Read Anywhere and on Any Device!

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Join today and start reading your favorite books for Free!

Create Free Account

Kamikaze - To Die for the Emperor

0/5 ( ratings)

In this brand new publication from eminent historian Peter C. Smith, we are regaled with the engaging and often incredibly disturbing history of the Kamikaze tradition in Japanese culture. Tracing its history right back to the original Divine Wind that saved Japan from invaders in ancient history, Smith explores the subsequent resurrection of the cult of the warrior in the late nineteenth century. He then follows this tradition through into the Second World War, describing the many Kamikaze suicide attacks carried out by the Emperor's pilots against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign.

These pilots were at the mercy of an overriding cultural tradition that demanded death over defeat, capture or perceived shame. Despite often being under-trained and ill-prepared psychologically for the sacrifices they were about to make, they were nonetheless expected to make them. The dedication of sacrifice for the Emperor and the Nation is explored by dissecting the traces left behind by these pilots. Smith provides a detailed look at the heartbreak of the pilot's families and the men themselves, the notes they left and the effects on those who did not share their philosophy. The views of individuals under attack are also included in this balanced history.

Countless attacks carried out over the Philippine Islands are analyzed and the Okinawa campaign is afforded particularly strong coverage, with the sinking of HMAS Australia explored in detail. The collective sacrifice is then summed up, with reflections from survivors on both sides appraising events in a humane historical context. A detailed appendices then follows, featuring units formed, sorties mounted, ships sunk and damages inflicted.

Language: English

Pages: 224

Format: Hardcover

Release: February 19, 2015

ISBN 13: 9781781593134

Kamikaze - To Die for the Emperor

0/5 ( ratings)

In this brand new publication from eminent historian Peter C. Smith, we are regaled with the engaging and often incredibly disturbing history of the Kamikaze tradition in Japanese culture. Tracing its history right back to the original Divine Wind that saved Japan from invaders in ancient history, Smith explores the subsequent resurrection of the cult of the warrior in the late nineteenth century. He then follows this tradition through into the Second World War, describing the many Kamikaze suicide attacks carried out by the Emperor's pilots against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign.

These pilots were at the mercy of an overriding cultural tradition that demanded death over defeat, capture or perceived shame. Despite often being under-trained and ill-prepared psychologically for the sacrifices they were about to make, they were nonetheless expected to make them. The dedication of sacrifice for the Emperor and the Nation is explored by dissecting the traces left behind by these pilots. Smith provides a detailed look at the heartbreak of the pilot's families and the men themselves, the notes they left and the effects on those who did not share their philosophy. The views of individuals under attack are also included in this balanced history.

Countless attacks carried out over the Philippine Islands are analyzed and the Okinawa campaign is afforded particularly strong coverage, with the sinking of HMAS Australia explored in detail. The collective sacrifice is then summed up, with reflections from survivors on both sides appraising events in a humane historical context. A detailed appendices then follows, featuring units formed, sorties mounted, ships sunk and damages inflicted.

Language: English

Pages: 224

Format: Hardcover

Release: February 19, 2015

ISBN 13: 9781781593134

More books from Peter C. Smith

Skua!: The Royal Navy's Dive-Bomber

3.3/5 ( ratings)

History of Dive Bombing: A Comprehensive History from 1911 Onward

4.1/5 ( ratings)

The Battle-Cruiser HMS Renown, 1916-48

Midway: Dauntless Victory: Fresh Perspectives on America's Seminal Naval Victory of World War II

3.6/5 ( ratings)

The Battle of Midway: The Battle That Turned the Tide of the Pacific War

3.5/5 ( ratings)

Torpedo Bombers

3.6/5 ( ratings)

Naval Warfare in the English Channel 1939 - 1945

3.7/5 ( ratings)

The Great Ships: British Battleships in World War II (Stackpole Military History Series)

3.6/5 ( ratings)

Fist From the Sky: Japan's Dive-Bomber Ace of World War II (Stackpole Military History Series)

3.8/5 ( ratings)

The Oxford Handbook of Health Economics (Oxford Handbooks in Economics)

4.2/5 ( ratings)

War in the Aegean: The Campaign for the Eastern Mediterranean in World War II (Stackpole Military History Series)

4.3/5 ( ratings)

The Clarke Gang: Outlawed, Outcast and Forgotten

Curtiss Helldiver

Mitsubishi Zero: Japan's Legendary Fighter

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II: The 'Warthog' Ground Attack Aircraft

Cruise Ships: The World's Most Luxurious Vessels

What works?: Evidence-based policy and practice in public services

Women's education in the Third World: Comparative perspectives

Aichi D3A1/2 Val

Rate this book!

Write a review?