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Mrazek (Stonewall's Gold) brilliantly captures the bravery of Squadron Eight in World War II's pivotal battle of Midway and the unit's subsequent involvement at Guadalcanal. Presented in logbook format, the author's clipped narrative offers fascinating vignettes of the aviators' prewar lives. At Midway the squadron, in obsolete torpedo bombers without fighter protection, was ordered to attack Japanese carriers-and was nearly decimated. Mrazek indicts the captain and air commander of the formation's carrier, the USS Hornet, for this fiasco and intimates that the squadron may have been used as a decoy to benefit high-altitude dive bombers as they took the greatest toll on the enemy flattops. Following Midway, Squadron Eight was reassigned to the USS Saratoga as part of a task force charged with expelling the Japanese from Guadalcanal. Mrazek's gripping account of the group's bombing activities is rich in detail and tactical analysis. A special treat is Mrazek's winsome epilog, which details the postwar achievements of the surviving squadron officers and men. A well-written and meticulously researched account of one of America's most distinguished World War II aerial groups; recommended for general military and aviation collections and all libraries.
—John Carver Edwards
Considering the fairly short existence of Torpedo Squadron 8 and its disastrous losses of planes and aircrews at the Battle of Midway, you would not think that anybody could write a very substantial or readable history of this squadron and the heroic men who made it up. Yet this is what author Mrazek has done, with diligent research and numerous personal interviews with surviving squadron personnel. From the opening pages on he literally puts you in the squadron, both aboard USS Hornet and ashore at Midway with the TBF Avenger detachment, and later in the tropical muck of Guadalcanal. You get to know the guys who flew, and also the wrench-turners who worked hard to get planes in the air. Don't plan anything you can't re-schedule after you start this book, you will find it hard to put down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Gary_Graf
Posted March 25, 2009
Torpedo Squadron Eight was the most decorated Navy squadron of World War Two. Much has been written in print and portrayed in movies about their heroic actons during 1942. This book uncovers new details through personal interviews and extensive research that cuts through some of the hype and tells the story in a very personal and touching way. Some leaders of the American forces at Midway and Guadalcanal made poor decisions with disasterous consequences for many of the brave men that died as a result. Author Robert Mrazek gives an exiting and compassionate of what really happened.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.GlennMN
Posted February 9, 2009
"A Dawn Like Thunder" is truly a masterful, gripping account of the history of USN Torpedo Squadron 8. The writing is superb, the author's management of timelines is impeccable, and he blends the personal biographies of each participant with the chronology of events with a skill I haven't enjoyed since reading Shelby Foote's 3-volume history of the Civil War. This is tremendous reading - I had trouble putting it down, and I recommend it to anyone interested in WWII.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 2, 2012
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An excellant read. Mr. Mrazak's experience in writing novels serves him well in this non-fiction work. His writing style is easy to read and very enjoyable. I enjoyed it enough to read it twice.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.2477649
Posted April 18, 2011
I have read just about every book on US military history I can get my hands on. This book is an easy read and will pull you in like a well read novel.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A Dawn like Thunder is an excellent read. I've read quite a few books on Midway and the Cactus Air Force, but until now there hasn't been a definitive study on TBS 8. Getting to know the squadron "warts and all" makes this aspect of American history that much more interesting.
I would have liked a bit more of the Japanese point of view, but ignoring that minor blip this is a wonderful example of research and respect for the subject of that research.
Tsip89
Posted May 2, 2009
Don't assume this is yet another WWII book about battles, high level commanders, etc. These are well written personal stories about the pilots who participated in the Midway and Guadalcanal campaigns. I place it in the "couldn't put it down" category.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 27, 2009
I gave the book as a gift to my boyfriend for our anniversary. He is a big history buff. He thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it to be easy reading for such a large book. He has a friend who also enjoys history and he gave it to him to read. He would not have done that had he not enjoyed it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I bought this book for my husband who is a reluctant reader. He could not put this book down. We would turn off the TV in the evening so we could spend our time reading. He has just recently taken to reading and this book has been one of his favorites. It has been a wonderful experience for me to see him becoming quite a reader. He isn't ready for fiction books yet; but has totally enjoyed the Viet Nam and WW II stories he has read. This was a big book and he read it in only 2 weeks.
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Overview
One of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal. These 35 American men--many flying outmoded aircraft--changed the course of history, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval aviation history.Mrazek paints moving portraits of the men in the squadron, and exposes a shocking cover-up that cost many lives. Filled with thrilling scenes of battle, betrayal, and sacrifice, A DAWN LIKE THUNDER is destined to become a classic in the ...