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Lightning Strike: The Secret Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto and Avenge Pearl Harbor Paperback – Illustrated, March 7, 2006

by Donald A. Davis (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 149 ratings
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This is the story of the fighter mission that changed World War II. It is the true story of the man behind Pearl Harbor--Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto--and the courageous young American fliers who flew the million-to-one suicide mission that shot him down.

Yamamoto was a cigar-smoking, poker-playing, English-speaking, Harvard-educated expert on America, and that intimate knowledge served him well as architect of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. For the next sixteen months, this military genius, beloved by the Japanese people, lived up to his prediction that he would run wild in the Pacific Ocean. He was unable, however, to deal the fatal blow needed to knock America out of the war, and the shaken United States began its march to victory on the bloody island of Guadalcanal.

Donald A. Davis meticulously tracks Yamamoto's eventual rendezvous with death. After American code-breakers learned that the admiral would be vulnerable for a few hours, a desperate attempt was launched to bring him down. What was essentially a suicide mission fell to a handful of colorful and expendable U.S. Army pilots from Guadalcanal's battered "Cactus Air Force":

- Mississippian John Mitchell, after flunking the West Point entrance exam, entered the army as a buck private. Though not a "natural" as an aviator, he eventually became the highest-scoring army ace on Guadalcanal and the leader of the Yamamoto attack.
- Rex Barber grew up in the Oregon countryside and was the oldest surviving son in a tightly knit churchgoing family. A few weeks shy of his college graduation in 1940, the quiet Barber enlisted in the U.S. Army.
- "I'm going to be President of the United States," Tom Lanphier once told a friend. Lanphier was the son of a legendary fighter squadron commander and a dazzling storyteller. He viewed his chance at hero status as the start of a promising political career.
- December 7, 1941, found Besby Holmes on a Pearl Harbor airstrip, firing his .45 handgun at Japanese fighters. He couldn't get airborne in time to make a serious difference, but his chance would come.
- Tall and darkly handsome, Ray Hine used the call sign "Heathcliffe" because he resembled the brooding hero of Wuthering Heights. He was transferred to Guadalcanal just in time to participate in the Yamamoto mission---a mission from which he would never return.

Davis paints unforgettable personal portraits of men in combat and unravels a military mystery that has been covered up at the highest levels of government since the end of the war.

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  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 7, 2006
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.89 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0312309074
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0312309077
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lightning Strike is the finest history of World War II in the Pacific, and especially the Yamamoto mission, that I have ever read.” ―William H. Allen, president of the American Fighter Aces Association

“This is a rich slice of Pacific War history . . . Davis's account is replete with heroes, villains, and idiots. He asks all the right questions and comes up with most of the answers.” ―Joseph L. Galloway, Senior Military Correspondent, Knight Ridder Newspapers, and coauthor of We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young

“Fascinating history that reads like a detective novel. I'm green with envy.” ―William Stevenson, author of A Man Called Intrepid

“I have long been fascinated by Yamamoto---his brilliant career as a strategist and as a warrior and his Wagnerian end as those American pilots hunted him to the death. . . . Davis fleshes out the dramatic story in splendid fashion.” ―James Brady, Parade Magazine columnist and author of The Coldest War and The Marine

“Lightning Strike is a wonderful contribution to World War II history and a remarkable story, remarkably told, gripping and page-turning from start to finish. Davis has both a great sense of drama and a great lust for the truth.” ―Craig Nelson, author of The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid

“An enthralling book that yields new and surprising insights.” ―Monika Jenson, former 60 Minutes producer and author of Spite House: The Last Secret of the Vietnam War

“Exquisitely researched and vividly narrated. Lightning Strike puts the reader in the cockpit. . . . Years of confusion shrouding the mission are finally swept away, deftly and conclusively.” ―David A. Witts, author of Forgotten War, Forgiven Guilt: The 13th Air Force

“Lightning Strike is a crisp salute to some of the bravest pilots ever to fly in defense of the United States. Compelling and deeply human, by turns triumphant and profoundly sad, Don Davis's book sheds valuable new light on one of World War II's most pivotal fighter missions.” ―James D. Hornfischer, author of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

“A terrific flying story and a great history, Lightning Strike strips away the legends and the lies to reveal who really shot down Admiral Yamamoto.” ―Stephen Coonts

“Lightning Strike is an exciting, well-documented, and masterfully written story. Mr. Davis weaves together the various complex personalities and contradictory facts. . . . It was a delightful read for me, a guy who thought he knew all about the [Yamamoto] mission.” ―Bob Manhan, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars

“Lightning Strike is a truly wonderful history of the early days of World War II and the desperate fighting on Guadalcanal. The analysis of the air warfare and the great detail about the men who fought in the air in the Solomon Islands is brilliantly done.” ―George Chandler, World War II Ace, Pacific Theater, and co-founder of the Second Yamamoto Mission Association

About the Author

Donald A. Davis is co-author of New York Times bestseller Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper and author of Lightning Strike: The Secret Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto and Avenge Pearl Harbor. He lives outside Boulder, Colorado.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition (March 7, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312309074
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312309077
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.89 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 149 ratings

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Don Davis

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
149 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book well-researched and documented. They also find it entertaining and educational. Readers describe the content as a great historical account.

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Writing qualityContentEntertainment value
15 customers mention "Writing quality"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very well researched, detailed, and informative. They also appreciate the excellent overlay of strategies and the comprehensive coverage of the historical event. Readers also say the book brings together a bunch of loose facts.

"...of the principle players on both sides and an excellent overlay of the strategies...." Read more

"...The book was very well research and documented. I thought it ran a little long, but he told a great story...." Read more

"...From a navigation perspective: Truly amazing!..." Read more

"...Not only is the book accurately written and comprehensive, it also benefits from being stylistically superior...." Read more

5 customers mention "Content"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content great, excellent, and a good overview of the Pacific war and circumstances leading to it.

"an amazing piece of important American aviation history. From a navigation perspective: Truly amazing!..." Read more

"Excellent narrative on the mission to shoot down Yamamoto...." Read more

"Not only a good story about the mission to get Yamamoto but a good overview of the Pacific war and circumstances leading to the mission...." Read more

"Excellent World War 2 history covering pivotal moment of the 20th Century...." Read more

3 customers mention "Entertainment value"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and educational.

"...read like a thriller whodunit... well researched and as entertaining as it was educational." Read more

"...It kept me engrossed from beginning to end." Read more

"...historical event that changed the course of WW II is easy read and keeps interest" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Erl Gould Purnell
5.0 out of 5 stars The whole story of the Yamamoto raid
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
Donald Davis has told the complete story of this (in)famous Army Air Corps raid from Guadalcanal to Bougainville in 16 P-38s lead my Major John Mitchell. There's a ton of Pacific war history and context here, well developed personalities of the principle players on both sides and an excellent overlay of the strategies. That effort by Davis sets the scene for the actual top secret mission on April 18, 1943 from Cactus southeast into the Solomon Sea and then north to Empress Augusta Bay at Bougainville where the encounter took place. Perhaps the most stunning fact about the raid is that Mitchell navigated for 400+ miles at 30-50 feet off the water and arrived in exactly the right spot and at exactly the right time—where Yamamoto was in his Betty bomber.

The fight was quick and deadly. The two Bettys in the Japanese flight were shot down and there was only a brief skirmish with the six Zeros flying cover. One American airman was lost.

That, however is when the story takes an unfortunate turn. Tom Lanphier, one of the P-38 pilots in the "killer formation" of four, takes credit for making the kill. He has a big ego and big plans for his future. In fact, his wingman, Rex Barber, made the kill on the first Betty that carried Yamamoto and shared downing the other with Besby Holmes. None of this would go on the official record because Lanphier would write the after action report.

Sadly, the last part of this excellent book is the unwinding of the Air Force's official account of the attack with Lanphier's claim center stage. Ironically, it was a surviving Zero pilot from the top cover flight of six who was the unbiased third party witness to say that Barber's description of the shoot down was what actually happened.

An unexpected benefit of Davis's research is the best description of what life was like on Guadalcanal for the marines, sailors, soldiers, airmen, pilots and senior officers I've ever read. Talk about a horrible existence! Both bad and not enough food, disease, injury, bombing, bombing and bombing, Washing Machine Charlie, suicide attacks...it goes on and on.

Davis is a good writer, although not particularly imaginative. Still, I recommend this book with five stars to anyone who doesn't know this fascinating WWII story and to those who think they do know it.
11 people found this helpful
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Gregory Bell
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024
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I read this book out of curiosity about Yamamoto and the men who shot him down. The book was very well research and documented. I thought it ran a little long, but he told a great story. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about World War II and the life those involved.
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Tom Dumit
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and concise history of the war in the Pacific
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
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Well-written and avoids the cliches that burden many historical accounts.
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Chuck in NC
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great, Well-Researched, Detailed & Informative Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2023
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As above - this was my first read on the complete mission to take out Yamamoto, from its background to start to finish to aftermath, with all its remote, peripheral and primary good, bad, ugly and thankfully heroic participants; and I enjoyed it while learning a lot - a recommended read!
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John H. Meade
5.0 out of 5 stars Enemy Payback, well deserved
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2014
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an amazing piece of important American aviation history. From a navigation perspective: Truly amazing! The iintercept task was close to impossible, in that it relied soley on Dead Reckoning navigation; no LORAN A or C, no radar, no GPS ( ha! Fat chance) just a GI wind up watch and a ship compass ( custom installed ) installed by air crews on the Canal's base. all in all a fantastic testiment to the greatness of our American strong will & determination to defend our dear country, and " GET EVEN" with the enemy ... true payback!!
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Robert Carroll Coffee
5.0 out of 5 stars it also benefits from being stylistically superior. Davis has the style-chops of a master
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2016
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It is strange to read some of the negative things written about this book. Not only is the book accurately written and comprehensive, it also benefits from being stylistically superior. Davis has the style-chops of a master; the man knows how to tell a story. I could not put this book down. Among the many books I have read on the subject, this one is head-and-shoulders above the rest. Why no one ever bothered to recommend it to me is a mystery. It is a book I will read more than once--so treasure-filled are its pages. Get it and enjoy it.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Worst Kept Secret of the War
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2018
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Killing the Admiral appears to be more of a curse than accomplishment. Yamamoto was an absolute supreme warlord. Go Army !
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Top reviews from other countries

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John Galea
3.0 out of 5 stars Started out good ...
Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book started out slow, and peaked at the battles at Guadalcanal. The Guadalcanal section is quite gripping ... The shooting down of Yamamoto is a short part of the story and then the last quarter of the book quickly digresses to who brought down Yamamotos plane ...
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安藤芳明
5.0 out of 5 stars Lightning Strike:by Donald A Davis
Reviewed in Japan on March 27, 2014
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どのようにして山本提督が最後を迎えたのか、その疑問を解き明かしてくれました。
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