...read this book .... It was so good in fact, that I literally did not put it down. I have read it three times since, and it has lost neither its freshness nor its impact.

The highest scoring Japanese ace to survive World War II, Sakai's book was the first of its kind--a first hand account from the "enemy's" persepective. It was astoundingly popular and Sakai became somewhat of a hero in the United States, and until his death from a heart attack in October 2000, he received countless "fan" letters, all of which he answered.

His story chronicles the rise and fall of not only the Japanese Naval Air Forces, but Japan itself. The thrill of victory and the bitterness of defeat are crystal clear. It is amazing that a story translated from one language to another can be so vivid and engrossing.

For a brilliant history lesson about the Pacific War during World War II that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the one. Through it all, you are there with Sakai be it in the cockpit or on the operating table. The "Classics of Naval Literature Series" version is superior to all others (for reasons explained in its FOREWORD). Highly recommended.

One of the best books on air combat I've read. Saburo Sakai's 500 mile trek back to Rabual from Guadacanal in his crippled zero is a testimony to the man and to the nature of war. "Samurai" is another book you won't be able to put down. It's the Japanese version of "The First and Last" and the reader follows Sakai's career from the early days of Japanese victory to the war's conclusion. I was particularly struck by the comparative decline in the Japanese Zero as America moved from P40s, P39s and F4Fs to Zero killers such as the F4U, F6F, and P38. *NOTE* Samurai has recently been under scrutiny for questions relating to its historicity. The climatic account of Sakai's encounter with US torpedo bombers has been singled out as particularly spurious. For more reviews see the "WWII Aviation Booklist" http://www.ampsc.com/~prophet/booklist.html

I first read this book in in the eighth grade. It was so good in fact, that I literally did not put it down. I have read it three times since, and it has lost neither its freshness nor its impact.

The highest scoring Japanese ace to survive World War II, Sakai's book was the first of its kind--a first hand account from the "enemy's" persepective. It was astoundingly popular and Sakai became somewhat of a hero in the United States, and until his death from a heart attack in October 2000, he received countless "fan" letters, all of which he answered.

His story chronicles the rise and fall of not only the Japanese Naval Air Forces, but Japan itself. The thrill of victory and the bitterness of defeat are crystal clear. It is amazing that a story translated from one language to another can be so vivid and engrossing.

For a brilliant history lesson about the Pacific War during World War II that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the one. Through it all, you are there with Sakai be it in the cockpit or on the operating table. The "Classics of Naval Literature Series" version is superior to all others (for reasons explained in its FOREWORD). Highly recommended.

I didn't read it that long ago, actually, I somehow found it in a local library. I was very pleased of it's action, drama, and even suspense. I've read other books about "cyborgs" or whatever, and none of them even came close to the realism in this particular novel by Martin Caidin.

Cyborg by Martin Caidin I first read this book in the mid-seventies when I was a great fan of the Six Million Dollar Man TV series. It was probably the first adult (in the non-pornographic sense) book that I had read. It is an enjoyable and informative read (although the science will now be hopelessly outdated) but at the time what impressed me most were the differences from the TV show. Austin loses his left rather than his right arm; the bionic eye cannot see and is 'merely' a miniature camera; the governmental atmosphere is less cosy with Oscar Goldman a shadowy figure and Oliver Spencer (featured only in the pilot TV episode) the major protagonist. Interestingly the early episodes of the TV show did reflect some of Austin's resentment at being transferred into a government superspy. It's both a pity and somewhat surprising - in view of the TV show - that this title is no longer available. I would certainly like to read it again even though it had such an impact on me that I remember parts of it very well. Terence Teevan

Caidins' Cyborg books was the most interesting I have ever read. Even if you didn't like the Six Million Dollar Man TV show that were based on the books and or consider yourself a true Sci Fi fan read at least the First book "Cyborg", you would very happy you did. The others are High Crystal, Orperation Nuke, and Cyborg 4. The only oter book I have read that I liked almost as much is Polhs' Manplus, another great read.

This is a book that should appeal greatly to those interested in the paranormal as well as those captivated by aviation. The author writes in an engaging, personalized manner, and he bends over backward to defend the stories he relates as well as the integrity of his contributors. He does not try to explain the unexplainable; he merely presents each tale the way it happened, often using the very words of the person involved. Throughout, the author's great love for flying and for the men and women involved in aviation is openly apparent. Caidin's qualifications as a pilot and aviation expert are almost unequalled; he has flown countless aircraft of all sorts in his life, he has written well over a hundred books on aviation, and he is well known in aviation circles. The fact that he himself cites a number of personal examples of impossible things that happened to him while in flight lends great authority to his role as compiler of the truths of others.

Some of the stories are truly fascinating: a plane disappears for ten minutes on approach to Miami and everyone on board "loses" ten minutes; military aircraft fly hundreds of miles back to base and actually land with a dead pilot or no crew whatsoever; three flight crews return to base and are debriefed from a mission in which, it is soon discovered, all planes and crew were lost; pilots encounter planes from an entirely different era which then disappear; ghostly apparitions and sounds are encountered on military bases and airfields, etc. Every tale is fascinating; more importantly, each tale is verifed to the extent possible. Caidin tells us that the vast majority of the stories he collected were rejected; only the stories he could research intensively and authoritatively prove as having happened in the ways they were described to him made the final cut. He stands by these unexplainable stories and the brave men and women who had the courage to reveal truths many had never revealed before to another soul. As the author often points out, the events and experiences detailed here could not possibly have happened, yet they did happen.

This is a one of a kind book that, with its reportedly very careful research, should knock the socks of of you. I ran across it while researching another book and my (paperback) copy is well worn from rereading and friends who couldn't put it down when they saw it on the coffee table. Buy it. Even if don't believe it it's a great read.

One of the best books available on any kind of haunting...primarily because it is _thoroughly_ documented. Mr Caidin bases his stories on eyewitness accounts and official military records (none of those "I knew a guy whose second cousin knew the guy this happened to....")His 'take' on the Bermuda Triangle is particularly interesting. I had the honor to be acquainted with Mr Caidin; he was intelligent, opinionated, and as skeptical as anyone I've ever met. The fact that _he_ wrote this book makes the stories within all the more convincing!

This is a wonderful book. I first came upon it when inventorying my late father's estate, which contained a very old, thoroughly-thumbed and dog-eared copy dating to the first edition. (Dad was a veteran of the Pacific war). I could not put the book down. "Zero!" is a thoroughly honest, non-jingoistic view of the aerial component of the Pacific war from the Japanese perspective, beginning with "The Sino-Japanese Incident" (Japan's war of aggression against China) through the defeat of Japan by the United States. While not everything in the book is necessarily correct, I believe that most or all readers will agree that the authors were scrupulously honest in their writing, and they convey the facts of the war as they saw it.

The title of the book, "Zero" reflects the authors' view that the design characteristics of the famed Zero fighter aircraft were central to Japan's waging of the Pacific war. As of 7 December 1941 the Zero could outfly, outdistance, and outfight any fighter that the United States had in service, and was rightly feared and respected by allied fighter pilots. So were the Japanese pilots themselves, who were largely battle-hardened veterans of tough aerial campaigns over China fought during the late 1930s. The Zero's range and other attributes were what made much of Japan's Pacific campaign possible, as the Zero had an unprecedented combat radius which the authors explain was central to Japan's strategy of establishing a tough perimeter for its aspiring empire.

The book is fascinating. It fully explains how the earlier American fighters were outclassed by the Zero, how the P-38 Lockheed Lightning was the first viable answer by America to the Zero (it had wildly different flight characteristics which required both sides to modify their tactics), and how finally, by late 1943 newer American designs i.e. the Hellcat, Mustang, and Corsair, finally relegated the Zero to obsolescence even as America gained the upper hand.

Other wonderful insights abound. Japan never gave its heros medals, not even to the great Japanese pilot/ace Saburo Sakai (a great chapter is devoted to him--see also the book "Samurai" and my review thereof)-- the authors' regret and perhaps resentment of this policy is plain. Japan was in awe of America's ability to hugely supply distant outposts shortly after launching an invasion--Japanese forces in the Pacific were always undersupplied and not only due to American action--the Japanese never really developed a modern logistical capability equal to the demands of global war. Similarly, the authors lament that Japan simply did not attach importance to such things as insect control and other dimensions of jungle hygiene for their outposts. This lowered the efficiency of the men markedly, as no doubt bureaucrats in Tokyo expected the men in distant jungles to overcome disease, hunger, and discomfort with warrior zeal. And yet, throughout all of this, the American reader will gain a respect for the determination, discipline and dedication of the Japanese foe of the time.

I have never read a better book about the Pacific war. This one is a keeper.

As a B-29 co-pilot, Saipan, 1945 (883rd BS, 500th BG, 73rd Wing), I was hugely impressed to read this sober, carefully chronicled report of how it was for the Japanese. The book is written by two intelligent, loyal Japanese aviation experts who tell it as it was. No boasting, no whining, no alibis. The authors detail the Sino-Japanese war of the late 30's, the attack on Pearl Harbour, Guadalcanal, Midway, and there are 2 chapters about our B-29's, starting with the chapter, "Defence of The Mainland, The Superfortress Appears". Some of us in the Marianas felt uncomfortable about the fire bombing in the Spring and Summer of '45. Now for the first time in my life, the Japanese explain to my complete satisfaction that the fire bombing was what ended the war, not the 2 atomic bombs. The book contains no bitterness, they just tell it as it was. This book should be a must for everyone who had anything to do with the air war in the Pacific in World War 2!

It's been a long time since I read the book, but I particularly recall Okumiya telling about losing an eye in aerial combat, and returning to fly and fight again, as a one-eyed fighter pilot. Also, the accounts of how he felt about seasoned pilots being "invited" to fly Kamikaze missions; and his description of the conditions late in the war when the Japanese pilots were out-planed, out-gunned, out-numbered, and virtually starving on remote islands. I think this book is well worth the read.

Actually I have had this book for sometime but thought I would add my two cents worth.
Great book with excellent photos. There is not alot out there on military cycling and this is becoming a classic on the subject.
Strongly recommended!

The previous reviewer is correct about this book---I suggest comparing how foreign armies used bikes successfully along with LTC John Lock's "To Fight with Intrepidty" history of the U.S. Army Rangers.

Its too bad we don't have yet an updated version of this book in light of the technological advances in mountain bikes which could yield even greater military utility for units that have to be Air-deployed into battle who must be frugal in their weight/volume loading decisions.

What most people do not realize is that the reality of war is not the same as you read in the history books. A lot of things take place that go unheralded, one of these remarkable things is the use of bicycles by infantry troops to get around the battlefield. This is THE seminal book on the subject that brings home the beginnings of military bicycle use in the Boer War, culminating in entire German infantry battalions on bicycles sweeping across Russia in WWI; a stunning victory forgotten by our pre-occupation with the deadlock in the trenches. Or Lettow-Vorbeck's success in Africa. Even there, bikes were used to seize bridges with the speed and silence that go hand in hand with bikes.

Later Caidin and co-author Jay Barbree outline how in WWII bikes were the secret weapon that the Japanese used to over-run Malaya, Singapore infiltrating through the jungles and British linear defenses. The Germans used bicycle troops or Radfahrtruppes across Europe to act as a mobile reserve and spearhead force. The Finnish Jaegers used bikes to defeat the Red Army. Again, because these were sometimes our "enemies", we have failed to date to capitalize on the bike for today's light infantry and special operations choosing instead to foot slog at less than 1 mph.

As stunning historians, the writers describe the amazing British Commando bike raid on Bruneval radar station that success hinged on being 8 miles away and infiltrating by bike to surprise the German guards. After WWII, its the Viet Minh learning from the Japanese to use bikes as supply tools to lay siege to the French at Dien Bien Phu. After this victory, they use bikes against us to move supplies down the Ho Chi Minh trail that we are unable to stop by air strikes.

The sum total of this work is that there is no reason why we do not capitalize on bicycle mobility to achieve the same effects the enemy has used against us. The Swiss and several other countries use bikes today to move 100 miles a day or 10-25 miles in under an hour...while we ! foot slog and demand motor vehicles deliver us directly on top of the targets, a predictable tactic that gets men killed.

In a way this book is a secret weapon to silence the critics and propel us to move faster with stealth along the battlefield. I highly recommend it and hope it is put back in print updated by advocates like myself and my associates who have actually aidropped folding Mountain Bikes for the U.S. military today.

This is a book whose time has come. It should be on the required reading list of every freedom defending Army.

Airborne!!

Mike Sparks
1st Tactical Studies Group (A)

A Torch to the Enemy vividly describes the Fire raid on Tokyo. The reader is taught how the Air Force decided to quit precision bombing and use carpet boming. Then the book goes on the take th reader in the middle of the raid with the B-29 crews, and then the horror of the fire in Tokyo. The spread of the fire, the gruesome pictures, and the statistics included on all the carpet bombings give all readers a picture of the real horrific aspects of war. Many people only remember the atmoic bombings, but this book sheds light on the successful and terrible fire bombings that occurred before the atomic bomb was dropped.

The morality of carpet bombing has often been questioned, but Martin Caidin makes it clear that virtually every Japanese home in Tokyo had some form of war-related industry in the form of lathes, workshops, etc. The attack is graphically described. The wood-and-paper homes caught fire and burned out of control in no time. The crowding of these tinderboxes enabled the fire to spread catastrophically, thus rendering any manner of fire-fighting out of the question.

In this book, the eminent historian Martin Caidin concentrates on one of the most brutal air battles in history-Schweinfurt. At a time when the B-17's flew with little or no fighter escort, and the German Luftwaffe had not yet been all but chased from the sky, the 8th Air Force launched a raid on the ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany. The result is a story that is at once tragic and heroic. This is a well-researched book, full of first-person accounts of the battle. It reads like a good thriller and leaves the reader with a new respect and appreciation for the brave men on both sides who fought their war five miles above the earth not so many years ago. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the air war.

amazingly berserk stylized cartoonish but still graphically stomach-churning violence both visceral and cerebral, not a narrative per se but a pathology, the line "say hello to God, sh*thead" still echoes trough my mind

This book is a must for any history buff or anyone interested in seeing WWII through enemy eyes. This work chronicles the career of Saburo Sakai and his many air battles through World War II. His words debunk many myths about Japanese pilots (he admits of even turning back from a suicide mission) and gives one a personal feel to the historical events that unfolded around him. One can also plot the technological climb of aircraft as Sakai describes how his adversaries' aircraft steadily got better and better. This book is also a must read for those who think the development of new aircraft and weapons are a waste of money. They will see through Sakai's words how one superior aircraft (the Zero) was able to command the skies in the war in the Pacific for quite some time until better aircraft finally were developed by the US. In the future the US may not have the luxury of time and should plan ahead.

This is a superior book and one of the best written about World War II.

I first read this book in in the eighth grade. It was so good in fact, that I literally did not put it down. I have read it three times since, and it has not lost its freshness nor its impact.

The highest scoring Japanese ace to survive World War II, Sakai's book was the first of its kind--a first hand account from the "enemy's" persepective. It was astoundingly popular and Sakai became somewhat of a hero in the United States (to this day he receives countless letters, all of which he answers). [Note: Sakai died of a heart attack in October of 2000.]

His story chronicles the rise and fall of not only the Japanese Naval Air Forces, but Japan itself. The thrill of victory and the bitterness of defeat are crystal clear. It is amazing that a story translated from one language to another can be so vivid and engrossing.

For a brilliant history lesson about the Pacific War during World War II that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the one. Through it all, you are there with Sakai be it in the cockpit or on the operating table. The "Classics of Naval Literature Series" version is superior to all others (for reasons explained in its FOREWORD). Highly recommended.

This book is a must for any history buff or anyone interested in what the "other side" of World War II was like. This work chronicles the career of Saburo Sakai and his many air battles throughout World War II. His words debunk many myths about Japanese pilots (he even admits to turning back from a suicide mission) and gives one a personal feel to the historical events that unfolded around him. One can also plot the technological climb of aircraft as Sakai describes how adversaries steadily got better and better. This book would even be good reading for "peaceniks" who think development of new aircraft and weapons are a waste of money. They will see through Sakai's work how one superior fighter plane (the Zero) was able to command the skies in the Pacific war for several years until better aircraft were turned out by the U.S. In the future, the U.S. may not be so lucky. This is a superior book and is one of the best written about World War II.

This is by far one of the best fictional books about aerial warfare. One of the more interesting aspects of 'The Last Dogfight' is the way in which the plot evolves to show both sides of the conflict, without actually taking an amoral approach to which view is right or wrong. It leaves the reader with a deeper sense of understanding of the conflict as a whole. A masterful piece of writing that deserves to be in any collection; and well worth the money. ;)

Possibly, the very last of their kind, gallant WWII Air Warriors, pitting each other's country, skills, beliefs and raw emotions. From the very beginning to their "Last Gunfight at the Ok Corral of the skies".

No other book or, story comes as close as Martin Caidin's "The Last Dogfight" which will inspire readers of past, present and future. Leaves the reader with a balanced feeling for both sides and, a reflection as to what the "Greatest Generation" was really about. A MUST for any future writer and/or our young generation that needs a honest example of our valiant past's valiant warriors.

I read this book years ago, when I was a teenager. It was one of the best books I'd read up until then, and remains as such to this day. Though strictly fictional, it's depth and detail bring a genuine sense of reality to it's pages. I have recommend this book countless time to friends with an interest in fighter aces and their aircraft, because it's such a well written piece. If the closest you ever get to the controls of a fighter is reading this book, you could do a lot worse. I highly recommend it!