Fu-go

November 1, 2014

At the end of World War II, the Japanese deployed thousands of high-altitude hydrogen balloons equipped with explosives and incendiary devices into the jet stream in hopes that they would drift to North America and start forest fires in the Western United States. When these paper balloons began to land, the U.S. government censored any reports in an effort to keep the news of their discovery from the Japanese. In this work, historian Coen (Breaking Ice for Arctic Oil) provides a detailed chronicle of the balloons, from the Japanese military's original plans for the attack to the young women who spent long days creating paper for the flying objects to the reactions of American and Canadian militaries. Coen's research on this topic is extensive and includes images of the balloons from Japan, Canada, and the States. Also supplied is an appendix mapping and identifying the 285 balloons that were recovered from crash sites across North America. The author provides a well-researched text of one of the most beguiling attacks of World War II. VERDICT This story about a little-known failed military excursion by the Japanese will appeal to general history readers as well as military history buffs. Recommended.--John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston

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