Customer Reviews

Shobun

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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This is more than a history. It is a man's search for a connection with his father's experiences -- and with the father he never knew. It is also a very readable story. And it works well on all counts.

Mike Goodwin has done thorough historical research ... even to the point of finding the location where some of these executed POWs still-missing bodies lay more than 50 years later. Those who are researching POW experiences in the Pacific would do well to pay attention to Mike's bibliography.

Michael Goodwin tells us of the wartime fate of the father he never knew while at the same time providing us with a uniquely personal insight into the price paid by the victims of war crimes and their families. Especially worthwhile reading if you've been limiting yourself only to a birds eye view military history for a while and need a reminder of the ugly and tragic underside of war that rarely makes its way into works of a much wider scope. Also serves as a painful reminder of the double standard we applied to Japanese war criminals after the war in deference to politics over justice. A good job all around.

This book tells the story of a shot down and captured PBY crew in the pacific in WWII. It recounts the brutal, sadistic torture and murder these men ultimately faced at the hands of their Japanese captors. The author is the son of one of the murdered airmen. This is a poignant, personal account of a story that needed to be told. The reader will have feelings of rage at the way the Japanese treated the Americans and the way the American Government did NOT treat those Japanese responsible for war crimes. Very few Japanese were held accountable for their actions in the rebuilding climate of postwar Japan. I'm glad this story was told and I hope it is read by many. God bless the souls of all the airmen on that last flight of PBY No. 08233.

For a first time author, Michael Goodwin got it right. His in depth look at the father he never knew and those that flew with him gets you hooked in a personal way from the get go. His transition from before the war to the time the crew is captured is seamless and thoughtful. His story speaks volumes of how many of our american airmen were mistreated and brutaly executed. I admire Michael Goodwin for taking a big step in writing a story that may not be popular reading for most and making it thought provoking. Great Read!!!

This book tells the story of a US Navy PBY crew that was shot down on a combat mission in the south pacific during World War II, how they were betrayed by the indigenous population to the enemy, and the fate that befell them by the cruel and remorseless Japanese military.