Dogfight over Tokyo, John Wukovits
Dogfight over Tokyo, John Wukovits
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Dogfight over Tokyo
The Final Air Battle of the Pacific and the Last Four Men to Die in World War II

Author: John Wukovits

Narrator: Peter Ganim

Unabridged: 10 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 08/27/2019


Synopsis

From an expert in the Pacific theater of World War II comes the tragic story of the pilots who fought the last fight of the war during the first hour of peace

When Billy Hobbs and his fellow Hellcat aviators from Air Group 88 lifted off from the venerable Navy carrier USS Yorktown early on the morning of August 15, 1945, they had no idea they were about to carry out the final air mission of World War II. Two hours later, Yorktown received word from Admiral Nimitz that the war had ended and that all offensive operations should cease. As they were turning back, twenty Japanese planes suddenly dove from the sky above them and began a ferocious attack. Four American pilots never returned—men who had lifted off from the carrier in wartime but were shot down during peacetime.

Drawing on participant letters, diaries, and interviews, newspaper and radio accounts, and previously untapped archival records, historian and prolific author of acclaimed Pacific theater books, including Tin Can Titans and Hell from the Heavens, John Wukovits tells the story of Air Group 88's pilots and crew through their eyes. Dogfight over Tokyo is written in the same riveting, edge-of-your-seat style that has made Wukovits's previous books so successful. This is a stirring, one-of-a-kind tale of naval encounters and the last dogfight of the war—a story that is both inspirational and tragic.

About John Wukovits

John Wukovits is the author of many books, including For Crew and Country, One Square Mile of Hell, and Pacific Alamo. He has also written numerous articles for such publications as WWII History, Naval History, and World War II. He is a military expert specializing in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He is a member of the Organization of American Historians, the Society for Military History, and the Golf Writers' Association of America. John lives in Trenton, Michigan.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Katie on August 09, 2019

I knew I had to read this book after seeing the cover. I just felt this compelling need to find out more about the lives of the 4 men who died. Absolutely heartbreaking as the aviators were up in the air when the war was officially declared over and were in the process of flying back to the Navy car......more

Goodreads review by Don on October 01, 2019

This is the story of the last four Americans to die in battle in WW2. They were Navy pilots on the USS Yorktown. The author mainly focused on two of the pilots but told much of the history of the unit they served in. The reader will learn what it was like to serve in the air arm of the navy during t......more

Goodreads review by patrick on January 16, 2020

This story like a few others from WWII is really about four airmen who did not make it home that day, yet we're so close to the final destination. The author uses letters, diaries, flight logs and interviews with members of the families. What is really heartbreaking is that when reading this you get......more

Goodreads review by Patrick on August 16, 2020

A very somber read as the 75th anniversary of VJ Day is remembered. A true tragedy chronicling the combat tour of VF 88 aboard USS Yorktown and the final 4 men to fall in the war. Wukovits is measured in his criticism of this final, ill-fated mission. Instead, he weighs the available info and allows......more

Goodreads review by Chris on March 29, 2024

I read the hard cover book and it’s pretty good. It is repetitive in the beginning. The book is well researched and includes some great history of WWII much of which I was not aware, things about Admiral Halsey, some other air groups in addition to Air Group 88. It is sad that the four men who are th......more


Quotes

"What we know of war usually comes from survivors. This book is about four young flyers who didn't come back. Those who die give up all that they have, all their hopes and dreams, all the infinite potential life offers. Wukovits captures that tragedy in a powerful way. Superb."—Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author

"But for one tragic hour, they would have returned safely to the loved ones who worried over them so much. Instead, four Navy fighter pilots became the final combat casualties of World War II. As he did in Tin Can Titans and Hell from the Heavens, John Wukovits skillfully entwines the personal stories of young men at war with the horrors of the larger conflict. Dogfight Over Tokyo is a haunting tale of heroism and sacrifice and the continuing agony of those left to grieve."—Walter R. Borneman, bestselling author of Brothers Down: Pearl Harbor and the Fate of the Many Brothers aboard the USS Arizona

"In this meticulously researched work, John Wukovits provides rare personal insight to the aviators who fought the U.S. Navy's LAST major combat of World War II-and those supporting them on the home front. If it's true that no war truly ends while some still remember it, then Dogfight Over Tokyo extends our national memory of those who brought the world's greatest conflagration to a joyous, painful, and bittersweet end."—Barrett Tillman, author of Whirlwind and On Wave and Wing

"An expertly researched addition to the military history/biography genre"—Kirkus Reviews