Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: boneyfreak on January 13, 2007, 04:27:28 PM

Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: boneyfreak on January 13, 2007, 04:27:28 PM
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/cc/stevens.html
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Karnak on January 13, 2007, 04:51:44 PM
Saburo Sakai seems to have been one of the good ones.  One of the guys who any air force would have been proud to have.
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: mussie on January 13, 2007, 04:55:19 PM
wow, what a story

Thanks for the link
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: BaldEagl on January 13, 2007, 06:25:11 PM
Great story.  Thanks.
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: porkfrog on January 13, 2007, 09:18:40 PM
yes, brought a tear to my eye. thanks for sharing the link.
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Bruv119 on January 14, 2007, 08:26:50 AM
His story  

Samurai!  

Has been my favourite read yet.  There has been many re-prints of his biography.  I managed to pick up a 1970's one for a pound in good condition.
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: The Fury on January 14, 2007, 08:51:43 AM
Very touching story thnx for sharing.

That guy is a True Hero.




:aok
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Viking on January 14, 2007, 08:58:19 AM
Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing!
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: jedi25 on January 14, 2007, 09:54:36 AM
What a story guys..
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Helrazr1 on January 14, 2007, 10:00:41 AM
Great read, thanks for the link!
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: palef on January 14, 2007, 04:47:27 PM
See? You do have to be one eyed to fly a Niki.
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: TimRas on January 15, 2007, 12:11:03 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Bruv119
His story  

Samurai!  

Has been my favourite read yet.  There has been many re-prints of his biography.  I managed to pick up a 1970's one for a pound in good condition.


Then maybe you should read this too:
http://www.warbirdforum.com/samurai.htm

"First off, let me say that this is one of the grand combat memoirs of World War II--but you knew that, right? If you haven't already done so, go ahead and buy it. It's definitely worth owning.
Now let me mention some of its flaws. They begin with the true author, who was not Sakai but the late sci-fi and aviation writer Martin Caidin. It's a shame that this unique story fell into Caidin's dream factory, in which speed generally trumped accuracy."


"It might surprise the reader to learn that, despite the millions of copies of Samurai being sold since its publication in 1957, Sakai has never received a penny in royalties due to him."
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Oldman731 on January 15, 2007, 01:53:43 PM
Quote
Originally posted by palef
See? You do have to be one eyed to fly a Niki.

"Take that idiot [Minoru] Genda. He could barely fly, but he jumped up and down about the Shiden-kai ["George"], so everybody else pretended to like it, too. That plane was a piece of crap, put together by a third-rate firm [Kawanishi]."

- Saburo Sakai interview, 11 August 1998, http://www.warbirdforum.com/sakai2.htm

- Oldman (with thanks to TimRas)
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: eilif on January 15, 2007, 03:19:28 PM
Very good read, thanks for sharin'.
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: palef on January 15, 2007, 04:33:23 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Oldman731
"Take that idiot [Minoru] Genda. He could barely fly, but he jumped up and down about the Shiden-kai ["George"], so everybody else pretended to like it, too. That plane was a piece of crap, put together by a third-rate firm [Kawanishi]."

- Saburo Sakai interview, 11 August 1998, http://www.warbirdforum.com/sakai2.htm

- Oldman (with thanks to TimRas)


Thought about quoting that, but thought I'd say something tongue in cheek on my own.

I'm certain that most WWII fanbois (myself included) will be aware of the discrepancies between stated performance and actual performance of late war Japanese aircraft. Abysmal quality control and fuel made from nuts can render the most excellent weapons systems impotent.
:)
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Fencer51 on January 15, 2007, 08:42:01 PM
Any of the Bantam War Book series from the 70s into the 80s are excellent reads and classics.  Samarai was one of these books and an excellent read.  His fight against a swarm of Hellcats is awe inspiring.

Bring the Raiden to AH2. :aok
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Bodhi on January 15, 2007, 10:23:25 PM
excellent story.  Thanks!
Title: interesting history Saburo Sakai
Post by: Mark Luper on January 15, 2007, 10:55:23 PM
Great post! :aok

I had read "Samurai" and liked it. Had the copy in paperback but don't know where it is since my divorce. Think I still have it. Would be worth reading again.

Mark