Best of Enemies is a work of fiction, but it is one based on facts, and for anyone interested in the real documents and events underlying this narrative the following sources may be of interest.

Webpages

The genesis of this book was coming across the strange story of the SS Automedon and the incredible loss of its top-secret cargo, an unmitigated intelligence disaster from any point of view. For basic information about its capture by the Atlantis see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Automedon and the CIA record https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00965R000605710002-4.pdf.

In terms of America’s stance in the Pacific in 1940 and attitude towards Japanese aggression the McCollum memorandum is available online as both a scanned copy and text (which has some typos) at http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/McCollum/index.html.

The potential lessons to be learnt from the British attack at Taranto were the subject of exchanges of memos within the US navy. The use of anti-torpedo baffles for protection against torpedo plane attacks within harbours were for example Exhibits 17 and 19 in the Hart Enquiry and are online at https://www.ibiblio.org/pha/timeline/410215acno.html  and https://www.ibiblio.org/pha/timeline/410613acno.html.

The figures on British bombing accuracy come from the Butt report of 1941 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butt_Report .

And sadly the photograph of the USS Arizona in the November 1941 Army-Navy game and its caption is only too real https://collectableivy.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/army-navy-program-1941-uss-arizona.

Books

A short relevant bibliography is set out below: