What do you think?
Rate this book
Samurai!
Editorial Reviews Product Description This text documents the chivalry and valour of the combat aviator, Saburo Sakai, who fought American fighter pilots and, with 64 kills, would survive World War II as Japan's greatest living ace. This book traces his experiences from fighter-pilot school to the early Japanese victories; from his 600 mile fight for life from Guadalcanal to his base in Rabaul, to the story of the now handicapped veteran's return to the air during the final months of World War II. This book has been written by Martin Caidin from Saburo Sakai's own memoirs and journalist Fred Saito's interviews with the fighter pilot. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
- GenresMilitary Fiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2001
11 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 14, 2020
Samurai! (1957) by Martin Caidin and Saburo Sakai is an account of Sakai’s time as a pilot in the Imperial Japanese forces. Caidin based the account on Sakai’s memoirs and there is apparently considerable difference between the the Japanese versions that come directly from Sakai’s writing and the book in English.
However, it’s still a very interesting account. Sakai had a tough upbringing, his father dying when he was 11 leaving his mother to raise 7 children. The book shows just how poor Japan really was at that time. He enlisted in the Japanese Navy at 16 and there encountered severe discipline and beatings. He managed to keep getting promotions and got into pilot’s school at 20 in 1937. He then served in China.
He was then part of the Japanese attacks on the Phillipines and then was based in Borneo where he and a group of other pilots had very good equipment with Zeros and faced weaker opposition in P40s and P39s than they would later. They learnt how to use their aircraft well and had considerable success.
As the war progressed the Allies got better and better equipped while the Japanese failed to graduate enough good pilots nor were able to upgrade the Zero or get nearly enough new better types into service.
Sakai was heavily wounded flying over Guadalcanal and lost sight in one eye. He was then transferred to Japan to recuperate. He did get better but was kept from flying due to his eye injury until things became so desperate that anyone who could fly was used.
He flew from Iwo Jima and learnt about how the F6F Hellcat was considerably superior to the Zero. There his air wing suffered heavy losses and only the relative inexperience of US pilots allowed them to avoid complete destruction.
Finally the book talks about how the Japanese faced overwhelming odds against the US and crumbled. It’s interesting to read his opinions of Kamikaze tactics. He also writes about how the B-29 was effectively beyond what the Japanese could handle.
Samurai! is a very interesting book. It’s not entirely accurate apparently but much of the material is verified. Sakai’s heroics were quite incredible. The book also documents how the war changed for the Japanese.
However, it’s still a very interesting account. Sakai had a tough upbringing, his father dying when he was 11 leaving his mother to raise 7 children. The book shows just how poor Japan really was at that time. He enlisted in the Japanese Navy at 16 and there encountered severe discipline and beatings. He managed to keep getting promotions and got into pilot’s school at 20 in 1937. He then served in China.
He was then part of the Japanese attacks on the Phillipines and then was based in Borneo where he and a group of other pilots had very good equipment with Zeros and faced weaker opposition in P40s and P39s than they would later. They learnt how to use their aircraft well and had considerable success.
As the war progressed the Allies got better and better equipped while the Japanese failed to graduate enough good pilots nor were able to upgrade the Zero or get nearly enough new better types into service.
Sakai was heavily wounded flying over Guadalcanal and lost sight in one eye. He was then transferred to Japan to recuperate. He did get better but was kept from flying due to his eye injury until things became so desperate that anyone who could fly was used.
He flew from Iwo Jima and learnt about how the F6F Hellcat was considerably superior to the Zero. There his air wing suffered heavy losses and only the relative inexperience of US pilots allowed them to avoid complete destruction.
Finally the book talks about how the Japanese faced overwhelming odds against the US and crumbled. It’s interesting to read his opinions of Kamikaze tactics. He also writes about how the B-29 was effectively beyond what the Japanese could handle.
Samurai! is a very interesting book. It’s not entirely accurate apparently but much of the material is verified. Sakai’s heroics were quite incredible. The book also documents how the war changed for the Japanese.
Displaying 1 of 1 review