1943. Naval Intelligence intercepted the itinerary of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, whose stealth attack on Pearl Harbor precipitated America's entry into the war. On April 18th he would travel to Rabaul in the South Pacific to visit Japanese troops, then fly to the Japanese airfield at Ballale, 400 miles to the southeast. Operation Vengeance was born. To avoid detection, U.S. pilots had to embark on a circuitous, 1,000-mile odyssey that would test not only their skills but the physical integrity of their planes. The slightest miscalculation, even by a few minutes, meant the entire plan would collapse. Hampton focuses on the mission's pilots and recreates the moment-by-moment drama they experienced in the air. -- adapted from jacket.

Author's note -- Foreword by Rex Barber Jr. and Rex Barber III -- Prologue -- Cauldron -- The twilight -- Down but never out -- Shoestring -- The American toe -- Borrowed lives -- Magnificent courage -- At any cost -- Sharks and dolphins -- The eight-fingered samurai -- Vengeance -- Dominoes -- Epilogue.