon. Kinda neat to drive down the shore road from the airport and see that Sherman tank about 100yds offshore... it sits where it stopped on invasion day.
- Guam: In Apra Harbor there are numerous shipwrecks from both WW1 & 2. Actually an underwater national park now. At 90ft you can extend your arms and simultaneously touch the hulls of the Tokai Maru sunk in WW2 and the Corinthian (name may not be correct) sunk in WW1. Easy dives in good visibility. Tokai Maru still has depth charges aboard - the Navy survey deemed them too dangerous to remove and recommended they be left in place. Too deep within the ship for most divers to find them. Also another wreck the Kizogawa Maru sits upright in about 130ft. Deck gun intact w/ammunition cases sitting where they were during the battle. Tricky dive due to currents and depth, but worth the effort. Orote point has a few old bunkers and the remains of a Corsair fighter. Further south there is a Japanese bomber in 60ft of water.
- Truk: The legendary wrecks of Truk Lagoon... I hope to dive them one day myself. A must-dive for the enthusiast.
- Manus, Papua New Guinea still has a military base that we visited in the late 80s. Huge lagoon where the invasion fleet was staged for the invasion of the Phillipines. This was the place from which Gen MacArthur fulfilled his "I shall return" promise. Reportedly was a larger invasion force than was used for D-Day in Europe. Only saw a few remnants from the war... but is a friendly, interesting place to explore.
My personal favorite: The island of Corrigedor in Manilla Bay!! Take a bonca boat over from the mainland (or anchor your sailboat in the cove near the Malinta Tunnel). If you want WW2 history, this is the place!! Bring a strong flashlight to explore the Malinta side tunnels - and imagine the US forces holed up there during the 30-day siege of the island. Impressive gun batteries - just an amazing site to see! If you sail there, also go a bit further north to Subic Bay. The old US Navy facilities are now nationalized and I'm told boat repairs can be very inexpensive.
Sorry for the ramble... you can probably tell I loved exploring the history of the Pacific ... take me back !!
