The Last Zero Fighter
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The Last Zero Fighter
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Narrated by:
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Drew Bott
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By:
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Dan King
About this listen
Firsthand accounts from interviews conducted in Japan with five WWII Japanese Naval aviators. All are veterans of the pivotal battles of the Pacific War including; USS Panay, Nanking, Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Rabaul, Port Darwin, Indian Ocean Raid, Ceylon, Midway, Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the kamikaze in the Philippines, the home defense and the dropping of the atomic bomb.
Includes an introduction to the Japanese pilot training system for both officers and enlisted men.
Each pilot is followed from the time he joined the navy until war's end. They explain in their own words; why they joined the navy, what they thought about the war, about the aircraft they flew, how they felt about their friends and their former adversaries.
The interviews were conducted firsthand in their own language by King who is a linguist and Pacific War historian who spent 10 years living in Japan.
©2012, 2018 Dan King (P)2020 Dan KingListeners also enjoyed...
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Unsung Eagles
- True Stories of America’s Citizen Airmen in the Skies of World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 545
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 481
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Story5 out of 5 stars 481
The nearly half-million American air crewmen who served during World War II have almost disappeared. And so have their stories. Award-winning writer and former fighter pilot Jay A. Stout uses Unsung Eagles to save an exciting collection of those accounts from oblivion. These are not rehashed tales from the hoary icons of the war. Rather, they are stories from the masses of largely unrecognized men who - in the aggregate - actually won it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A great look into what so many gave for & to us.
- By Duane on 08-02-21
By: Jay A. Stout
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Intrepid Aviators
- The True Story of U.S.S. Intrepid's Torpedo Squadron 18 and Its Epic Clash with the Superbattleship Musashi
- By: Gregory G. Fletcher
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 104
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 95
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 95
On the morning of October 24, 1944, in the Sibuyan Sea amidst the Philippine Islands, VT-18, a close-knit squadron of six young American torpedo bomber pilots, departed the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid on a search and destroy mission. Their target: the super-battleship Musashi, the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The pilots were tasked with preventing the immense enemy warship and the huge naval armada of which she was a part from inflicting unspeakable damage.
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5 out of 5 stars
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TRUE PICTURE
- By RODNEY K. on 08-04-12
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Fighter Group
- The 352nd “Blue-Nosed Bastards” in World War II
- By: Lt. Col. Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 458
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 415
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 413
Jay A. Stout breaks new ground in World War II history with this gripping account of one of the war’s most highly decorated American fighter groups. Stout combines the storytelling gifts and careful research for a seasoned historian with the combat experience of a former fighter pilot to tell the remarkable story of the 352nd Fighter Group. This isn’t just the story of a single fighter group; it’s the story of how the United States won the air war over Europe.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This is a fantastic, through, in depth, and personal history of the 352nd fighter group.
- By S. H. Moore on 02-23-21
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I Will Run Wild
- The Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway
- By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrated by: Lance C Fuller
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 91
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
In many popular histories of the Pacific War, the period from the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor to the US victory at Midway is often passed over because it is seen as a period of darkness. Indeed, it is easy to see the period as one of unmitigated disaster for the Allies, with the fall of the Philippines, Malaya, Burma and the Dutch East Indies and the wholesale retreat and humiliation at the hands of Japan throughout Southeast Asia.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very informative
- By dexter on 09-20-20
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Operation Vengeance
- The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War II
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 136
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 136
In 1943, the United States military began to plan one of the most dramatic secret missions of World War II. Its code name was Operation Vengeance. Naval Intelligence had intercepted the itinerary of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander in chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, whose stealth attack on Pearl Harbor precipitated America’s entry into the war. Harvard-educated, Yamamoto was a close confidant of Emperor Hirohito and a brilliant tactician who epitomized Japanese military might.
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1 out of 5 stars
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I want 1/2 my money back
- By DPM on 08-11-20
By: Dan Hampton
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Lucky 666
- The Impossible Mission
- By: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 943
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 867
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Story5 out of 5 stars 863
From the authors of the New York Times best-selling The Heart of Everything That Is and Halsey's Typhoon comes the dramatic untold story of a daredevil bomber pilot and his misfit crew who fly their lone B-17 into the teeth of the Japanese Empire in 1943, engage in the longest dogfight in history, and change the momentum of the war in the Pacific - but not without making the ultimate sacrifice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A WWII Pacific Tale
- By A. L. DeWitt on 11-15-16
By: Bob Drury, and others
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Jayhawk
- Love, Loss, Liberation and Terror over the Pacific
- By: Jay A. Stout, George L. Cooper
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 71
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story5 out of 5 stars 57
Born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipina mother, George Cooper is one of the few surviving veteran pilots who saw action over such fearsome targets as Rabaul and Wewak. Not just another flag-waving story of air combat, Jayhawk describes the war as it really was - a conflict with far-reaching tentacles that gripped and tore at not only the combatants, but also their families, friends, and the way they lived their lives.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An absolute must for any student of the Pacific Air War
- By Ginger on 10-07-20
By: Jay A. Stout, and others
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Intrepid
- The Epic Story of America's Most Legendary Warship
- By: Bill White, Robert Gandt
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 94
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
Intrepid brings the history of the U.S.S. Intrepid to life in a stirring tribute complete with personal recollections of those who served on the ship and vivid descriptions of the deadly conflicts she endured. It is a story of the people who sailed in her, fought to keep her alive, and perished in her defense, a story which powerfully captures the human element in the history of American heroism.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Ok read but needed more something...
- By Luis on 01-24-09
By: Bill White, and others
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Kangaroo Squadron
- American Courage in the Darkest Days of World War II
- By: Bruce Gamble
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 150
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 134
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
In early 1942, while the American military was still in disarray from the devastating attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, a single US Army squadron advanced to the far side of the world to face America's new enemy. Based in Australia with inadequate supplies and no ground support, the squadron's pilots and combat crew endured tropical diseases while confronting numerically superior Japanese forces. Yet the outfit, dubbed the Kangaroo Squadron, proved remarkably resilient and successful.
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 star History!
- By DON COOKE on 03-13-19
By: Bruce Gamble
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Dead Reckoning
- The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took on Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor
- By: Dick Lehr
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 269
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 235
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 234
“AIR RAID, PEARL HARBOR. THIS IS NOT DRILL.” At 7:58 a.m. on December 7, 1941, an officer at the Ford Island Command Center frantically typed what would become one of the most famous radio dispatches in history as the Japanese navy launched a surprise aerial assault on the American navy stationed in Hawaii. In a little over two hours, the Japanese killed more than 2,400 Americans and propelled the US’s entry into World War II. Dead Reckoning is the story of the mission to avenge that devastating strike.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Half Soap Opera, target audience 20 something male
- By Donald L. Hogan on 03-20-21
By: Dick Lehr
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Race of Aces
- WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky
- By: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,423
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,265
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,260
In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" - the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker - offered a bottle of bourbon to the first US fighter pilot to break his record of 26 enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Boring, confusing storyline, some technical details wrong
- By ATM on 04-09-20
By: John R. Bruning
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The Battle for Hell's Island
- How a Small Band of Carrier Dive Bombers Helped Save Guadalcanal
- By: Stephen L. Moore
- Narrated by: Pete Bradbury
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 78
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4 out of 5 stars 70
From the author of Pacific Payback comes the gripping true story of the Cactus Air Force and how this rugged crew of dive bombers helped save Guadalcanal and won the war. November 1942: Japanese and American forces have been fighting for control of Guadalcanal, a small but pivotal island in Japan's expansion through the South Pacific.
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2 out of 5 stars
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agonizing audiobook full of facts
- By chris on 04-13-16
By: Stephen L. Moore
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Pacific Payback
- The Carrier Aviators Who Avenged Pearl Harbor at the Battle of Midway
- By: Stephen L. Moore
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 122
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 110
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 110
Sunday, December 7, 1941, dawned clear and bright over the Pacific....
But for the Dauntless dive-bomber crews of the USS Enterprise returning to their home base on Oahu, it was a morning from hell. Flying directly into the Japanese ambush at Pearl Harbor, they lost a third of their squadron and witnessed the heart of America's Navy broken and smoldering on the oil-slicked waters below.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent companion to Dawn like Thunder
- By G. Bruce Greer on 07-21-14
By: Stephen L. Moore
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A Dawn Like Thunder
- The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight
- By: Robert J. Mrazek
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 133
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
One of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of the members of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal. These 35 American men - many flying outmoded aircraft - changed the course of history, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval aviation history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent story well told
- By Kismet on 01-30-09
By: Robert J. Mrazek
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Dragon's Jaw
- An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam
- By: Stephen Coonts, Barrett Tillman
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
Every war has its "bridge" - Old North Bridge at Concord, Burnside's Bridge at Antietam, the railway bridge over Burma's River Kwai, the bridge over Germany's Rhine River at Remagen, and the bridges over Korea's Toko Ri. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon's Jaw. For seven long years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam's formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire and enemy MiG planes. Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured....
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3 out of 5 stars
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At some point the political commentary is exhausting
- By Tyler White on 06-07-19
By: Stephen Coonts, and others
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Under the Southern Cross
- The South Pacific Air Campaign Against Rabaul
- By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrated by: Lance C Fuller
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
From August 7th 1942 until February 24th 1944, the US Navy fought the most difficult campaign in its history. Between the landing of the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal and the final withdrawal of the Imperial Japanese Navy from its main South Pacific base at Rabaul, the US Navy suffered such high personnel losses that for years it refused to publicly release total casualty figures.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another first class work by Thomas Cleaver.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-10-21
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Days of Steel Rain
- The Epic Story of a WWII Vengeance Ship in the Year of the Kamikaze
- By: Brent E. Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 76
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story5 out of 5 stars 68
Sprawling across the Pacific, this untold story follows the crew of the newly-built "vengeance ship" USS Astoria, named for her sunken predecessor lost earlier in the war. At its center lies US Navy Captain George Dyer, who vowed to return to action after suffering a horrific wound. He accepted the ship's command in 1944, knowing it would be his last chance to avenge his injuries and salvage his career. Yet with the nation's resources and personnel stretched thin by the war, he found that just getting the ship into action would prove to be a battle.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Other Side of the Story: USS Astoria CL-90
- By Mike Williams on 11-16-21
By: Brent E. Jones
What listeners say about The Last Zero Fighter
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- courtney mckean
- 07-03-23
Fascinating and humanizing story
For me, a WW2 airplane fanatic, this story had me riveted. Loved the details of the battles in China and the Pacific. The narration was soothing and engaging. Midway, Pearl Harbor and Coral Sea was particularly interesting. Fascinated by the Kamikaze stories. Please write a follow up!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan D R Squires
- 05-19-23
A good read (listen)…
Really interesting to hear stories from the ‘other’ side of the fight. Like the Americans, British, New Zealanders, Australians and the others that faced and fought the Japanese in the pacific, they were kids who loved flying, fought for their country.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Magary Damico
- 02-17-23
Great Book!
Just as good or even better than Saburo Sakai! Samurai! Very well detailed description of the Japanese side of the war!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JWalkup
- 02-01-24
Niiiiice! Great perspective and insight
I join the chorus of positive reviews. Loved the approach - impressed with the authors credentials and ability to engage the veterans on a personal level. Particularly enjoyed the design - following several veterans in there journey. Getting to know each of them and their personalities. Well done.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dario Perryman
- 03-12-23
A really good book.
a great book on the war from the Japanese perspective. Culturally there are differences, but it seems the pilots of both countries were more alike than not.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charles A Willard
- 01-07-24
Raising the benchmark from reading to audible.
I have read "The Last Zero Fighter" written by Dan King several times and found it an excellent read of which I obtain a bit more information every time I reread. Going audible has been a real joy. You get the voice recognition that, in my view, certainly helps to interpret the events and characters. Drew Bott was a great choice as narrator. Some people have voice which are easy to listen to and Mr. Bott is one of them. All of Mr. King's writings are serious deeply researched books which give those small accounts that help to "plug the holes" with valuable information not covered by other writings in the same field of historical events. I consider Mr. King a "scout" of history research. He gains possession of significant fresh evidence to help revise the appreciation of those relevant events.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chandler
- 01-27-22
Brilliant
Please, please, please write more of this. The interviews are brilliant. It's incredible that someone was able to do this. my grandfather fought in Tarawa and died before I was born. I would give anything to be able to talk to him about his time in the Pacific. This book is an absolute treasure and there should be more like this in regards to every war. Especially on topics as surreal as air combat.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Leonard Legge
- 07-02-22
The Other Side of thr Story
This book is an excellent view into Japanese Naval aviation. Well worth the read. As an aviator I have developed a more acute appreciation for how the Japanese saw the operational side of the war.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martha
- 04-27-22
Not your standard history book
Don't get me wrong, this is definitely military history. It's just that the author is covering the five biographies from a full cultural perspective, not just WW2. Makes for an enjoyable listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bookworm
- 02-02-23
Some interesting insights
Worthwhile story that examines various Japanese pilots’ experiences. For those that are familiar with WW2 actions in the Pacific, you will pick up several nuggets of information.
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