Kamikaze: History's Greatest Naval Disaster

by James P. Delgado

After finally achieving what had eluded even his grandfather Genghis Khan - the conquest of China - and inheriting the world's largest navy, Khubilai Khan set his sights on Japan. He commanded an immense armada, the largest fleet the world had ever seen and his success seemed assured. The Japanese were vastly outnumbered and facing certain death, but they prayed to their gods for survival and the very next day Khan's entire armada were destroyed by a 'divine wind', the kamikaze. The legend of the kamikaze has endured for centuries, and was revived as a Japanese national legend during the Second World War, culminating in the suicide bombers they sent to attack the Allies but the truth has remained a mystery. Only now, after decades of painstaking research and underwater excavation can leading marine archaeologist James Delgado reveal the truth of what really happened to Khubilia Khan's fleet.

Genres: History, Japanese History

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Alejo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up at Waterstones a couple of months ago when they had a half price sale on second hand books and proves again what a treasure trove they are. It was well planned out history of the Mongol Khubilai Khan's attempt to invade and subjugate Japan and how the legend that grew up around the repelling of that invasion influenced the creation of the kamikaze pilots in the Second World War. I'm sure the history of the Mongol empire is yet another thing i want to go off and explore further, but the writer keeps the facts relevant to point of the book and shows how the progressive eras of the Empire developed to its defeats.

Focusing at the end on underwater and naval archaeology brought the story into the present and gave strong theories and evidence on the cause of the defeat. It would be impossible to go into immense depth in a book this length, but keeping it a little more general ensures the pace isn't lost and the understanding and interest in the events doesn't wane.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great stuff, but if you are expecting an in depth look at the archeological site, its not that... its more of a straight history, but a very fascinating one. I especially liked the details on Kubilai Khan's invasions of Vietnam, which I'd not heard of before.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a pretty big Medieval Japanese history buff and I found this book tedious. It's really more suited to those with an interest in archaeology, specifically the underwater variety.