The Twilight Warriors, Robert Gandt
The Twilight Warriors, Robert Gandt
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The Twilight Warriors
The Deadliest Naval Battle of World War II and the Men Who Fought It

Author: Robert Gandt

Narrator: John Pruden

Unabridged: 11 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/17/2010

Synopsis

April 1945. The end of World War II finally appears to be nearing. The Nazis are collapsing in Europe, and the Americans are vastly overpowering the Japanese in the Pacific. For a group of pilots in their early twenties who were trained during the twilight of the war, the biggest concern is that they'll never actually see real action and will go home without having a chance to face the enemy. They call themselves Tail-End Charlies. They fly at the tail end of formations, stand at the tail end of chow lines, and now they are prepared for battle at the tail end of the war. Little do they know that they will be key players in the most difficult and bloodiest of naval battles—not only of World War II but in all of American history: the campaign to take the Japanese island of Okinawa to serve as a basis for an eventual invasion of Japan.

Derived from interviews with and newly discovered memoirs, journals, and correspondence of Okinawa veterans from both the American and Japanese sides, The Twilight Warriors provides a thrilling you-are-there narrative. Like the HBO series The Pacific, this book combines thrilling action with human stories of courage and sacrifice and triumph. It's Band of Brothers at sea and in the sky.

About Robert Gandt

Robert Gandt is a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot and Pan American and Delta Air Lines captain. He is the author of eleven books on military and aviation subjects, including China Clipper, The Age of the Great Flying Boats, Skygods, Fly Low, Fly Fast, and Intrepid. His definitive naval aviation book, Bogeys and Bandits, was adapted for the CBS television series Pensacola: Wings of Gold, on which Robert worked as screenwriter and technical consultant.

Reviews

Goodreads review by PowerAvocado on October 20, 2024

Content warning: 1.Planes flying into ships and boats. 2. Suicides in samurai's way. 3. Sailors eaten by sharks. 4. Disposing dead bodies (into the sink). We welcome Intrepid to the Okinawa area, said the silky voice on the radio, Kamikaze division number 147 will join you on your arrival. USS Intrepid wa......more

Goodreads review by Hal on August 07, 2014

I have read many books on WWII. Without a doubt, this is the best I have ever had the privilege of reading on the U.S. Navy's war in the Pacific. If you want to learn more about the battle for Okinawa, the costliest for the U.S. in the Pacific theater, this is definitely the book to read. The author......more

Goodreads review by Daniel on September 20, 2019

When I was a kid, so many years ago, my family would watch quite a few documentaries on TV. My mom loved wildlife shows like Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and especially National Geographic. As I recall watching these shows, I realize that most of the footage was dominated by nature and the narrato......more

Goodreads review by John on August 10, 2017

Probably the best book that I have read on the Pacific theater of World War II. Okinawa is the last battle of the war before the final invasion of Japan. The objective of the Japanese leaders was to prove that they would fight to the death not just for an outpost like Okinawa, but especially for the......more

Goodreads review by Johnny C on July 10, 2019

Very well written account of the tail-end charlies. Great job in weaving the naval combat with the associated ground combat they supported.......more

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