Customer Reviews

Red Rain

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I really liked this book. I found out about a bit of history I knew absolutely nothing about. I especially liked Yoshi, the main character, and getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into World War II Japan. Wendel does a great job weaving together two compelling storylines and creating great sympathy for those who perform thankless but critical tasks. Very moving.

This story, inspired by a element of WWII history with which most of us are probably unfamiliar, woven into a well told love story and combined with a vivid description of how wild fires are fought, makes for a great read. Heartily recommended.

A fascinating book. After many years of travel to Japan, I have never heard this story here or abroad. Mr. Wendel writes a compelling story about this amazing time in our history and a book that needed to be written for history. I highly recommend it!

If only our history books in school had read like this! Tim Wendel gives us a little known and fascinating fact from history and ties it to four main characters, all struggling for an understanding of their place in the midst of World War II. We watch them change as their realities force their hands. Cheering on the Japanese-American heroine, Yoshi, and wondering what will come next for the military men she encounters, from a flawed American lieutenant to MacArthur himself, keep the pages turning.

Tim Wendel's historical novel Red Rain centers around a secret weapon developed by the Japanese government at the end of WW II designed to terrorize and harm US citizens and ecosystems. The story is both captivating and eye opening. Who knew that even so innocent a character as Smokey the Bear was in fact a US-government-created weapon of war? How chilling to reflect on how far the US government has shifted away from its cleverly nuanced 1940's response to terrorism--as described in Red Rain--to its 21st century approach of fear mongering. A fascinating read!

Tim Wendel has done an excellent job of telling a compelling story about a little known historical event of the Japanese sending fire balloons to terrorize the United States near the end of WWII. It's a fascinating read and one that shouldn't be missed!

I very much enjoyed this book and learned something about history that I didn't know. Wendel expertly weaves the Japanese perspecitve and the American perpective together so that the reader gains a good understanding of the whole picture.

Romance, espionage and a fascinating, little-known piece of World War II history--all woven into this well-written novel. Tim Wendel has uncovered a secret kept by the US Govt. during the waning days of WWII--the Japanese fire balloon--and turned it into this captivating thriller. Wendel's research into this chapter of history, as well as his own experience as an elite "hotshot" firefighter early in his career, are evident in the narrative as the characters battle the "red rain" set by these ingenious weapons. There are several very gripping scenes of firefighting, and a very satisfying conclusion.

Who knew that the Japanese launched balloons near the end of World War II that were designed to cross the Pacific, land in the United States and cause all sorts of chaos? Tim Wendel, that's who. Tim discovered this little-known footnote to the War and spun it into a fine novel. This could have been a short history book or article, but Wendel nicely expands the story into one involving Japanese-Americans of the time as well as the ins and outs of fire-fighting. The plot moves along nicely and has Wendel's fine sense of place in addition to educating the reader along the way. "Red Rain" is definitely worth your time.

Japanese-Americans will want to read `Red Rain' for its beautiful and moving depiction of Japanese-Americans who defended their country during the Second World War. The novel perfectly captures the American spirit at the time: the willingness to sacrifice for a greater cause and the capacity for heroism in every man. `Red Rain' has cinematic sweep, suspense, and action bound together with masterful writing; an expertly crafted, nuanced historical thriller.