"A powerful tale about how an intersection of youth, patriotism and sacrifice ended in a fiery, suicidal assault on an American warship. More than recounting a battle, this is a very human story that relives one of the most painful episodes of World War II."--James P. Delgado, Author of "Silent Killers: Submarines and Underwater Warfare" and "Khublai Khan's Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada" "Mair and Waldron masterfully interweave World War II documents, interviews, and oral histories of two opposing nations in mortal conflict to create a rare and intimate view of the Pacific War that provokes the reader to rethink the boundaries of individual courage and national patriotism."--Larry E. Murphy, Chief (retired), Submerged Resources Center, National Park Service "A crisp, persuasive narrative about a little-known, but startling World War II attack...Mair and Waldron portray the story from both perspectives, constantly building to a dramatic, fiery crescendo. Their profiles of American and Japanese sailors add poignancy to a compelling story of battle disaster, death and survival."--David Sears, Author of "Pacific Air "and "At War with the Wind" "This doomed mission almost became lost in history after the atomic explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But the authors of "Kaiten "have pulled together the story, and populated it with flesh-and-blood warriors on both sides of the conflict...This book can take its place alongside "Shadow Divers "and "Unbroken "as a graphic, living story from the worst war the world has ever known."--Richard McCord, Journalist, Editor and Publisher of the "Santa Fe Reporter" and Author of "The Chain Gang: One Newspaper versus the Gannett Empire" "If you like reading history with the details to bring it to back to life, you'll enjoy "Kaiten"."--Ralph Wilbanks, underwater archaeologist and NUMA expedition leader

A businessman and historian, Michael Mair is the son of a USS" Mississinewa "survivor." "He began research for this book in 1995, including extensive interviews with other survivors and naval personnel stationed in the Pacific at the crucial time in 1944. 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 professional 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 roundup stories for "Smithsonian "magazine and others. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Bordeaux, France.