At War with the Wind: The Epic Struggle with Japan's World War II Suicide Bombers

By David Sears

Book Overview

Drawing from hundreds of interviews with WWII veterans who survived Japan's terrifying kamikaze strikes, acclaimed author and former U.S. Navy Officer David Sears vividly portrays what it was like to experience this tactic, capturing the real-life dramas behind America's first confrontation with the psychology and devastating impact of suicide warfare.

In the last days of World War II, a new and baffling weapon terrorized the United States Navy in the Pacific. To the sailors who learned to fear them, the body-crashing warriors of Japan were known as "suiciders"; among the Japanese, they were named for a divine wind that once saved the home islands from invasion: kamikaze.

Told from the perspective of the men who endured this horrifying tactic, At War with the Wind is the first book to recount in nail-biting detail what it was like to experience an attack by Japanese kamikazes. Acclaimed author David Sears draws on personal interviews and unprecedented research to create a narrative of war that is stunning in its vividness and unforgettable in its revelations.

This is the candid story of a war within a war--a relentless series of furious and violent engagements pitting men determined to die against men determined to live. Its echoes resonate hauntingly at a time of global conflict, especially when suicide as a weapon remains a perplexing and terrifying reality.

Main Selection of the Military Book Club
Featured Alternate of the History Book Club

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806542659
• ISBN13: 9780806542652
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Reads like an action novel, but it's true.

This is an exceptionally well-written historical account of the Japanese suicide campaign that emerged at the end of World War II in the Pacific theater. Sears does a very nice job of weaving togther accurate historical fact with the accounts of individual sailors involved in battling the Kamakazi. The author manages to give you history written with real narrative tension. Sears also includes accounts of a couple of Japanese airmen who survived the Kamakazi campaign. It is a valuable addition to the library of anyone with an interest in World War II combat.

Must Read!

Sears portrays the battles with the kamikazes superbly and so graphically as to be nearly palpable. The memories of my experiences as a gun-tub member on the aircraft carrier,Intrepid, CV11 prior to and during the battle for Okinawa brought back a flood of memories as I relived them in my mind. The accounts of the men on the smaller boats, the DD's, the DE's and the landing crafts and the ships that were more heavily damaged, e.g., the Franklin, mostly attest to the heroism of ordinary people placed in traumatic situations beyond their control. The discussions involving the Japanese sailors and airmen also state that heroism was not one sided. This book is a must read for anyone who experienced such trauma. I believe that reading this book might possibly serve as a catharsis for some who still might not be able to discuss their war-time experiences. Just to know that there were some who experienced similar or even worse catastrophies than they might relieve some internal stress which prevents them from opening up about them.

TOP NOTCH

Simply put a great read on a subject all America should learn about. Mr. Sears did an unbelievable job of research and put all of it into a "can't put down" book. Highly recommended.

A First Rate Read!

"At War With the Wind" is a first rate read. Author David Sears does a splendid job of sharing in a very personal way what it was like for those who participated in the events surrounding the United States Navy's great struggle with the kamikaze forces of Japan in the closing months of World War II. While chronicling this epic story, he has effectively blended personal accounts of a great many veterans, both American and Japanese, in a manner that makes the story personal and yet conveys the shear magnitude and scale of these events. I was overwhelmed with the amount of stories collected through interviews and other research necessary to write "At War With the Wind". The material was put together in a way that flowed and conveyed the book's purpose. I have some knowledge of this part of World War II history, and it was great to expand upon that through this book. I really liked the insights into the personalities of some of the commanders and members of Japan's suicide forces. I liked having a bigger view about the personal struggles happening in so many locations and getting better acquainted with other ships I've heard about but didn't know as well (like Isherwood, Newcomb, Ammen, Abner Read, etc..) in addition to the ship I know well, DD-529. It was great to see so many veterans remembered and honored. ...Ted Mayhugh ([...])

A Lasting Tribute...Worth The Read!

At War With The Wind is a must read for anyone that is a World War II Naval buff. The actions described reflect the true feelings of those that actually faced the latest invention of Japans Imperial Navy..the Kamikaze! The damage caused by these planes were more devastating than some bombs or naval shells could project. While material for this book was being collected, David Sears has open a channel of communications that has re-energized the thoughts among many surviving shipmates that were for years silent. Even though many are now in their late 80's or 90's they seem to once again able to discuss those harrowing days when they were young. I for one recommend this book very highly. I have done much research myself on one of these kamikaze'd ships (USS Haraden DD-585)and find that this adventure into the past is very prized by those that are still with us from those days long ago. A job well done and a must read! Gary USS Haraden Webmaster www.ussharaden.com