Proof Through the Night: A B-29 Pilot Captive in Japan

by K.P. Burke

Book Overview

A gripping addition to WWII literature. Little-known history of the B-29 in India and China and a pilot's thirteen months of captivity in Japan. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931105049
• ISBN13: 9781931105040
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Opal Creek Press
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.

Customer Reviews

proof through the night

used book as advertised was just like new and I was happy with the story.

A gripping, first-person saga of endurance

Proof Through The Night: A B-29 Pilot Captive In Japan is the true life saga of Ernest Pickett, as told to able scribe K. P. Burke, of his World War II odyssey and nightmare. Shot down behind enemy lines, Ernest survived the horrendous conditions which the Japanese military authority inflicted upon prisoners of war in general, and hated American bomber pilots in particular. A gripping, first-person saga of endurance, humanity, and the horrors of war, Proof Through The Night is a highly recommended contribution to the growing library of World War II military memoirs.

Compelling, enlightening, and tremendously moving

I have never had any interest in military history, war stories, or the like, and I only half-heartedly started this book upon the recommendation of a friend who assured me that I would love it. Two days later, after reading during every spare moment, I could hardly contain my enthusiasm and have now recommended it to many other reluctant war story readers. The understated, straightforward and conversational tone of this book contrasts dramatically with the extreme circumstances and events described. The result is an even-handed yet sensitively interpreted first-person account of the events leading up to Ernest Pickett's first bombing mission over Japan, his 13-month captivity, and the aftermath. It is tremendously moving, and the details of the planes and military procedures are explained so well that even a non-technical, non-military person like me found them fascinating.

An Excellent Read!

Proof Through the Night puts you on the front lines of the horrors of war and the unbelievable mistreatment that Japanese POW's endured. I wish I could meet these men and shake their hands in thanks for the sacrifices they have made. You're hooked from the beginning: I stayed up all night reading this book.

This book takes you there!

Burke's book about her father's survival takes you straight into 1945 Japan. The story details Ernie Pickett's daily experiences after being shot down during the first daylight raid over the Japanese mainland. He parachuted into the middle of a group of civilians armed with sticks ready to beat him. He was brutally beaten by the Japanese military police. His burns and other injuries were left untreated. He wore the same tattered uniform for months. He learned to kill lice by the thousands. And he walked onto a Navy hospital ship after the Japanese surrender. This is a wonderful book, told in Ernie Pickett's humble, common sense voice. I highly recommend it.