This two-volume work, of which this is the first volume, contains writings of over 400 Japanese men, most in their late teens and early twenties, who died during the final ten months of World War II in what non-Japanese people call suicide or kamikaze attacks. The letters, diary entries, and poems were written after assignment to the Special Attack Corps, which had the mission to carry out sure-death attacks to sink Allied ships. Many writings include typical militaristic and patriotic expressions popular during the war, but the selected writings also provide insights into the men’s thinking, emotions, and concerns as they confronted impending death. Most writings appear in English for the first time.