Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her

Traces the story of the May 11, 1945 attack on the USS Bunker Hill while evaluating its legacy as the war's deadliest kamikaze assault, explaining how the ship and crew's resilience proved pivotal to the Allied victory in the Pacific. 60,000 first printing.

History

Kennedy, Maxwell Taylor

Americas

Simon&Schuster

In the closing months of World War II, Americans found themselves facing a new and terrifying weapon: kamikazes -- the first men to use airplanes as suicide weapons. By the beginning of 1945, American pilots were shooting down Japanese planes more than ten to one. The Japanese had so few metals left that the military had begun using wooden coins and clay pots for hand grenades. For the first time in 800 years, Japan faced imminent invasion. As Germany faltered, the combined strength of every warring nation gathered at Japan's door. Desperate, Japan turned to its most idealistic young men -- the best and brightest college students -- and demanded of them the greatest sacrifice. On the morning of May 11, 1945, days after the Nazi surrender, the USS Bunker Hill -- a magnificent vessel that held thousands of crewmen and the most sophisticated naval technology available -- was holding at the Pacific Theater, 70 miles off the coast of Okinawa. At precisely 9:58 a.m., Kiyoshi Ogawa radioed in to his base at Kanoya, 350 miles from the Bunker Hill, "I found the enemy vessels." After eighteen months of training, Kiyoshi tucked a comrade's poem into his breast pocket and flew his Zero five hours across the Pacific. Now the young Japanese pilot had located his target and was on the verge of fulfilling his destiny. At 10:02.30 a.m., as he hovered above the Bunker Hill, hidden in a mass of clouds, Kiyoshi spoke his last words: "Now, I am nose-diving into the ship." The attack killed 393 Americans and was the worst suicide attack against America until September 11. Juxtaposing Kiyoshi's story with the stories of untold heroism of the men aboard the Bunker Hill, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy details how American sailors and airmen worked together, risking their own lives to save their fellows and ultimately triumphing in their efforts to save their ship. Drawing on years of research and firsthand interviews with both American and Japanese survivors, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy draws a gripping portrait of men bravely serving their countries in war and the advent of a terrifying new weapon, suicide bombing, that nearly halted the most powerful nation in the world.

Throughout the 1960s, Robert F. Kennedy kept a private journal of favorite quotations, recording the philosophies of great leaders and thinkers throughout history. Thirty years after his father's tragic death, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy has culled the highlights of this journal, along with moving portions of Robert Kennedy's most memorable speeches, to create an inspiring, immortal voice for his father's vision. With passages on freedom, democracy, civil rights, education, justice, tragedy, and peace, Make Gentle the Life of This World speaks powerfully to America's unstoppable drive for a better world. Complemented by poignant photographs of Robert Kennedy, this is an extraordinary tribute to an extraordinary hero, whose dream for America has never been extinguished.

Make Gentle the Life of This World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Broadway Books

Based on extensive interviews with Japanese and American survivors, letters, diaries, and other primary sources, Danger's Hour explores the May 11, 1945, attack on the USS Bunker Hill, one of the deadliest kamikaze attacks of World War II. The book details the story of the ship herself (a technological marvel), her crew, and her kamikaze adversaries. Maxwell Taylor Kennedy shows how crucial this battle was to victory in the Pacific, even though it was overshadowed by the almost simultaneous surrender of the Nazis in Europe. With this extensive research, Kennedy tells the human story on both sides of the battle.

Tantor Media, Inc.

Based on extensive interviews with Japanese and American survivors, letters, diaries, and other primary sources, Danger's Hour explores the May 11, 1945, attack on the USS Bunker Hill, one of the deadliest kamikaze attacks of World War II. The book details the story of the ship  herself (a technological marvel), her crew, and her kamikaze adversaries. Maxwell Taylor Kennedy shows how crucial this battle was to victory in the Pacific, even though it was overshadowed by the almost simultaneous surrender of the Nazis in Europe. With this extensive research, Kennedy tells the human story on both sides of the battle.

Tantor Audio

Maxwell Taylor Kennedy takes readers on a wild ride as he relates the harrowing voyage to deliver his boat, Valkyrien, a 90-foot dilapidated wooden schooner, from San Francisco to Washington, DC.

Sea Change: A Man, a Boat, a Journey Home

Leaders & Notable People

Center Point

In this fast-paced and rollicking book, author Maxwell Taylor Kennedy takes readers on a wild ride as he relates the harrowing voyage to deliver his boat, Valkyrien, a 90-foot dilapidated wooden schooner, from San Francisco to Washington, DC. From day one, Kennedy and his skeleton crew face difficult odds and personal danger in their quest to make the crossing. Rich in nautical detail and humor, Kennedy recounts his adventure―its pleasures and perils―as he encounters never-ending technical problems and a hilarious cast of characters. As everything goes wrong and trouble and losses mount, Kennedy must rely on instinct and a lifetime of sailing experience to endure, steered by the love of his family, his respect for the sea, and his admiration for those who dare to venture far from shore.

Sea Change: A Man, A Boat, and A Journey Home

Humor & Entertainment

Islandport Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kennedy, Maxwell Taylor. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kennedy, Maxwell Taylor

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kennedy, Maxwell Taylor. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her

Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her

Make Gentle the Life of This World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy

Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her

Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her

Sea Change: A Man, a Boat, a Journey Home

Sea Change: A Man, A Boat, and A Journey Home