I repeatedly see Morison referenced in books about the Pacific naval campaigns, and I'm wondering if there is a consensus around the value of his books. I realize they came out shortly after the war and therefore don't have the benefit of time. But I'm wondering if they are worthwhile to read? Mostly I'm concerned with; are they accurate descriptions of events, and are they readable? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
Let's hear what two gentlemen who are most noted for their work directly against the orthodoxy of World War II naval history - which Morison's history is more or less the foundation of - have to say on this exact topic:
Jonathan Parshall: Morison’s operational details have been superseded by more current works, yet he is always a great read, and worth it for the summary.
Anthony Tully: One thing I learned has direct bearing on Morison’s continued value: Don’t underestimate the care taken preparing these volumes. To this day, few seem quite able to capture the succinct clarity and yet brisk prose that make them so readable.
These come from a very recent and very relevant article on Morison's relevance today from Naval History Magazine. The good news is that the Naval Institute has provided free access to that article and almost all of their 150 years worth of archives to anyone who wants it up until the end of June - you can register and read without a USNI membership, and so I'll let you discover on your own what other various prominent naval historians feel about his work.
My own are far simpler: Morison writes accessible prose which somehow holds up over 2.3 million words and the stories he tells are compelling; you're not going to be bored. A good deal of the analysis has been surpassed, but there's also something to be said for him or someone working for him (his former grad student George Elsey becoming his eyes and ears during D-Day is a nutty story that even this other great article from February on how Morison finagled FDR into letting him write the whole thing doesn't do justice to) actually being present and around the principals at the time. While he does soft pedal for people he likes, Morison also took on others - Halsey and MacArthur for instance - in ways that were tremendously controversial at the time when their public popularity was still strong, and it's something he doesn't get enough credit for.
So in sum, if you want to read a great narrative and get the basics it's very much worth a read - but then pick up the work that's been done since to find out what we've learned since.