The Kamikaze Hunters

[keith A]

I should put this in the book reviews but it's been around for a few years and maybe has disappeared off the radar a bit. I am reading it now and frankly put in the same class as Norman Hanson's "Carrier Pilot" and "Heaven high, Ocean deep" by Tim Hillier-Grave. So many famous characters get a mention and add both depth and colour to the training and operation of the BPF. If you are interested in this area of ops then it's worth getting a copy

regards

Keith

[Tom Semenza]

Cheers, Keith, just ordered a copy.

Tom

[keith A]

Good decision Tom. It's a cracking read. Well-balanced and insightful. I hadn't realised how wild Navy pilots could be. British films like the excellent "Cruel Sea" and "Sink the Bismarck" show solid, responsible warriors. Even "Carrier pilot" is quite muted, possibly because Hanson is a mature married man. Hank Adlam and Hugh Popham give us a bit of insight too. This book adds to the picture shown in "Heaven high..." that these young men dealt with combat stress through alcohol and high jinks.

best regards

Keith