M.G. Sheftall

The best part of this book is the 10 or so individual stories, mini-biographies really, in the book. The author interviewed most of these people in person and relates their stories pretty effectively.

I was afraid initially that some of this work was going to assume to much, and I think in the beginning some of his portrayals show that the author is writing into some of the characters more than he could know about their inner thoughts and attitudes of some of the people. Several people died before the author began writing so not comfortable with his deeply personal relation of their experience, motives, or thoughts.

If you are interested in getting into the heads of the people who volunteered for Air or Naval kamikaze duty the mini biographies in this book are the best way I've run across to get there.

The author points out that the surviving kamikaze volunteers veterans associations push a white washed version of the war to the younger generation of Japanese. One where they blame accounts of torture or war crimes on propganda and the lies of enimies. Many of these piolots were probably never around POWs like other members of the Japanese armed forces. But there are to many eye-witness acounts and evidence to excuse their white washing. The author notes it and does not point out this version of "correct" history is wrong though he stops short of agreeing with it.… (mehr)