Sakai fought in the South Pacific theater. He wasn't present at any of the major famous battles that we think of here in the states (Pearl Harbor, Midway or Iwo Jima), but he has very vivid memories of his encounters with various planes throughout the war in various places. At a certain point, he is seriously injured, losing the sight in one eye. It takes him out of the cockpit for a while, but this man was made to be in the sky, and he makes it back up there eventually.
I found this account to be honest and thought-provoking. Whether it is Sakai questioning the accuracy of an Allied report at the time or his own military, he approaches it with logic, not a sense of blind acceptance. I also found his respect of the enemy pilots to be commendable. I've noticed that in a few of the military memoirs I've read, especially the pilots. They recognize and acknowledge the skill and ability of the men that shared the sky with them.
Reading things from the other side was also a bit hard at times. Sakai came across quite a few B-26 Marauders, and at first I was excited to see the little-known bomber mentioned. It's the plane my grandfather flew in the war, and I normally like seeing it get some credit. The more I saw it mentioned (as being shot at or downed), I began to think of Sakai, a skilled pilot who ended up with over 60 kills, coming after my grandfather's plane. My grandfather flew in Europe, so it definitely never happened, but it also got me thinking.
I think this is a great book to get a perspective of the Japanese fighter pilot. Sakai is an honorable man who fought for his country at a time when so many men did. Something that especially struck me was when he was in a dogfight against a particular foe, and the man seemed to not be able to go on. Sakai flew up alongside the injured pilot and encouraged him to fight. In his words, he "wanted the airplane, not the man." I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. Good Book!
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