Sinking the Rising Sun: Dog Fighting & Dive Bombing in World War Ii: A Navy Fighter Pilot's Story

by William E. Davis, Jonathan Winters (Foreword), Steve Gansen (Editor)

Awarded the Navy Cross, Lieutenant William Davis, III, of the United States Naval Reserve was cited for "extraordinary heroism" while serving as pilot of a carrier based fighter aircraft on 25 October 1944. "Flying through intense anti-aircraft fire," the citation read, "he made an aggressive attack on a Japanese carrier, first strafing and then delivering a well placed bomb from low altitude. After this attack the carrier was left burning and subsequently sank." The burning carrier was the Zuikaku, the last Japanese carrier afloat that had taken part in the Pearl Harbor attack.

In this gripping memoir, Davis gives us a fighter pilots view of World War II. Recreating the life-and-death drama of dog fighting and dive bombing over the Pacific, Davis recounts how his squadron shot down 155 enemy planes while losing only 2 of their own in aerial combat. No torpedo bomber or dive bomber they escorted was ever downed by an enemy aircraft. His is a story of "courage and skill . . . in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval service," as his citation noted. It is also a rare true-life account of what such heroics feel like behind a cockpit, in the face of a deadly enemy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, History, War, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2007

Reviews

[Edward Guillaume · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I loved Davis' accounts of the war and flying the F6f Hellcat, I think I could have done without a lot of the down time he spent in Hawaii. While it did give me insight about his character and training I think some of it could have been left out. Other than that I enjoyed his accounts of the Hellcat.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. Mr. Davis is quite the storyteller and doesn't shy away from topics that many men of his generation would refuse to discuss in polite company. Based on other books I have read about aerial combat in the Pacific, I do wonder about the accuracy of his combat accounts.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written, fast paced story of him flying in combat in World War II.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick and fairly enjoyable read, but there is as much here about the parties the author participated in as there is about flying, let alone combat. While there are good insights into the experiences of going to war, training, and combat, there are significant factual errors that should have been caught by editors. The author's flying and combat exploits seem very embellished, and other reviews and statements from squadron mates about the book indicate worse. In spite of all this the personal observations and development of the author as he went through his life are interesting... the book is worth reading if you skip over all the text on partying and treat his stories of his combat exploits as exaggerated.

[Jbussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Hawaii and love WW2 true action adventure. I wish I could tell you some of these tales but I don't want to be a spoiler. I recognize the places and the people. The author may have exaggerated a little but who doesn't when recounting a good tale. This would make a great movie. Heroism, love interest, humor etc,
If you are just looking for a strictly battle account, look elsewhere.
I have read must be a hundred books like this at least. This is my all time favorite. It is a very well written first hand memoir. I give it as high a mark as I can. Enjoy.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, entertaining read of William Davis' experience becoming a WWII fighter pilot, who ended up bombing the Zuikaku -- one of Japan's aircraft carriers responsible for Pearl Harbor.