Synopses & Reviews
Acclaimed by Critics, Historians, and Military Leaders the World Over
Review
"A compelling book…Mr. Spurr bases his narrative on extensive interviews with survivors from both sides."—
The New York Times Book Review"[Spurrs] book shines a blend of storytelling skill, naval experience and a rare ability to make clear the psychological climate of this time and these people."—Philadelphia Inquirer
"A powerful chronicle that rivals A Bridge Too Far in storytelling quality and tragedy…utterly spellbinding."—William Stevenson, author of A Man Called Intrepid
"A powerful, suspenseful work of history, a naval version of A Night to Remember."—San Francisco Chronicle
"Gripping…A resounding demonstration of first-rate military history with an unusual human dimension."—Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The only book to dramatize from both the Japanese and Allied points of view, the events surrounding this tragic, historic last mission of the biggest battleship ever built in the history of naval warfare. Chosen as a Main Selection of the Military Book Club.
Synopsis
Told from both Japanese and Allied points of view, this critically acclaimed World War II classic documents the tragic final days of the Japanese battleship Yamato and its doomed last mission.In April 1945, the Japanese battleship Yamato, the pride of the Japanese navy and the largest battleship ever built, left Japan on a deliberate suicide attack upon Allied forces engaged in the Battle of Okinawa, with only eight other Japanese warships, no overhead air cover, and enough fuel for only one day. The Japanese force was attacked, stopped, and almost completely destroyed by U.S. carrier-borne aircraft before reaching Okinawa. Yamato and five other Japanese warships were sunk. The Yamato lost 3,062 men; only 269 were saved.
In this critically acclaimed retelling of the Yamatos final days, from March 28 to April 8, 1945, Russell Spurr documents and dramatizes, from both American and Japanese points of view, the events surrounding this tragic mission—a battle that made clear Japans willingness to sacrifice large numbers of men in attempts to slow the Allies, which, in many historians opinions, likely influenced President Trumans decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the atom bomb four months after the Yamato sank.
About the Author
Russell Spurr was based in Hong Kong for more than 20 years as the China and Far East correspondent for the London Daily Express and ABC Radio Network, and the chief correspondent and deputy editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review. He was one of the first Western correspondents to report from Peking after the establishment in 1949 of the People's Republic of China. During World War II Spurr was in the Royal Indian Navy, and served in motor gunboats through most of the Burma campaign. After the Japanese surrender, he was assigned to Kure, Japan, where he first viewed the vacant dock built for the Yamato and began to pursue the story of its demise. Spurr is also the author of the highly acclaimed Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the U.S. in Korea.