Operation Vengeance

On April 18th, the U.S. discovered, he would travel to Rabaul in the South Pacific to visit Japanese troops, then fly to the Japanese airfield at Balalale, 400 miles to the southeast.

Set into motion, the Americans’ plan was one of the most tactically difficult operations of the war.

Reviews

"Colorful details, no-nonsense prose, and meticulous research make this an essential retelling of Yamamoto's death." — Publishers Weekly“For seventy-seven years ‘Operation Vengeance’ has fascinated military historians.  At least three previous books have addressed the subject since the 1960s but not until now has the story been told in such detail.  Dan Hampton combines an intimate knowledge of military aviation with an eye for detail that removes any lingering doubt: the admiral who planned the Pearl Harbor attack was downed by an Oregon farm boy named Rex Barber.”  — BARRETT TILLMAN, author of Whirlwind"Satisfying. ... Vivid and engaging. ... [Gives] credit where it's due." — Kirkus Reviews"A brilliant read. ... Riveting. ... Hampton’s story and the amazing details he offers puts the reader right inside of the cockpit of the P-38. ... An electrifying page-turner." — SOFREP“Dan Hampton's vivid writing transported me from an Oregon farm, where a young boy dreamed of becoming a fighter ace, to a top-secret kill mission and an epic moment of American justice exacted high over the South Pacific. Sweeping across much of the Pacific war along the way, Operation Vengeance is colorful, intimate, eye-popping history delivered at a breakneck pace. I loved it.”  — LYNN VINCENT, New York Times Bestselling Coauthor of Indianapolis"Operation Vengeance is a whacking great read every bit as exciting as the real mission.”  — STEPHEN COONTS, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Russia Account"The accessible storytelling by Hampton will likely be of interest for aficionados of the period." — Library Journal