Publisher Description
In November 1944, the U.S. Navy fleet lay at anchor in Ulithi Harbor, deep in the Pacific Ocean, when the oiler USS Mississinewa erupted in a ball of flames. Japan's secret weapon, the Kaiten—a manned suicide submarine—had succeeded in its first mission.
The Kaiten was so secret that even Japanese naval commanders didn't know of its existence. And the Americans kept it secret as well. Embarrassed by the shocking surprise attack, the U.S. Navy refused to salvage or inspect the sunken Mighty Miss. Only decades later would the survivors understand what really happened at Ulithi, when a diving team located the wreck in 2001.
In Kaiten, Michael Mair and Joy Waldron tell the full story from both sides, from the strategic importance of the USS Mississinewa to newly revealed secrets of the Kaiten development and training schools. U.S. Navy survivors recount their gripping experiences in the wake of the attack, as well as the harrowing recovery efforts that came later. Japanese pilots reveal their terrifying experiences training to die for their country and Emperor, never knowing when their moment of doom would come.
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“Narrator
Robertson Dean delivers this detailed and sometimes very personal account of a
desperate and deadly Japanese attack on US forces, which was kept secret by
both sides for years…Author Michael Mair’s father survived the attack. One can
hear Dean’s voice quaver slightly when he recounts the many acts of individual
bravery that resulted in the survival of 236 of the 299 crew members that
fateful day.”
—
AudioFile
About the Authors
Michael Mair is a businessman, historian, and the son of a USS Mississinewa survivor.
He has appeared on various History Channel programs, served as a consultant for
the Canadian television program Sea Hunters, and
contributed to Naval History magazine.
He lives in Platteville, Wisconsin.
Joy Waldron is the
coauthor of The USS Arizona: The
Ship, the Men, the Pearl Harbor Attack, and the Symbol that Aroused America. A journalist and editor, she has published
numerous articles on World War II ships, survivors, and underwater archaeology.
Other journalistic credits include investigative reporting on the search for
the Titanic and
breaking the news worldwide of Robert Ballard’s expedition, including stories
for Smithsonian magazine and others. She lives in Santa
Fe, New Mexico, and Bordeaux, France.
About Robertson Dean
Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.