The Kamikaze Hunters

by Will Iredale

In May 1945, with victory in Europe established, the war was all but over. But on the other side of the world, the Allies were still engaged in a bitter struggle to control the Pacific. And it was then that the Japanese unleashed a terrible new form of the suicide pilots, or Kamikaze.Drawing on meticulous research and unique personal access to the remaining survivors, Will Iredale follows a group of young men from the moment they signed up through their initial training to the terrifying reality of fighting against pilots who, in the cruel last summer of the war, chose death rather than risk their country's dishonorable defeat—and deliberately flew their planes into Allied aircraft carriers.

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

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

Reviews

[Scottnshana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I often tell my British coworkers that if Pax Americana is on the decline I hope that process is as graceful as their experience since 1945. While "The Kamikaze Hunters" is an attempt to tell the less-known story of the Fleet Air Arm's impressive record in battle later in the Second World War, the decline of Pax Britannica lurks in the background of this entire narrative. I often also tell my colleagues that culture is the story we tell our kids about ourselves, and Iredale takes time to explore the 1920s and the clubs in British society like the Air League Aviation Society, the Skybird League, and the Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers--initiatives deemed to be "'of national importance', helping to spread 'air sense', which could end up 'producing the potential airmen of the future'." While many of these young men went on to the RAF, a certain number also went off to the Royal Navy, which had gone through some interesting and groundbreaking experiences exploring the concept of the floating airfield. Iredale chronicles this effort and the lessons learned in designing aircraft uniquely suited for carrier operations. The history also takes the reader through the training pipeline, not only in England, but the follow-on flight schools in Canada and NAS Pensacola (full disclosure--I spent some time at the U.S. "Cradle of Naval Aviation" in a similar program and this book certainly brought back some memories), putting first-hand accounts into the pages to fill in the details. The Fleet Air Arm's war experiences at Taranto, Palembang, and against the Tirpitz are chronicled here (honestly, the lack of maps in this book is really it's big weakness, in my opinion). On the same day operations began to sink this particular German ship-of-the-line from off the Norwegian coast, FDR and Churchill were meeting in Quebec (famously to discuss D-Day, but also the U.S. Army Air Corps's support to the British Chindits in Burma--the Air Commando ops that launched USAF Special Operations) and decided Great Britain would "take her full and proper place in the war against Japan," not by liberating colonies like Hong Kong and Singapore, but by contributing what became the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) and its carriers to the similar and ongoing U.S. effort. The book describes the dread of Kamikaze attacks, first-hand accounts of ditching stricken airplanes into the sea (in this particular story, Prince Phillip met the survivors on the nearby rescue ship--it is this sort of detail that makes "Kamikaze Hunters" so enjoyable), and the heartbreaking losses of brave aircrews when everyone knew the Japanese were done but the missions to strafe airfields and harbors were launched anyway. As Maxwell Taylor Kennedy did in "Danger's Hour", the book also discusses Japan's reasoning behind tasking young men to become winged suicide bombers--Britain's ambassador to the U.S. told Churchill that "they were constantly losing 40 or 50 American sailors for one Japanese" in this effort, writes Iredale, and the reader can thus see the cold utilitarian logic behind it. Perhaps it's because I'm American, but I didn't know that Lend Lease ended a week after V-J Day, and that the BPF was forced to toss its U.S.-manufactured Corsairs, Avengers, and Hellcats overboard (my grandmother was in Kansas, tweaking B-17 engines on the assembly line, so I was particularly affected by this passage); I actually scrawled "Hello! Korea is coming!" in the margins after I read it, but Iredale astutely makes a similar comment further down the page. He calls it "the Forgotten Fleet" in the introduction and writes of his desire that the modern audience hear about what these naval aviators accomplished in the last half of WWII. If, as I said, culture is the stories we tell our kids about ourselves, I think this particular history is a noteworthy cultural achievement and is most welcome even in 2015.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is hell especially more so for the desperate.

[Eric Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

An example of my favorite kind military history: a book about schools, instruction; washouts, wastage, training accidents; laborious logistics, sleepless mechanics, the fuel greed of far-flung fleets; fatigue, friction, the crescendo of small stresses, psychological attrition, “twitchiness.” The years it took to train a combat pilot, and all the millions and misery it took to put up a dozen planes for three seconds of strafing. The tip of the spear is sharp but brittle.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that the title of this book is misleading. It is, in fact, a book about the British Flight Air Arm in WWII - which is lucky, because that’s what I was interested in when I purchased it. My father was a Leading Torpedo Man in the Royal Navy serving on HMS Formidable in 1944-45. He talked very little about his War experience and I was hoping to learn more. I was not disappointed.

The introductory chapter whetted my appetite, but I found the chapter introducing the personal stories of those he interviewed a little slow and detailed. I concede the importance of seeing the through the eyes of individuals as well as through the sweep of government policy and logistics. The personal stories added significantly to the narrative as it unfolded - and to my understanding of what it was like on an aircraft carrier.

I suspect that few of us whose fathers served in this campaign grew up with much of what it was like on board the ships, or of the purpose and tactics involved. I suspect my father was in the majority in refusing to talk about it and focusing on the years ahead, rather than those behind him. I knew the Formidable sustained damage from a kamikazi attack, put into Sydney for repair, went back to Japan, was there when the atomic bombs were dropped, came back to Sydney and went to Manilla to pick up POWs. I had no idea of the actions it was involved in before and after the kamikaze attack, damage sustained from an aircraft accident, nor that similar damage was sustained across the fleet and that it was the whole fleet in Sydney for repair in June 1945 when my father, on leave, met my mother. I had not understood the strategic importance of the British Navy engagement in the Pacific with the US Navy.

I was riveted. There is so much to admire in the dogged determination of the men, the persistence, adaptability, resilience. There is dismay at the errors, the short-sightedness, failure to anticipate and wastage. As the book progresses Iredale manages to conjure a sense of the ships, the battles and the men within a context of the tensions, purposes and eventual formal cessation of hostilities.

It is a sober story, without moralising or blame, but also without propaganda. While it focuses on naval airmen, it has given me some sense of what the experience of a seaman might have been on a British aircraft carrier - and a context in which to place my father’s experience of the War. It has really improved my understanding.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty unusual to have a new book that covers an aspect of World War II that has not literally been done to death, but Will Iredale has succeeded and done a fine job of it with The Kamikaze Hunters: Fighting for the Pacific 1945. The book is far more ambitious than the title implies; while covering the brief campaign of the British Pacific Fleet against Japan in the closing months of the war, Iredale takes a long and welcome look at what got them there, in particular the training of the Fleet Air Arm's pilots, much of which took place in Canada and the US and, for someone like me who has done a great deal of reading about Bomber Command, was very different from the RAF's training.

Not only does Iredale introduce us to the airmen, he gives us the airplanes they flew. It's not well known on this side of the pond, but it was the Fleet Air Arm that took the Corsair to sea and figured out how to operate it from carriers. The FAA also operated the Hellcat and the Avenger, but pride of place here goes to the bent wing bird. Compared to the Seafire, the Corsair was a bit of a blunt instrument, but it was rugged, flew and fought beautifully, and delivered a powerful punch. The Avenger too was a vast improvement for the British over the torpedo bombers they had started the war with.

The decision to send a fleet to fight alongside the US Navy in the Pacific seemed a dubious one at the time, and it looks dubious now. For all their courage, the British airmen were not entirely ready to fight the Japanese, and their smaller (yet very rugged) carriers delivered comparatively small strikes that were riskier to fly. In hindsight, it would have been a lot smarter to distribute the British carriers into American task forces. The British felt that having their own fleet would impress the Americans and improve their treatment of the UK after the war - which it did not.

Iredale had the great good fortune to find several airmen still alive and well, and also did a fine job pulling up original sources such as diaries and caches of letters, as well as spending the requisite time in the archives. The book is well organized and written and a pleasure to read apart from Iredale's grating use of the term "flyboys." I know this is now considered vital since an American author wrote a successful book using "flyboys" as the title, but in fact the term was not used by anyone other than newspaper reporters during World War II. I am certain none of the airmen Iredale interviewed referred to themselves as "flyboys."

I'm looking forward to whatever he writes next; he made a great choice of topic here. Recommended.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked reading this book. It's the story of the Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Navy's carrier task force sent to fight alongside Task Force 58, America's mighty Carrier Force that ripped the Central Pacific from Japans' grasp in WWII. Along the way its really a complete look at the force, covering it's European exploits after the decision to build a real Multi-Carrier fleet was accelerated in 1942. We get the build up, the training, the equipment, much of it American Lend Lease Corsairs and Avengers, and eventually the strikes themselves For such a massive effort (6 carriers (6!) and a FULL escort fleet, this campaign is almost totally ignored and its great to have good book explain it all.

The British carriers were smaller, slower and carried fewer aircraft, but they HAD ARMOURED FLIGHT DECKS. American Carriers did not. So shortly after the Fleet was blooded in operations against Pelambang Oil Refineries , Admirals Nimitz and Halsey asked the British to Operate against Formosa/Taiwan, holding off the Kamikazes from the left flank of the assault on Okinawa. This the Royal Navy did with relish. It makes for great reading.

A lot of the British and Commonwealth pilots were trained in the US, and a lot of the gear they flew American. Stories of that are fascinating. Also fascinating is the toll taken on the men, equipment and nerves of the fleet. This fleet got several hits by Kamikaze strikes- and fought through it with elan. The scale of Pacific Operations were immense, and seeing a European navy struggle with the logistics of supporting such a huge effort is also enlightening. It's all great- and few other places to find it.

Some of the themes are quite adult, but I think this would be a good book for a youthful reader. As for the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, this book is a total boon! Games/Scenarios/Diorama are sure to be improved and generated. Every page reveals some cool stuff I'd never read before, and I must be well over 500 WWII books consumed. A strong recommendation.

[Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all the book has some good bits of information pertaining to less known events of the Pacific theater. However, I was disappointed with the how the book played out compared to its title. If you're looking for a book covering Kamikaze tactics and how the allies combated this, be aware that this book is more about the British Royal Navy/FAA from its inception to the OPs that were carried out in the Pacific theater. With that said, I am glad I read Kamikaze Hunters as it opened my eyes to the sacrifices made/burden shared by the British in Pacific...and that's the entire point of a book.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a detailed history of the British Pacific Fleet (BPF), the large formation of Royal Navy ships which operated against Japan in the closing months of WWII alongside the US Navy. The author rightfully points out that few histories provide a detailed overview of the BPF’s operations in the Pacific, let alone the story of how those ships, aircraft, and personnel were brought into service and readied for combat; this book successfully fills those gaps. Given the different nature of warfare in the Pacific as opposed to European waters, and the very different objectives the RN had when originally developing its Naval Aviation operations, a good chunk of this tale revolves around an experienced and previously successful military force needing to adapt itself to a new operating environment. The title is a bit misleading, in that only a small portion of the book deals with Kamikazes and the BPF’s fight against them. But these operations proved the most daunting for the BPF and were certainly the focus of much effort. The Kamikaze threat was exacerbated by the BPF being woefully unprepared, both in terms of equipment and doctrine, to cope with this potent new method of warfare. All in all this book is useful in comparing the adaptations of the BPF and the USN Fleets; providing a useful lesson on how differing approaches can be made to meet the same Naval objective. A great book for those wanting to know more about the Royal Navy’s efforts at the end of WWII and its operations outside of the Atlantic.

[Cropredy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the title is a bit of an attention-getting misnomer. The book is really about the formation and actions of the British Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers and FAA crew. It is told partly through the eyes of survivors or participant diaries. Kamikaze suppression takes up maybe 10% of the book and not until the last third.

What was interesting to me?

1. The stories of training the men to be pilots in 1942-4. The diary and interview sources made for some amusing stories.

2. The details of the Palembang air raids in January 1945. At that point, the FAA's largest operation by far yet mostly unknown compared to the more famous Taranto, Bismarck, and Channel Dash actions.

3. The details of the airfield suppression actions southwest of Okinawa and the kamikaze attacks on the Formidable.

You get (once again in well-told war histories) how WW II was a war of attrition. One side wore the other down but at a high cost. It was no different for the BPF who had to repeatedly bomb and strafe the same airfields every day, taking losses on each mission. Participant survival rates were poor and the ranks were filled by a stream of replacements.

How could the book have been better? The author admits that the BPF's tactics, weapons, and operations weren't up to what the US Navy could do. But the author doesn't really analyze why this was so and what, if anything, the FAA did about it. One yearned to know if the seemingly intelligent leaders evolved the FAA into a more effective force or whether it was 'once more into the breach'

Read the book to learn more about this aspect of World War II if you've not been previously exposed. Iredale writes well and the book is never dry given its heavy reliance on first person accounts.

[Sindre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good so far. As other have said, the title is a bit misleading, but I knew this beforehand, so I am in no way disappointed. Hugely interesting and personal

[Brie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads

I gifted this book to my dad for Christmas. He is really into WW2 history.

[Charles H Berlemann Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book and provided insight into how the Royal Navy filled its Fleet Air Arm for the second half of the war (1943 to 1945). From volunteers primarily from the commonwealth nations such as Australian, Canada, New Zealand, in addition to the ones from the UK itself. They trained in UK and later in Canada and the US to become Naval Aviators. Some of the stories shared about their time in flight schools in the US were interesting if only because we have men who were just leaving primary school during the Battle of Britain and used to austerity. Now living in a land where the lights were on round the clock and there was food aplenty. After the training session these men then form up in squadrons flying US lend-lease aircraft and learn to land, fight and fly their new birds like the Hellcat, Corsair, or Avenger for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm using USN tactics. The first mission is against the Triptiz which was a moderate success, but gave these men the first taste of combat. The author spends a chapter talking about the development, pushing of and the ultimate assignment of the British Pacific Fleet to support USN operations. Complete with all the politics that came with it. Whereas, we had Ike to help paper over and bridge the gaps in relationships; the Royal Navy used Admirals Bruce Fraser and Bernard Rawlings to help bridge the gap. Ultimately Nimitz, Halsey and Spruance were very appreciating of the help that the Royal Navy provided. After getting the fleet formed up in what is now Sri Lanka. These new men and ships flew the first mission against the Japanese over Palembang Indonesia. Where the author states that in the two days of raids the FAA suffered losses that would have made even the UK Bomber Command wince with pain. Something like 75% of the FAA aircraft were damaged and over 80% of the FAA crews who flew the bombers were either severely injured or killed by the Japanese defense, in contrast RAF Bomber Command had on an average a dead crew by the 4th mission which was the loss of about 12-15 men at the height of the war. Ultimately the book closes out on the RN and FAA's participation in the infamous "The Fleet that Came to Stay" portion of the battle for Okinawa and then later when tasked with Halsey's fleet in prep for the expected Operation Olympic they are dealing with now war weary crews who had spent over a year in constant combat and men not wanting to be the last dead man in what appears to be a war winding down.
The insight provided about their feelings and dealing with the PTSD of the constant combat for the last 8 months of the war with no let up is interesting. As well as the heartache they dealt with while flying in the tropics on ships designed for the cold of the North Atlantic.
I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in the Royal Navy and its Fleet Air Arm operations during the Second World War and just to open up doors about how much the US did to support the UK in Europe was feed back during the end in the Pacific.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In London on May 8th 1945 Nazi Germany capitulated to the allied powers and the celebration on Mainland England was enormous, however some found very little to celebrate...their boys were still fighting in the Pacific. The Fleet Air Arm was a branch of the British Pacific Fleet that served next to U.S. Forces trying force the Japanese into surrender. Though at this time the Imperial Japanese Empire was collapsing on itself, in its death throws it would introduce a weapon the world had never seen before. The Kamikaze. Japanese pilots bent on destroying the allied offensive by crashing themselves into aircraft carriers and other warships in hopes of forcing the U.S. agree to a peace settlement. The Fleet Air Arm (FFA)’s job was to fight off these suicide bombings, keep the fleet safe, and force the Japanese into submission. However Imperial Japan wasn’t ready to die just yet and it had a couple surprises in wait for the allies.
A fantastic read it really was able to capture the image of a ship under Kamikaze attack in the mind! I really enjoyed how the story was taken directly out of the journals and language of real people who fought in the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). I feel like historical fiction is a mockery of stories like this, No one could imagine this story out of nowhere and it really shows. I also really enjoyed how the story shows both sides of the war not just the BPF’s side with real accounts from Japanese fighter pilots and explanations for the Japanese actions. I unfortunately disliked how the book was a little Bias with the BPF shown as the good guys and the Imperial Japanese as the dyed in the wool bad guys. This doesn’t seem fair to me as most Japanese citizens viewed their emperor as a deity and though their religion was a little extreme, I think it would have been more fair if it gave an account of why the Japanese hated surrender so much. Overall I really liked this book and would advise it to most mature audiences. I gave this book 4 Stars.

[HD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you a story. It's a bit long so bear with me.

When I was a kid my mom used to work as a tourist guide for foreigners back in the 90s in the city named Palembang. She told me she once met a Japanese tourist carrying a map in his hand, a medium-sized one. It was his father's map who once fought in Palembang, his father pass the map it to him for unknown reason. The map had tunnels connecting every vital points (The tunnels was approximately 10 kilometers long), every escape-route and even every training camp for Japanese soldiers.

Sadly, he didn't get to see the tunnels where his dad had fought several decades earlier. The tunnel was nowhere to be found despite the fact him having the impeccable map. Worse, the local official only recognize (and know) less than 100 meter of this tunnel located in KM5.

"A map with uncanny accuracy" Her words a moment after she peered into the map.

At that time, I didn't believe it. For all I was taught, the war against japanese occupation in Indonesia was mainly fought in Java. If there's one region they would bother to create several kilometers-long tunnel, it would somewhere in Java. That's what I thought.

When I read this book I learned it was all wrong. If there's one region Japanese deeply care about in Indonesia, it was Sumatra for its oil supplies and other war-related natural resources.

And there's a good chance the tunnels in Palembang might be true. At that time they can't afford to lose Palembang and its 90,000 barrels of oil a day, enough to supply 75 percent of the aviation fuel required by the Japanese for their war in southeast Asia at that time.

It taught me the war fought in my hometown palembang in great details. It shows how the largest FAA operation in the whole WW2 back then when they were trying to capture Palembang. It was such a pleasant thing to read. I learned a lot.

[Peter Timson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by a work colleague and that must has been not so long after the edition was published in paperback. It's thus been in the backlog for nearly four years. The lockdown has given me an opportunity to read it.

I wouldn't have picked it up normally. It's title and cover (at quick glance) suggest another gungho account of the US Pacific war. In fact it's completely the opposite.

It's well written and tells of British participation in the closing stages of the war. It's sobering as well as interesting. When we have a government today that was going to celebrate VE day, not really for the fact that the war in Europe finished 75 years ago but because it suited them fine to cock a snook at the EU, it is good to remember that WW2 was not over officially until VJ day. Many servicemen on all sides were still to die, and die horribly, in those few months. A death at any time is tragic but so near to the end seems, to me at least, doubly so.

The book does share some interesting tales and the training stories square with letters I still have that were to my dad from a friend of his at the time... an RAF pilot or crew member who did not survive.

If you're interested in history at all I recommend it. One can also see that the UK was truly so damaged by the war and it's probably something we've still not really faced up to. But that's my opinion and nothing to do with this excellent, poorly titled book.

[Steven Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finishing "The Kamikaze Hunters" by Will Iredale and have, like most of the books I am reading of late, been awakened to the true sacrifices by the men of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and the corresponding heroic actions by a great Ally of America's since our not so friendly falling out a couple hundred years ago.
Nice to know they don't hold grudges......
Extremely good book and puts you in the cockpits of the "Corsair" and all the other planes that flew in that horrific struggle and biggest battle of Good vs. Evil in the history of mankind.
It takes you along with the flyers to various periods before and after the start of WWI and WWII.
The Pacific Theatre was the most deadly of all campaigns and was actually a war in itself.
This book gives us Americans another thing to thank our Neighbor "Across the Pond" !!!
Thanks for a great book Mr Iredale !!!!!
Five stars yet again.
I know I give most of my reviews five stars, but most of the books I read are just plain that good.....

[lexo philia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the tales of some brave British flyboys, from their earliest dreams of flying, to training in the US or Canada, heading for the Pacific on an aircraft carrier, and then their various terrifyingly riveting experiences fighting the horror of Japanese kamikaze attacks. It could've done with somewhat better organization in places (which I'll blame on the editor more than the writer), and the lack of even a single map is extremely disappointing. My own illiteracy of British slang & terminology frustrated on occasion. Even still, I found The Kamikaze Hunters very enjoyable, and myself once again in awe of the courage and selflessness displayed by so many WWII fighters- this time in an arena that tends to get much less than its due credit today. Absolutely worth the read.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the sparse cover blurb I thought this was going to be a targeted history of the American Navy dealing with Kamikaze attacks in a concise history.
Instead, this is an excellent broad history of the role the British Pacific Fleet and the Fleet Air Arm played in the Pacific war.
Detailing the training of British naval pilots in Canada and the US, the experiences of British pilots at home and abroad, the wider issues which affected US/British/Allied relations as the war developed and specific actions of British flyers (such as at Palembang in Indonesia), this is a detailed and valuable history of a much overlooked part the British played in the Pacific War.

[Frank L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and honest British perspective of the Pacific campaign of World War II. After the fall of Nazi Germany, Britain felt it had to contribute to the war effort against Japan even though the U.S. Navy had things well in hand. Despite some American senior officers not wanting British help, a potent fleet was assembled and rendered valuable service until Japans surrender. Great insight from the individual sailors and airmen on their combat missions, their American counterparts and the Japanese in particular. The horrors of war and Kamikaze attacks portrayed were palpable and chilling.

[Nancy Welbourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandmother, Nancy, is in this book. Here is a brief excerpt from an March 2015 email where she told me, her granddaughter, Katelyn, about it:

Ecitement! A friend of my English friend Keith, has written a book called: THE KAMIKAZE HUNTERS--Fighting for the Pacific 1945, and while it's mostly a story of what Keith and his buddies did during the war, there is a story about how Keith and I met and fell in love, and I have talked to the author, Will Ireland,several times on the phone.

[Steve822 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written book about a part of WW2 I was unfamiliar with, perhaps because the British actions towards Japan in the last months of the War are rarely written about. What struck home was the length of time spent training the aircrew, the accident attrition rate and the hard conditions on board the fleet vessels. The author is to be credited for reminding us of the sacrifices made by this previous generation.

[Mur McEwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The British contribution to the war in the Pacific, USA vs Japan, during the final months of World War 2 is probably a bit of a niche subject; and that contribution fairly nominal in the grand scheme of things. But this account is very readable with the author having drawn on information from survivors, war diaries and official records. Diplomatically and politically it was probably expedient to include the British forces. It is good that some light has been shed on the subject.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot seems to be written about the British Pacific Fleet, also known as the forgotten fleet. This book follows a number of the Fleet Air Arm pilots from recruitment, to training, and deployment. It starts in Norway then moves to Ceylon and the Pacific. Most of the Pacific war coverage is American centered, but this book show that the Brits did their part too. Very interesting and very well written. Highly recommend reading it.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. You can tell the author took great pride in writing and telling the story of these men. As I read into the book I became involved in their story too. At the end I laid the book down feeling happy and sad in equal quantities. Those with an interest in the subject will enjoy very much.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A side of the war that is rarely covered from a UK perspective, the British navy pilots and aircraft carriers involved in the battle against the Japanese. They were relegated to the inside pages of the British newspapers after the surrender of Germany. Well researched and an excellent addition to books covering this period in our history.

Ray Smillie

[Julian Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vividly bringing to life a part of the war which is less well known, the author explores the lives of a few individuals who helped to change the course of history through their heroism and bravery.

Instantly engaging, this is supremely well written and a real pager-turner.

Simply excellent - a perfect read.

[Mahay · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a history lesson this is the book for you. Not a great adventure story because there are too many hard researched facts stuck in there. But a good read if you really want to learn about the war in the pacific.

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh it’s British! I didn’t even know the British fought in the pacific during wwii- I guess that’s the point of this book. It’s not bad at all and I learned a lot but it was a bit dry and monotonous. I’d recommend reading it though. 3.8 stars

[Ian Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced, with much input from aged surviving aircrew. Excellent index.

[Michael Doe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real insight, the life of a fighter pilot really wasn’t so glamorous.
Your average 20 year old today couldn’t begin to comprehend what these boys went through.