Zero

by Masatake Okumiya

“This is the thrilling saga of war in the air in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II told from the Japanese point of view. It is the story of the men who created, led, and fought in the deadly Zero fighter plane. In their own words, Jiro Horikoshi (who designed the Zero), Masatake Okumiya (leader of many Zero squadrons), and Saburo Sakai (Japan's leading surviving fighter ace) as well as many other men, tell the inside story of developing the Zero and Japan's air force. They tell what it felt like to bomb American ships and to shoot down American airplanes — and then of their shock when the myth of invincibility was shattered by the new Lightning, Hellcat, and Corsair fighters. They tell of the fight against the growing strength of a remorseless American enemy; and how, in desperation the Japanese High Command ordered the creation of deadly suicide squadrons, the Kamikaze. And finally they reveal their reaction to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”-Print ed.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Japan, Military History, Aviation, Autobiography

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well done look at this historical plane. Good research on both American and Japanese sources. Recommended

[Ralph Quirequire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winston Churchill once said: “History is written by the victors.” But sometimes, the vanquished have a far more interesting story to tell. That’s what dive bomber pilot Masatake Okumiya and Zero designer Jiro Horikoshi did in this book.

This book peers into the heart and soul of the awesome Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, and gives a fascinating narrative of the skilled and courageous pilots who flew it into combat, as well as offers up a gripping account of the operations and missions the Zero participated in.

Most importantly though, the authors provide an authoritative look at the Pacific theater of WW2 through the windshields of Japanese pilots and the battle maps of Japanese war planners . As (somewhat of) a WW2 buff and as someone keenly interested in Pacific naval and air battles, I’ve already consumed a fair amount of material on the Pacific War, but most of it are based on the Allies’ point of view.

This book sheds some light on a lot of things I wanted to know about how the Japanese fought the Pacific War—from their pre-Pearl Harbor diplomatic maneuvers, to the post-Nagasaki scramble to end hostilities—at both the tactical and strategic levels.

The authors share valuable details on a number of key items, such as the daily lives of air crews and maintenance personnel aboard the IJN’s mighty carriers and land bases, operational statistics and results, and the Japanese leadership and their decisions.

I particularly like how the book gives a fair assessment of Japan’s air fleet vis-à-vis the Allies’ air capabilities (and how their initial advantage in terms of pilot skill and superior airplanes irreversibly deteriorated as the war dragged on). The authors also helpfully pointed out discrepancies in the Japanese and Allied tallies of combat results (and adjusted any overstatement or understatement on the Japanese side).

Overall, this is an enjoyable read and a must-on the bookshelves of any enthusiast of the Pacific War.

[Mark White · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed review from me. It's NOT the history of the Zero fighter although it features heavily. After all, it was by a large margin the best and most numerous fighter Japan could field. However the book is, as described on the cover, mainly the history of Japan's WW2 naval aviation and the Zero is only a part of this.

The first half of the book is pretty dry and it drags down the rating. It details Japan's huge early gains in the war in the Pacific as they ran rampant and largely unopposed. There's a lot of tallies of ships and planes, wins and losses, and not a lot of human interest.

The second half of the book is much better. Japan's long retreat is covered on a far more personal level with many details of the conditions the pilots and crews fought under. What becomes very apparent is that the Japanese high command was almost totally divorced from reality, believed their own propaganda of invincibility and cared little for their own people. The stories of pilots and ground crews with inadequate food, appalling accommodation and little attention to health and sanitation, in addition to shortages of fuel, ammunition and spares, makes you realise that Japan's defeat was inevitable. The only question is why they fought so determinedly, massively increasing both their own and allied casualties without affecting the outcome. A depressing number of them it seems were genuinely determined to die for the emperor.

It's also interesting to get a Japanese perspective on the atomic bombs and this book contains a horrifying first person account. It's a much debated topic but this account tends to support the theory that these attacks gave the Japanese government an excuse to surrender. Without them they might have continued to expect their population to sacrifice themselves for the glory of the emperor. Draw your own conclusions, but this book should be included in the information you consider.

[Tom Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe Okumiya and Horikoshi's work is the inspiration for the preface of The Old Man and the Harley: A Last Ride Through Our Fathers' America, as John J. Newkirk tells of listening to an older Japanese WWII Ace pilot of the Zero.
Zero is the firsthand account of two WWII Japanese pilots active in the Pacific Campaign. The telling is unvarnished; equally critical of decisions made by both sides, often *more* critical of the Japanese Air Force and Army than of the Allied Forces.
Some parts were emotionally tough for me to get through; scenes graphically described took place in locations in which my Father was an active ParaMarine. See: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/...
During Dad's time in the Marines, he did more island hopping than "John Wayne" did in a string of WWII movies. The compassion and respect shown for the "enemy" by Okumiya and Horikoshi mirrors that of my Father. When I was a teen, Dad relayed an incident that happened on Iwo. It was a rareity for him to voice anything about his War Years, especially the retelling of one on one encounters with the Japanese, as he was so poignantly telling me of that day. In my macho teen psyche - trying to impress Dad - I made a derogatory remark about the Japanese. My Father severely chastised me, making a life-long impression on me about the realities of War. I remember his words as if they were spoken yesterday:
"Tom, how DARE you! SHAME on you! Those men had wives, children & families at home, just like us. They didn't want to be there any more than we did; none of us wanted to be there, we were all just doing what had to be done. That man and I could have as easily traded places. Please remember that. They deserve as much respect as American Troops." I have remembered that very well, and share it with Folks who care, especially with family and younger Generations.
If you get the chance, read/watch the film Letters From Iwo Jima, which inspired Clint Eastwood's Film of the same name.
Zero is especially recommended to anyone with an interest in WWII History.

[Charles m smith jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

They side.

Very powerful. Reading this give the person a look from the other side. Helps more in the understanding of the Japanese way of thinking. I did learn more than I knew before.

[Jeff Slipper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great as a companion piece to Martin Caidens Samurai!

[Chris Tschirhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good outline of the development and use of the Zero fighter by the Japanese.

[Sicofonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zero, the story of Japan's Air War in the Pacific is an interesting analysis of Japan's air war efforts during the Japanese invasion of China (euphemistically called the Sino-Japanese incident in the book) and the later Pacific War.
The book starts by explaining the Imperial Navy's air arm development during the 1920s, then it moves to the missions flown in China. Of special interest it's the introduction of the Zero fighter to the Chinese air operations and how it boosted the Navy's air-force with its superior performance.
The variety of war theatres this work covers is astonishing, arguably every significant battle of the Pacific War is described here in every possible detail. Initial plans of action, balance of power, data sheets, battle development and the final outcome... everything is analysed by Okumiya. Okumiya himself held several positions as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy staff, and as such, his view of the air operations conducted by Japan are limited to those of the Navy. It would be fair to say that the most relevant missions on the Pacific theatre were carried out by the Navy's air-force, not the Army, but that is definitely a point that prevent this book from giving us the full picture of the Japanese air war on the Pacific.
Also, Jiro Horikoshi contribution to this book is limited to two chapters. One of them dedicated to the many problems the Japanese engineering firms has to face when developing new and existing aircraft, and the second one is an excerpt of a grim diary he kept during the final months of the war. It's a pity that for a book which is entitled after one of the most iconic fighters of WW2, there's not a single word dedicated to its inception.
All in all, this is a great read. It gives us an unusual insight of the Pacific War from the Japanese side, in a honest, detailed and sensible way. For me, the biggest down side is the fact that there's virtually no content about how the Zero fighter came to be.
I also believe this book could be useful for scholars alike, as some of the data sheets are said to come from original classified that Okumiya kept to himself after the war. Don't forget, as I mentioned before, that Okumiya was a member of the Navy's staff so he had privileged access to this information.

[Donald L. Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent history of the Pacific War with Japan from the Japanese perspective. A great tribute to the Zero fighter and the brave and skilled pilots that flew them in combat. I recommend it to all pilots regardless of experience or background.


I was a Marine jet fighter pilot and could relate to the combat maneuvers described in the book even though some tactics changed with the power and speed of the jet fighter aircraft. Excellent personal stories about Japanese combat pilots!

[William Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling, detailed look at the Japanese military incursion into the Pacific during World War II – especially as it relates to the use of airpower. A fascinating read for many reasons, among which is the impact of one of the war’s best fighter aircraft, the Mitsubishi Zero, on the outcome of various battles. Revealing also because the reader gets an insight into the thinking of high level Japanese officers responsible for the conduct of the war.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pilot's perspective on flying and fighting in Japan's Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighter, from the early days of heady victory when the Zero outclassed all of its opponents, to the final days of desperate struggle and defeat when the Zero was forced to contend against overwhelming numbers of superior allied fighters flown by better-trained pilots.

[Bernardo Arcos Álvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is vivid, human and very descriptive. The chapter about the atomic attacks torn muy heart appart. The deeds of arms of the gallant japanese pilots are simply amazing. This is truly a great book, I really don't know why it isn't famous at all, everyone who has the slightest interest on modern History will be amazed by reading this.

[William B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Explanation of Tragedy

This book partially explains the the p results of WWII in Japan. It is not apologetic. The intellectual stagnation portrayed of its leadership is surprising.

[Peter Rooijmans]

First published in 1956 this book describes elements of the Pacific War from the Japanese perspective.

[Howard Congleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most complete rendering of the Pacific war that I have ever read

I was would recommend Zero to any serious student of the Second World War. A real treat for aviation bluffs.