Dead Reckoning: The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took on Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor

“[A] white-knuckle tale” of the targeted kill . . .of the admiral behind the Pearl Harbor attack “sheds new light on an important . . .turning point in the war” (USA Today).

On December seven, 1941, the Japanese navy launched a surprise aerial assault on U.S. bases on Hawaii. In a little over two hours, more than two,400 Americans were dead, propelling the U.S.’s entry into World War II.

Dead Reckoning is the true story of the high-stakes operation undertaken to avenge that deadly strike. Expertly crafting this “hunt for Bin Laden” —style WWII story, New York Times–bestselling author Dick Lehr recreates the tension-filled events leading up to the climactic clash in the South Pacific skies.

Lehr goes behind the scenes at Station Hypo on Hawaii, where U.S. Navy code breakers first discovered exactly where and when to find Admiral Yamamoto, and then chronicles in dramatic detail the nerve-wracking mission to kill him.

Lehr focuses on Army Air Force Major John W. Mitchell, the ace fighter pilot tasked with conceiving a flight route. Given unprecedented access to Mitchell’s personal papers, Lehr reveals for the first time the full story of Mitchell’s wartime exploits up to the face-off with Yamamoto, along with those of key American pilots Mitchell chose for the momentous mission. The spotlight also shines on their enemy target –Admiral Yamamoto, the enigmatic, charismatic commander in chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet.

“Riveting . . .Major John Mitchell and his avenger flyboys emerge in these pages as true-blue military heroes of the Greatest Generation.” — Douglas Brinkley

“Lehr is a gifted raconteur. . . .[His] telling . . .has the excitement of a Steve McQueen car chase.” — Wall Street Journal

© 2020 Harper (Audiobook): 9780063007550
© 2024 Harper (Ebook): 9780062448521

Release date

Audiobook: 9 June 2020
Ebook: 19 March 2024