Shobun: A Forgotten War Crime in the Pacific (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The author's father, William Goodwin, the copilot of a PBY Catalina flying boat, was shot down off the Celebes coast during a night attack in October 1944. Goodwin and eight other survivors were picked up by the Japanese, interrogated, subjected to the customary beatings, and then ceremonially beheaded. As wartime atrocities went, this one was relatively commonplace, save that it was the result of a deliberate policy by Lt. Gen. Sanji Okido, who had ordered "severe disposition" (shobun) of the captured Allied airmen. In this book, Goodwin describes his longtime search for the circumstances of his father's fate and the justice ultimately meted out to his executioners. It also provides fascinating insight into the nocturnal war fought by the "Black Cat" raiders. The narrative is nonaccusatory in tone, is at times almost clinically dispassionate, and provides a clear?if chilling?insight into the combat mentality found in many of the backwaters of the Pacific war. Recommended for general collections.?Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Edwards AFB
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811715183
• ISBN-13: 978-0811715188
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,732,408 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Research Connects Him to His Father's Truth, November 6, 2000

By	W. Johnston "w_johnston" (CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Moving, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bushido Honor??, December 25, 2001

By	TMac "busted_flush" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

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.