Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
by James Bradley
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Book Summary Information
Author: James BradleyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-14
ISBN: 0316159433
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780316159432
- Condition: USED - Good
- Notes: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
Book Review: Flight Patterns
Summary: 5 Stars
From the description on the back of the book, a reader might assume that "Flyboys" is solely about nine American airmen who were shot down over the Pacific during WWII. While those stories are recounted in the book, James Bradley also examines the war in the Pacific, the rise of air power to fight and win wars, and the motives that led Japan and the United States to fight. This combination makes "Flyboys" a compelling read, a frightening journey through the horrors of war and what men will do to defend their country at any cost.
What exactly happened to the airmen shot down over Chichi Jima during WWII remained classified for half a century, with parents left wondering how their sons actually died. James Bradley delivers their stories for the first time, having researched into their pre-war lives and sharing reminiscences of colleagues, friends and family members. As he did with "Flags Of Our Fathers", he crafts intimate portraits of each of the airmen, intermingled with the broader events of war and Japanese history.
It is often easy in war to see the evil in the enemy, but harder still to turn that same judgment on oneself; Japanese leaders truly believed they were following in America's footsteps in their efforts to conquer their neighbors. But they soon grew to see America as a hypocritical nation - Japan was doing the exact same things that the United States had done (with Native Americans, in the conquest of the Philippines) but were being labeled as 'uncivilized' and given warnings to stop. Through twisted bushido beliefs and miscalculations, Japan brought war to the United States by attacking Pearl Harbor. The American response was unexpected, and ultimately brought Japan to its knees, but at a tremendous cost.
The fighting in the Pacific during WWII often seems to be a forgotten aspect of the war. "Flyboys" examines the attacks on Japanese possessions, and the island itself, as America tried to stop an enemy that would stop at nothing. The gruesome facts surrounding the deaths of American flyboys would involve war crimes trials that saw Japanese leaders exectued, soldiers imprisoned, while Emperor Hirohito escaped any wrongdoing. The Japanese were ready to defend their country to the death, even the death of every soldier and civilian if necessary. Bradley succinctly examines the napalming and atomic bombing of Japan - a chance America took to stop a war that Japan refused to end.
"Flyboys" is not a biased tale, but an honest examination of what happened in the Pacific theatre. Bradley himself admits that during his research for this book he "thought he knew where justice lay", but as he listened to the stories from both sides, it was hard to be sure. As Jimmy Carter once said, "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." War always comes at a high cost and the tale that Bradley weaves is a vivid reminder of what is owed and questions that may never have answers.
Summary of Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
This acclaimed bestseller brilliantly illuminates a hidden piece of World War II history as it tells the harrowing true story of nine American airmen shot down in the Pacific. One of them, George H. W. Bush, was miraculously rescued. The fate of the others-an explosive 60-year-old secret-is revealed for the first time in FLYBOYS.Japanese Books
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