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Amazon Review

This book is a well written volume on one of the most famous WW2 fighters: the tiny, nimble and effective Mitsubishi A6M “ZERO SEN” that spread terror and destruction during the first phase of the Pacific confrontation. The famed author Peter J. Smith correctly underlines how short sighted were the American and British powers in detecting the menace of this deadly combination: a very advanced fighter piloted by experienced warrior (the Japan fought successfully against China since 1937) among the most determined and trained in the world. Incredibly this short sightedness perpetrated till to the first bloodied duels in the Asian skies between the Zero Sen and the USAAC P-40, the USN/USMC F4F and also the RAF’s Hurricane, all of them inferior to the nimble fighter especially in the low speed dogfights.
However the smarter military officials during 1941 put full throttle to the development of the hugely more advanced F6F HELLCAT, F4U CORSAIR and P-47 THUNDERBOLT fighters in order to prepare the Allied’s power revenge against the Rising Sun empire. Another good addition to this text is the description of the Japanese military culture, forged in centuries of honour and tradition: this tradition brought to the most dramatic level the “kamikaze” phenomenon, indeed with hundreds of young Zero’s pilots determined to die for the Empire.

Author Smith bring also to life the troubled genesis of the Zero Sen’s project, with the Hiro Horikoshi team hard committed to satisfy the near impossible requirements of the IJ Navy.
In the following chapters the book describes the main Zero’s theatre of operation, trailing its career from the first epic triumphs to the tragic defeats during the period 1943 to 1945.

A good and thrilling book, that could have benefitted by the addition of a larger and better iconographic section.

Panorama Difesa/June 2016 – Marco de Montis

There has always been an amount of dispute as to the real place in aviation history for the famous Zero. The author has provided a flowing narrative, examining the strengths and weaknesses of the Mitsubishi Zero. He has considered its early career when the legend was built, and followed it through the end where the dropping of two nuclear bombs removed the need for the Allies to invade the Japanese home islands, where the Zero had been carefully husbanded to be available for mass suicide attacks on invasion forces. The text is supported by a well-selected photo plate section. This is a good review of a famous warplane and will appeal to any reader who has any interest in the Pacific battles and the use of the Zero to achieve the amazing early Japanese advances, followed by the slow death of their ambitions, as the tide of war turned and flowed relentlessly against Japan... The author has followed the fortunes of this famous warplane, providing a real flavour of how its strengths were initially used and then how a shortage of experienced pilots, a dramatic number of carrier sinking's, combined to reduce the effectiveness against the modern Allied aircraft flooding into the theatre

FIRE Project

A handy history of Mitsubishi's legendary Zero. Make it your launch pad to further study of this classic combatant!

Cybermodeler Online

This volume is a very detailed account of the A6M and its operational activity... A well researched history of an aircraft that ruled the skies of the Pacific until overwhelmed by massed production of planes and pilots.

Aeromilitaria

I recommend this book to any aircraft enthusiast.

TRM Review Connect

An interesting and balanced account.

Military Modelling

It is illustrated by well reproduced black and white photographs with comprehensive captions. Extensive footnotes and a useful appendix complete a competent effort at describing the history of a difficult subject to cover.

Aviation News

Japan's most famous fighter has been the subject of many books, so this new one has to offer a good account, which it does admirably.
An interesting a well-researched look at the A6M Zero series.

Aeroplane Monthly