The story of the kamizake or tokkōtai is among the most tragic and misunderstood in the history of World War II. Commonly remembered as suicide pilots who volunteered to die for their country, a significantly large number of these student soldiers were in fact gentle souls who were forced into their desperate mission. Fortunately, some of the kamizake also wrote diaries, and six of them are collected here in this heartbreaking but much needed corrective to their many caricatures.

Read the press release. Read an excerpt from the book.