Suicide Squads: The Men and Machines of WWII Special Operations

Military historian Richard O'Neill offers a detailed exploration - including the evolution, the types, and the effects - of explosive motorboats (which offered "the prospect of spectacular gain at little cost"), midget submarines (Japanese, Italian, German, and British), and manned aircraft, as well as human torpedoes, human bullets, and kamikaze aircraft. He also describes the actions themselves - the attack on Pearl Harbor, the raid on Sydney Harbor, and Special Forces missions at Guadalcanal, Midway, and Okinawa, among others. And he provides insights into the samurai and bushido codes of conduct that inspired ritual suicide.

The story of these special attack forces remains a testimony to ingenuity, desperation, and courage.