Kamikaze: Japan's Suicide Gods

by Albert Axell, Hideaki Kase

The use of the Japanese Kamikaze pilots during the second world war was one of the most dramatic and chilling developments of the war. But who were the Kamikaze pilots and what motivated them to make the ultimate sacrifice? The call for Kamikaze pilots drew a staggering response. Three times as many applied for suicide flights as the number of planes available. The authors of Kamikaze: Japan¿s Suicide Gods look into the hearts and minds of the Kamikaze pilots, viewed in the full context of the war and the Japanese cultures and traditions out of which the Kamikaze emerged. Based on interviews with Kamikaze survivors, unpublished memoirs, and documents not previously open to the public, the book portrays one of the most extraordinary and astonishing events in history, an event that has made Kamikaze a household word around the world.

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

296 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2002

Reviews

[Juan Hidalgo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro que revela la verdadera mentalidad existente tras las acciones kamikazes en la IIGM. Para aquellos pilotos, sacrificarse por su país y por el emperador era un acto de honor y sacrificio supremos, al que no todos acudieron voluntariamente. La información meticulosa y los testimonios de algunos supervivientes lo hace sumamente interesante.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Axell has produced a number of compelling character portraits of the men behind the Kamikaze program, as well as the pilots. Having said this, 'Japan's Suicide Gods' is not a good starting place for learning about Japan's divine wind program.

[Carlos Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diarios, cartas y entrevistas a familiares y sobrevivientes del ejército japonés para ver qué se les pasaba por la cabeza a todos esos jóvenes Kamikaze que dieron su vida por su país. Escrito por dos especialistas de la historia nipona.
Muy ameno y diferente a lo mucho que hay escrito sobre la segunda guerra mundial.

[Juan José · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buen libro, pero al estar escrito por un americano, le sobra las alusiones al 11-S y comparar a los terroristas islámicos con los kamikazes, que eran militares que seguían órdenes y atacaban objetivos militares.

[Geir Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly intresting to read about the preparation these young men went through before committing a kamikaze strike.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valaisee hyvin kamikazeja ja ylipäätänsä Japanin toisen maailmansodan historiaa, koskettavimpina itsemurhalentäjien viimeiset kirjeet läheisilleen ja heidän kirjoittamansa runot. Kirjailijat tuntuivat kuitenkin tehneen yleisen sotahistorian suhteen kirjan loppupuolella omituisen lapsuksen tai sitten heillä oli erikoinen aukko tiedoissaan, jonka kirjan edellinen lukijakin oli erikseen pistänyt merkille.

[Luis Belisario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, the last part is the best of the book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sydäntäsärkevä, mutta silmiä avaava ja vaikuttava luettava