A review by suebrownreads
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley

5.0

This is such a good book! It is obviously well-researched, and very well-written. It concentrates on the pacific war and gives a lot of insight into the Japanese philosophy and history of war, the Spirit Warriors, etc. I was unaware of the "Flyboys" story on Chichi-jima and the atrocities that took place there. Of course almost no one knew about it because the military tried to keep it a secret, especially from the families involved which I can understand. I was also unaware of the extent of the napalm bombing in Japan by the United States. I really learned so much from this book. War is a horrible affair, and I believe anyone who romanticizes it must have never been involved in one. I am amazed at the bravery, the unselfish acts of courage. How does a soldier do it? I think all of us who have never fought in a war should at least read more about the history of our wars so we can have some understanding of the people, the times, the strategies, the double-standards, the absolute horror of it all. I am reading a book on the Vietnam war and listening to an excellent podcast series on WWI. I highly recommend both. "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young" by Lt. General Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. And Dan Carlin's (free) podcast Hard Core History, "Blue Print for Armageddon." It is in 6 parts, about 22 hours. It is fascinating! And so is this book! If you read it, you will be glad you did!