Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-1945 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 13) [Paperback]

Henry Sakaida (Author), Grant Race (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Aircraft of the Aces | Publication Date: April 15, 1997

Little has been published in English on the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF), let alone its most successful fighter pilots - no less than 150 of them achieved ace status during eight years of near-constant war, and they are all listed in this volume. From the arid plains of the Mongolian border region to the lush jungles of New Guinea, the JAAF was more than a match for the many opponents it fought against for control of the skies. Indeed, even when the mighty Allied war machine proved almost overwhelming from early 1944 onwards, the elite fighter pilots of the various sentais within the JAAF fought on with near-fanatical loyalty in defence of the Home Islands.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Despite the fact the JAAF aircraft were in most cases under armed and lighter than their Allied opponents, they did produce many incredible pilots and aces who overcame adversity to fly and fight against any challenge. This book is an exciting, unique read." -www.pacificwrecks.com

From the Publisher

Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series combines full colour artwork, the best archival contemporary photography, and first hand accounts from aces to bring history's greatest airborne conflicts to life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; First Edition, Second Impression edition (April 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325292
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325296
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First-ever study of the JAAF in English, December 27, 1999

By 

Daniel Ford (at danford dot net) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-1945 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 13) (Paperback)

Many historians still operate under the assumption that there was a single Japanese Air Force instead of two separate services, each with its own planes, mission, and tactics. Sakaida is an American of Japanese heritage who learned the language in order to research and write about WWII air battles, using material from both sides. Here he applies his language and research skills to tell the story of the Japanese Army Air Force that fought in China and Southeast Asia, and that for much of the war had the prime responsibility for home defense. An excellent book in the tradition of the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another good book from Osprey!!, December 25, 2008

By 

Ira Kepford "Jolly Roger" (Springfield MO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-1945 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 13) (Paperback)

Japanese Army Air Force aces is a great book! Osprey made another great book of it's long line of 'Aircraft of the aces'. This book has 81 pages of information, color plates of planes and pilots, and black and white photos. Being a fan of WWII airplanes, aces and air battles, I found this book a must have for any WWII airplane and aces fan. The color plates of the pilots and airplanes are wonderfully drawn, another plus if you a modeler like me.
The book starts at the China and Nomahan Incident in the mid to later 1930's, to the Home Defence of Japan in the middle of 1944 to the end of the war. With lots of information on Japanese pilots who fough valiantly against the Americans, British, Australians, Chinese and others.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the brave JAAF pilots who fought from China to Japan.
There are a few typos, but only a word here or there. I give this book a 5 star rating for the information and photos that it brings. A truly good book!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No reason to get this volume, May 13, 2009

By 

J. G. Thoene "thojos" (Chula Vista, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-1945 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 13) (Paperback)

This old book has fairly recently been combined with "Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45", and the combination book (Aces of the Rising Sun 1937-45) is twice as long for roughly the same price as this one. So now you can buy that volume and get everything here with the Navy air aces as well. Available here at Amazon.