Aces Against Japan: The American Aces Speak: Aces Against Japan: The American Aces Speak

By Eric Hammel

Book Overview

A collection of personal stories relates the experiences of forty American eagle fighter pilots in World War II, from Ensign Wendell Twelves's first engagement in his Hellcat to 1st Lt. Jim Swett's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671529080
• ISBN13: 9780671529086
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A telling collection of war heroes' stories

The war in the Pacific was a bloody confrontation for the resolution of opponents and the straining combat environment. Flying under such pressure was undeniably a great feat and sustaining a proper level of operational capability was a superb example of airmanship. In this book all aspects of air combat come alive with the intriguing personal tales of the pilots who served in this theater. Each account reveals the insight of lifestyle, tactics and training that led to amazing results in aerial battles. From their personal experience, it is possible to catch the feelings the pilots had about their machinery, climate and combat methods before actually flying the missions in their harsh frontline.Beatifully written, this volume is really easy to read, even if some accounts disclose a predilection to be stylish or glorifying from time to time.

A welcome addition to WWII aviation history.

In Aces Against Japan, military historian Eric Hammel provides the reader with riveting first-person accounts from thirty-nine American fighter aces who fought their way across the bloody skies of the Pacific and East Asia from December 7, 1941 through the final air battles over Japan in August 1945. An effective interviewer, Hammel presents fascinating and informative air-combat tales and anecdotes from the men who were their. Vivid, superbly presented, Aces Against Japan is enthusiastically recommended reading for all military buffs and a very welcome addition to any World War II history collection or reading list.

Excellent!

A truly great book. I recommend it for anyone, not just history enthusiasts. The first hand accounts are well written and bring the stories to life. Equally as good is Hammel's other book, ACES AGAINST GERMANY.

Super book!

Reading about the Pacific airwar in the recent novel, The Triumph and the Glory, sparked an eager interest in me in the topic and prompted me to order this book. I found "Aces Against Japan" great reading, filled with gripping accounts of action from the men who fought the air war against Imperial Japan. If you are interested in WWII aerial combat this book is for you!

The kind of heroics you don't see anymore

This book has come in "under the radar" and is one of the best-kept secrets of recent WW2 aviation literature. Eric Hammel has done priceless work in collecting an oral history of the air war in the Pacific. I've read it three times and it's every bit as much fun as informative as it ever was. From the pathetic equipment at Pearl Harbor (a beat-up P-36 with only one loaded .30-caliber) through the immortal battles of the Solomons, New Guinea, the Central Pacific, the Marianas, Iwo and Okinawa, to ultimate victory over Japan, this is an outstanding work that ranks with "Samurai!", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", and "God Is My Co-Pilot". Current military management MUST read this, especially the part about how woefully unprepared we were, and see if anything looks familiar about today's military. Take it from me-- I've studied the Pacific War all my literate life, and I've found some stinker books, but this is a gem.