Kamikaze: Japan's Last Bid for Victory

This enlightening WWII history examines Japans Kamikaze Corps of special forces pilots who engaged in terrifying suicide attacks.

By late 1944, the Japanese had already proved themselves fanatical in their quest for victory. But the actions of the Kamikaze Corps took matters to a new level. Western military forces were dumbfounded by an enemy strategy of deliberate self-sacrifice.

Beginning with the Leyte Gulf battle, Kamikaze attacks continued during the invasion of the Philippines in early 1945 and reached a climax during the months-long Battle of Okinawa. In total, more than a thousand kamikaze airmen perished.

In Kamikaze, historian Adrian Stewart examines the historic and cultural roots of the unique and unsettling phenomenon. He also provides graphic descriptions of these suicide attacks and their devastating impact on Allied forces.