Samurai!
by Martin Caiden, Saburo Sakai
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Book Summary Information
Author: Martin Caiden, Saburo SakaiEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-01-02
ISBN: 0743412834
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: I Books
Book Reviews of Samurai!
Book Review: Like a Cherry Blossom
Summary: 4 Stars
Samurai is Saburo Sakai's own story of his times as a naval aviator for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Mr. Sakai tells us about his past (yes, his ancestors were samurai's), his time spent learning to be a naval aviator, the pre-war (meaning hostilities prior to those with the US), and yes, his time fighting US pilots.
Things that I personally found very interesting in his telling:
What Japanese Naval personnel (aviators and non-aviators) went thru in basic training. Very brutal treatment. Mr. Sakai tells about Petty Officers beating trainees, ordering them to do physical things that bordered on the impossible. Aviation training was better, but only from the perspective of beating not occuring due to minor infractions. However, the standards they were held to... Obviously, the training was not run by kinder, passionette people.
Mistakes in combat. Mr. Sakai remembered his mistakes so well. The simple fact of failing to arm the guns, over shooting a target, or worse yet, failing to properly identify the target (Mr. Sakai mistook a unit of TBM/TBF Avengers for F6F Hellcats).
His respect for his opponent. Most of Mr. Sakai's combat time was spent in New Guinea flying against US units that were flying P-39's and P-40's. Both of these planes were outclassed by the A6M Zero in almost every category except diving (note, since neither the P-39 or P-40 were supercharged at this timeperiod of the war, their performance went from bad below 15,000 feet, to terrible if they went above 15,000, thereby denying them altitude to dive for an extended period). When this is merged with the fact that the Japanese pilots were combat seasoned veterans, while the Americans were green, it makes for a bad time for those flying the P-39's and P-40's. In remembering these engagements, Mr. Sakai spoke very well of how the US pilots tried to engage the Japanese pilots.
Mr. Sakai's writing style if very readable. It's direct, to the point, without great flurishes or breast beating. This does not mean that it's unemotional, but rather that when he uses emotion, it's very memorable. For rating purposes, I have to give this 4 out of 5 stars (Amazon rating system). I don't know how he could have made it better (writing style?) but I can definatly say that it's a very good read!
Summary of Samurai!
Editorial Reviews Product Description This text documents the chivalry and valour of the combat aviator, Saburo Sakai, who fought American fighter pilots and, with 64 kills, would survive World War II as Japan's greatest living ace. This book traces his experiences from fighter-pilot school to the early Japanese victories; from his 600 mile fight for life from Guadalcanal to his base in Rabaul, to the story of the now handicapped veteran's return to the air during the final months of World War II. This book has been written by Martin Caidin from Saburo Sakai's own memoirs and journalist Fred Saito's interviews with the fighter pilot. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.Japanese Books
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