Requiem for Battleship Yamato

By: Yoshida Mitsuru, Richard Minear - translator

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

Requiem for Battleship Yamato is Yoshida Mitsuru's story of his own experience as a junior naval officer aboard the fabled Japanese battleship as it set out on a last, desperate sortie in April 1945. Yoshida was on the bridge during Yamato's fatal encounter with American airplanes, and his eloquent, moving account of that battle makes a singular contribution to the literature of the Pacific war. The book has long been considered a classic in both Japan and the United States. As with most great battle stories, its ultimate concern is less bombs and bullets than human nature, less death than life.

©1985 University of Washington Press (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A personal view with clarity of his minds view

A personal view of the things that are happening around him, a devotion to his job and at the same time utterly astounded by life and death and the transition from the former to the latter before his eyes, all the while moving constantly, the quick chatter between his crew mates, the mind working it's magic during the intensity of the moment,

Japanese Naval history at its very best. Can’t go wrong listening to it.

Couldn’t stop listening to a historically best written book I have read in years. Please download it

Should be required reading

I grew up reading books about war and still do.

This somehow did. It show up on my radar until my dad recommended it last month. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

I’d read other books from the Japanese perspective—like Japanese destroyer captain—but this was easier to read given there’s no killing of Americans.

What sets this book apart—aside from the first hand take on Japan’s glorification of death—was how miserable it is to fight America. The author describes it like poetry. For example, he describes trying to hit American planes with antiairfcraft fire as akin to “trying to catch butterflies with your hands.”

He is continually impressed with American ingenuity and precision.

Couldn’t recommend anymore

Oh, it’s super short too. It goes quick.

interesting insight

Not so much a story about the battle or the ship. It is an insightful look in the culture behind the Japanese Imperial Navy. The acceptance that the game was lost, and futility of the conflict leading up to these events. Real history, not popular history.

Gripping and factual story

the orator was very well versed, the story of the Yamato was very compelling and the fact that it was told by a survivor made it much more riveting. The use of personal memories and letters from crew members added such a insightful view of the Japanese sailor as to how they conducted themselves in battle and at rest was very telling of how and why they were so very brutal and aggressive towards lesser ranks and to prisoners. The brutality that they had to the lesser class structure on board ship, basically kept everyone in a state of fear and submission so that if they would have tried to be derelict in there duties at there post, they would be to fearful of the repercussions they would face from peers or officers.
l thoroughly enjoyed the book and will replay it again. I will also look for it in hardback edition to add to my collection.