Reddit reviews Flyboys: A True Story of Courage

However it is true for the Pacific campaign. Mainland Japan was largely destroyed by fire bombings. Here is a page that shows the comparison to territory burned in American city equivalents. For example, Tokyo was 51% destroyed by fire bombing alone and that is equivalent to New York City.

Obviously the nuclear capabilities that the allies possessed finally broke the will of the Japanese to keep fighting. But fire bombing was devastating and likely could have achieved the same results over a bit more time.

A great book that tells of the fire bombing campaign and US aviators in general during World War II is Flyboys - By James Bradley.

> random youtube videos

Haven't seen one YouTube video on the subject. Did read Flyboys though.

>bigotted/ignorant dreck

And yet your comment sounds so balanced.

The Japanese had "doctors" trained to be butchers. They would lash you to a tree and harvest the meat of your lower body and not hit the arteries. You would last a day or so. The next day they would come back and finish you. American and Ausie troops came up on men then half harvested and had to shoot them. They were sworn to secrecy. It was pretty much brought out by the author of Flags of Our Fathers. It's an amazing terribly awful thing to read. The first three chapters are the best short history primer you will find leading up to the war.

https://www.amazon.com/Flyboys-Story-Courage-James-Bradley/dp/031610728X

This whole situation was documented in the book Fly Boys! I read this book before the movie came out and was extremely disappointed to find out that the movie was about WWI pilots and not this amazing true story! https://www.amazon.com/Flyboys-Story-Courage-James-Bradley/dp/031610728X

One of the more interesting factlets I heard about it was that the Japanese Navy was much more 'decent' and respectful of international conventions and the Law of the Sea, than the Japanese Army.

The Japanese army has been called the most brutal in the history of war. I doubt this could be true or verified, but say, in recent history.

Here's one I've read... gives a good history of Japan's perspective and reasons for going to war, and tells of some coverup of some of Japan's horrific atrocities -- because they were deemed too upsetting to the families of the victims. http://www.amazon.com/Flyboys-A-True-Story-Courage/dp/031610728X