"Last Samurai" and Bradley's book "Flyboys"

I was recently dragged out to see the "Last Samurai". Can't
really recommend it except as escapist, fantasy violence...and Tom for the stargazers. But I can recommend a related book, James Bradley's "Flyboys, a true story of courage".

Related? The book starts with a sweeping historical look at
Samurai culture and fuedal Japan which it then brings into the 20th Century
and WWII. A very detailed and seemingly well researched account of what happened at an island next to Iwo Jima. The account is driven by the stories of US dive bomber pilots and the Japanese soldiers they did battle with. Bush senior is one of the flyboys that is shot down, but notably one that got away. Great battlefield account with a lot of stuff you've never read before about the Pacific conflict along with a surprising end.

Great book. Made viewing the "Last Samurai" worth it.... almost.

Thanks for the book review, George.
I have been looking at that title for the last two weeks.

"Maule Driver" wrote in message Related?
The book starts with a sweeping historical look at
Samurai culture and fuedal Japan

I don't see the relationship. Did George Sr. train to be a Samurai or what?
How 'bout some details?

--
Jim Fisher

"EDR" wrote in message
...

Thanks for the book review, George.
I have been looking at that title for the last two weeks.

Mauledriver is Bill Watson (sorry for not being explicit there). George is
George. We both appear to fly Maules.

Maule Driver wrote:

But I can recommend a related book, James Bradley's "Flyboys" "A true story of
courage".

I thought it was great except for two glaring errors. In one sentence he talks
about the tendency of the big radials to "stall without warning" and in another
he talks about the WWII carrier decks being very dangerous places with whirling
props,..., jet fuel,... Jet fuel? In 1943?

Those errors make me wonder about some of the other facts he presents. The book
does contain an excellent bibliography, however, so I don't think he's made
anything up, and I hope to find time to check out some of his references.

George Patterson
Some people think they hear a call to the priesthood when what they really
hear is a tiny voice whispering "It's indoor work with no heavy lifting".

"Jim Fisher" "Maule Driver"
wrote in message
Related?
The book starts with a sweeping historical look at
Samurai culture and fuedal Japan

I don't see the relationship. Did George Sr. train to be a Samurai or
what?
How 'bout some details?

Well, the book focuses on what happens between US Dive bomber pilots and the
Japanese garrison on Chichi Jima. It specifically focuses on 9 downed
pilots and what happened to the 8 that were captured. The ninth was George
Sr. What happened startles this veteran reader of battle field accounts.
And while the detailed battlefield accounts included previously suppressed
information would have made a book unto themselves, Mr Bradley put the
events in context with a compelling analysis of both Japanese and US
culture. From the book jacket:

"... With no easy moralizing, Bradley presents history in all its savage
complexity, including the Japanese warrior mentality that fostered inhuman
brutality and the US military strategy that justified attacks on millions of
civilians..."

I found the history and analysis of mainly post-Samurai Japanese culture
mostly new to me and fascinating.

This book goes well beyond honoring the combatants and showing how war is
hell and yet, it does both quite well.

And there is plenty of aviation.

Jim Fisher wrote:

"Maule Driver" wrote in message Related?
The book starts with a sweeping historical look at
Samurai culture and fuedal Japan

I don't see the relationship. Did George Sr. train to be a Samurai or what?
How 'bout some details?

Japan's culture was an isolated fuedal society until the mid-1800s, when Perry
"opened up" Japan. In that culture, Samurai were warriors with a sense of honor
very much like the idealized image of the western knight. Admiral Perry's
mission was basically to claim territory for the U.S. that would allow us to
set up coaling stations for our fleet and to open up trade markets with Japan,
since England had Chinese markets pretty much locked up. The War Between the
States interfered with any followup mission, however, so all Perry did was wake
Japan up.

One of the places Perry "claimed" was an island named Chichi Jima. Several years
later, Japanese navy vessels showed up there, ran the American settlers off, and
set up a military base. This island became an important communications center in
WWII.

Breezing over a lot of history, what we wound up with in the late 30s was a
Japan that had a very modern military force, albeit somewhat small, with some
very archaic ideas. Most of these ideas were corruptions of the old Samurai
attitudes. One idea was that an army's ability was a function of its size,
multiplied by the spirit of its troops. France had something of the same idea
in WWI, and it got millions of Frenchmen killed. This gave the Japanese top
brass the idea that they could win against anything, since the then-modern
Samurai were the only troops in the world to have the "correct spirit".

Part of the old Samurai code that continued was the idea that surrender was out
of the question. A fighter who allowed himself to be captured was much less than
human. Japanese would almost always commit suicide if the only alternative was
capture.

Many aerial attcks were launched against Chichi Jima late in the war (about the
period of the assault on nearby Iwo Jima). George Bush, Sr. was shot down by AA
fire during such an attack. Fortunately for him, he was picked up by a U.S. sub
before the Japanese could reach him. His story is a relatively small part of
the book, as it should be. Most other airmen taken captive by the troops on
Chichi Jima did not survive. The commanding officer became desperate to instill
more fighting spirit in his officers and troops and consistently had POWs
decapitated. In some cases, parts of the bodies were eaten by the officers in
sort of a throwback to the superstition that this would pass the victim's
strength to the diner.

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

"Maule Driver"
... It specifically focuses on 9 downed
pilots and what happened to the 8 that were captured....

Actually 9 downed a/c and their crews. Pilot, radioman, and gunner.

Well, the book focuses on what happens between US Dive bomber pilots and the
Japanese garrison on Chichi Jima. It specifically focuses on 9 downed
pilots and what happened to the 8 that were captured.

They got et, right?

They weren't the only ones. Colonel Tsuji Masanobu cooked the liver of
an American pilot and served it up in the officers' mess.
www.warbirdforum.com/tsuji.htm



all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Breezing over a lot of history, what we wound up with in the late 30s was a
Japan that had a very modern military force, albeit somewhat small, with some
very archaic ideas.

The odd thing about the bestiality of the Japanese armed forces in
their "Fifteen Year War" (it actually lasted a month short of 14
years) is that the same military, in the Russo-Japanese War, behaved
in exemplary fashion toward prisoners. So you can't blame it on the
samurai. Something really twisted happened to the Japanese army and
navy between 1905 and 1931.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com