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A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945 Paperback – International Edition, June 14, 1999

by Russell Spurr (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 56 ratings
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The only book to dramatize from both the Japanese and Allied points of view, the events surrounding this tragic, historic last mission of the biggest battleship ever built in the history of naval warfare. 49 b/w photos; graphs, maps, bibliography, index.
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Newmarket Press
  4. Publication date
    June 14, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1557042489
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1557042484
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A Glorious Way To Die: The Kamikaze Mission Of The Battleship Yamato, April 1945 dramatizes the final mission of the biggest battleship every built in the history of naval warfare. Russell Spurr tells the day-by-day historic, tragic, violent events surround the final days of the battleship Yamato from both the Japanese an Allied points of view. A Glorious Way To Die is fascinating naval history and "must" reading for all World War II military studies collections. -- Midwest Book Review

First-rate military history with an unusual human dimension. -- Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Newmarket Press; First Edition (June 14, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1557042489
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1557042484
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 56 ratings

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Russell Spurr

Russell Spurr

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
56 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Eric A. Barth
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2023
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Best account I have seen on the Yamato. Read this some forty years ago, and glad that read it again.
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Monsieur Al
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Account of the Final Mission of Japan's Greatest Symbol
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2010
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Spurr's book, while it may suffer from some transcription errors (see the late Mr. Ray's review below) is none-the-less a superb and highly accurate account of Yamato's "surface kamikaze mission" to Okinawa in April 1945.

Yamato was not only the flagship of the IJN; its very name means 'Japan' as a poetic term dating back hundreds of years. The symbolism was not lost on the Japanese - end of the Battleship Yamato - end of the Japanese Empire.

The final mission was a suicide mission, undertaken by a reluctant admiral who hated throwing away thousands of men, but was in the end convinced to do his duty and turn the world's biggest battleship into the world's biggest decoy, designed to draw USN planes away from the waves of kamikazes attacking the invasion fleet off Okinawa.

Yoshida Mitsuru's first-person account of the final battle from a bridge officer is another must-read for anyone interested in the subject - indeed it is one of the main sources used by Spurr, along with interviews of other survisors.

Battleship Yamato is remembered in Japan today in a similar way to how the Texians of the 19th century remembered the Alamo.

And she was a magnificent ship to boot. In her one action against American ships off Samar in the Philippines in Oct 1944 she hit four different American ships, sinking one light carrier (Gambier Bay), and contributing to the sinking of two destroyers (Johnston and Hoel.)
4 people found this helpful
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W. Wilmeth
4.0 out of 5 stars So They Thought ,,,
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2017
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Interesting read. A little more detail than I could quite digest, especially as to the damage being done to the ship as the Americans attacked.
One person found this helpful
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matt8386
5.0 out of 5 stars Morbid Fascination
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2009
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The Yamato Battleship is one of those topics that never ceases to attract interest. Like the German Bismark, this ship was a victory of propaganda, pride of the nation and as such, too risky to loose. So many resources were put into this massive project from such a small nation as Japan. It was a technological masterpiece.

The largest battleship ever built, the Yamato only fired its massive 18" guns once in anger, during the battle of the Phillipine Sea - a battle which the Japanese almost won, but snatched a loss from the jaws of victory. The last voyage of the Yamato was a suicide trip, a desperate measure from a nation desperate to delay the inevitable loss of the war. At the time it was built, neither the Japanese nor the US Navies realized that the Air Craft Carriers would be the decisive ships of the war.

I highly recommend this book because it gives the story from the Japanese perspective. Everyone knew it was a suicide trip, yet all were commited to die with honor for their Emperor. It is important to read and understand the other side's view of what happened in history, and this book does just that. This is not a book for those seeking technical information about the Yamato, but rather creates a "you-were-there" picture.
5 people found this helpful
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ron roepke
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good and informative reading
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2022
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I'm not a big reader but this book keeps you interested from start to finish. Gives you an idea of what people believe in. The sacrifice people will give.
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Jeff Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Overall Book on the Yamato's Final Sortie
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2001
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Other reviews have eloquently praised this wonderful book, so I'll restrict my remarks to related material.
If this subject interest you, try Yoshida Mitsuru's book: "Requiem for the Battleship Yamato". This is a first-person account of Yamato's final mission, and is one of the greatest literary accomplishments of World War II.
And to the reviewer who wanted Spielberg to make a movie of this story, please know that several films about the Yamato's final voyage have already been made in Japan. At least one film was made in the fifties, another version, "Rengo Kantai" (the Grand Fleet) was released in 1981, and a film called the "Battleship Yamato" was released a few years ago. None of these are available in the United States. Hopefully, someone will see fit to import at least one of the recent films (both reportedly lavish productions), as any of these would be preferable to a U.S. production.
15 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book. Out of print and not in electronic format, so I had to get a used copy to reread .
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2022
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The presentation of the Japanese and American perspectives is unique and explained within the context of the times
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Roken
4.0 out of 5 stars Goods research...Well written
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2014
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Good deep account of Japan's final days and the demise of their prized battleship.detail from both sides of the battle was excellent
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Top reviews from other countries

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Tristan
5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book on the sinking of Yamato
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2021
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The whole book read slightly different than I Probably expected it, each chapter reading from a different persons point of view, all the way from sailors and naval commanders on the Japanese side to US Navy admirals and flyboys eventually opposing them. It smoothly flows between their accounts and the bigger picture around them at the time, giving us both the operations larger scale factual information and combining it with the individuals personal view from the ground or deck. It is a little slow overall, the build up and decisions, the fuelling and sailing, and associates bigger picture text being most of the book, while the actual action and sinking takes up less than the last quarter of the book. If your looking for just action accounts, it may not be for you. However it’s a great dive in of the Japanese navy at the end of the war, and the collapse of the navy and nation at this point, little is left and yet the war must go on to a success that is beyond impossible, yet nobody can suggest that possibility. It’s a great book, the definitive account on the whole operation I would say, and probably the best account on what the navy was facing on the later half of the Pacific war
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Graham
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2022
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The author presents a fascinating story of the culture in Japan at the time, and events leading up to this futile waste of life and resources.
A very well presented narration, easy to read and hard to put down. The sheer scale of waste of life in war is always difficult to grasp and this event is that on steroids, but with the back ground and history leading up to this point, the reader can better understand how this occurred.
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高田幸子Sachiko Takada
5.0 out of 5 stars 私の元ボスのイギリス人は戦記ものが大好きで、クリスマスギフトの送りました、電話がかかり、大層喜んでくれました、
Reviewed in Japan on January 6, 2013
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クリスマスギフトとして元ボスのイギリス人に送りました、大層喜んでくれました、
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Inquisio
5.0 out of 5 stars Yamato lived
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2011
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I had studied the World War 2 battleships, mainly British, but American as well. This led inexorably to an even greater abiding interest in submarines. Through reading many books about Uboats and their ilk, I became interested in American submarines and this, led in turn to the history of submarines lying in wait for the expected Imperial Japanese Fleet leaving the safe anchorage behind the southern island of mainland Japan, Kyushu.
In my relentless pursuit of fresh reading I stumbled on this book. It tells of the harrowing tale of the demise of the largest battleship ever built, the perceived governmental/military establishment of wartime Japan with their creed, honor and discipline. It shifts between the American forces and the aircraft carriers, the pilots, the planes, the submarines, the ships and then back to the Kamikaze pilots and bombers, and of course the battle fleet.
It is told in great detail, from eye witness sources, survivors of both sides, plus, details, seldom known about the Yamato due to it's inherent secrecy of build, usage and deployment.
I found the book very absorbing, well written and researched. Thoroughly recommended tome, even after the 1981 publishing date has long gone.
4 people found this helpful
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bf109g
5.0 out of 5 stars 戦艦大和の水上特攻の真実
Reviewed in Japan on January 3, 2005
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かって英国海軍中尉だった著者が戦後３０年かけて日米双方の資料、著書、生存者へのインタビュ－を基に描いた貴重なドラマです。英語は大学生レベルで読みやすく、活字も大きいです。ただ軍の階級が英海軍式なので馴れない方は邦語訳の”戦艦大和の運命”をガイドにすると良いです。原著には邦語訳で省かれた護衛の第２水雷船隊司令、各艦長達の特攻出撃時の不満。ベニヤ板で覆われた米軍の航空魚雷の写真。大和の回復不能な左舷への傾斜を復元させるため右舷の都合の良い場所へ敵の魚雷の命中を謀る第２艦隊参謀長森下少将の姿等が描かれており、一読の価値は十分にあると思います。
4 people found this helpful
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