Operation Vengeance: The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War II

On April 18th, the U.S. discovered, he would travel to Rabaul in the South Pacific to visit Japanese troops, then fly to the Japanese airfield at Balalale, 400 miles to the southeast.

Set into motion, the Americans’ plan was one of the most tactically difficult operations of the war.

"Operation Vengeance is colorful, intimate, eye-popping history, delivered at a breakneck pace. I loved it." –Lynn Vincent

The New York Times bestselling author of Viper Pilot delivers an electrifying narrative account of the top-secret U.S. mission to kill Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese commander who masterminded Pearl Harbor.

In 1943, the United States military began to plan one of the most dramatic secret missions of World War II. Its code name was Operation Vengeance. Naval Intelligence had 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. Harvard-educated, Yamamoto was a close confidant of Emperor Hirohito and a brilliant tactician who epitomized Japanese military might. On April 18th, the U.S. discovered, he would travel to Rabaul in the South Pacific to visit Japanese troops, then fly to the Japanese airfield at Balalale, 400 miles to the southeast.

Set into motion, the Americans’ plan was one of the most tactically difficult operations of the war. To avoid detection, U.S. P-38 Lightning 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 timing was also crucial: the slightest miscalculation, even by a few minutes—or a delay on the famously punctual Yamamoto’s end—meant the entire plan would collapse, endangering American lives. But if these remarkable pilots succeeded, they could help turn the tide of the Pacific War—and greatly boost Allied morale.

Informed by deep archival research and his experience as a decorated combat pilot, this gripping piece of military history, Operation Vengeance, focuses on the mission’s pilots and recreates the moment-by-moment drama they experienced in the air. Hampton recreates this epic event in thrilling detail, and provides groundbreaking evidence about what really happened that day.

Operation Vengeance includes 30 black-and-white images.

Operation Vengeance puts you in the cockpit for one of the most daring missions of the war, revealing:

• A Top-Secret Mission: The electrifying true story of how U.S. Naval Intelligence intercepted Admiral Yamamoto’s itinerary and scrambled to plan an impossible long-range aerial ambush.
• High-Stakes Aerial Combat: A gripping, moment-by-moment recreation of the dogfights and drama experienced by the American pilots, written by a decorated combat aviator.
• WWII Aviation History: A deep dive into the legendary P-38 Lightning fighters and the incredible skill required to fly a 1,000-mile mission entirely over open water to a precise, unforgiving timeline.
• The Architect of Pearl Harbor: A fascinating look at Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Harvard-educated, brilliant tactician who epitomized Japanese military might and became America’s most wanted man.