Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 4,610 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 12-28-2024


About this item

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE From America’s “forgotten war” in Korea comes an unforgettable tale of courage by the author of A Higher Call.

“In the spirit of Unbroken and The Boys in the Boat comes Devotion.”—Associated Press “Aerial drama at its best—fast, powerful, and moving.”—Erik Larson

Devotion tells the inspirational story of the U.S. Navy’s most famous aviation duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, and the Marines they fought to defend. A white New Englander from the country-club scene, Tom passed up Harvard to fly fighters for his country. An African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, Jesse became the navy’s first Black carrier pilot, defending a nation that wouldn’t even serve him in a bar.

While much of America remained divided by segregation, Jesse and Tom joined forces as wingmen in Fighter Squadron 32. Adam Makos takes us into the cockpit as these bold young aviators cut their teeth at the world’s most dangerous job—landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier—a line of work that Jesse’s young wife, Daisy, struggles to accept.

Deployed to the Mediterranean, Tom and Jesse meet the Fleet Marines, boys like PFC “Red” Parkinson, a farm kid from the Catskills. In between war games in the sun, the young men revel on the Riviera, partying with millionaires and even befriending the Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor. Then comes the conflict that no one expected: the Korean War.

Devotion takes us soaring overhead with Tom and Jesse, and into the foxholes with Red and the Marines as they battle a North Korean invasion. As the fury of the fighting escalates and the Marines are cornered at the Chosin Reservoir, Tom and Jesse fly, guns blazing, to try and save them. When one of the duo is shot down behind enemy lines and pinned in his burning plane, the other faces an unthinkable choice: watch his friend die or attempt history’s most audacious one-man rescue mission.

A tug-at-the-heartstrings tale of bravery and selflessness, Devotion asks: How far would you go to save a friend?


Top reviews from the United States

  • Kim Jasper
    5.0 out of 5 stars I like that Makos tells the story of two men who ...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2015
    Makos's book tells the true story of the friendship between Jessie Brown, the first African American naval aviator, and Tom Hudner, a privileged white man from Massachusetts who turns down a Harvard education in order to attend the Naval Academy to become a fighter during the Korean War. Jessie invariably faces discrimination from some of his squadron mates, but Tom is able to see past the man's skin color. Makos, journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller, A Higher Call, spent years interviewing family members of Jessie, Hudner, veterans, and old crew members--in addition to travelling to the battlefields in Korea-- to share this story of Tom and Jessie.

    Devotion takes the reader on Tom and Jessie's first deployment, allowing the reader to get to know them and the rest of the flyers on a more intimate level. An extensive portion of the book is also devoted to telling the story of the U.S. Marines engaged on the ground, thereby giving the reader a much broader context in which to consider the story of the two main figures. Tom and Jessie's friendship deepens as they fly missions in support of the Marines fighting on the ground, and it is during one of these missions that Jessie's aircraft succumbs to enemy fire, forcing him to crash land in enemy territory. Tom, showing the extent of the devotion to his friend, purposefully crashes his perfectly operable aircraft in an attempt to help free Jessie from the wreckage and flee to safety. Makos's writing is so well crafted, that the reader feels that they're experiencing combat themselves.

    I like that Makos tells the story of two men who may have never been friends if not for the war or maybe even military service in general. Tom came from a successful family- his father owned a grocery store; Jessie came from a family of sharecroppers. Both men were extremely patriotic, and that patriotism is woven throughout the chapters of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and have recommended it to friends and family, all of whom have enjoyed the read. It is nice to see an author like Makos so fully devoted to his work--the amount of research performed and also travelling to Korea with Hudner-- enabling the reader to experience what the heroes of the Korean War encountered and carry with them to this day. This is a legacy worth reading.
  • Duke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well done history book and a great story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2024
    Good book
  • JustMags
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Story, Very Well Told
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2015
    I am not an historian or particularly well-educated in military history. Nor am I any kind of real critic - just a very grateful American Nobody who loves to read about our amazing WWII Veterans and their experiences. The brief recap of this book and that it was written by Adam Makos got my attention - his books about WWII are so good. Knowing almost nothing about the Korean War, I decided to give this book a go and bought it on CD. As I wrote to Mr. Makos, this book is, simply, beautiful. That may not be an appropriate word to some but that is how it struck me. These men and women are amazing people and "meeting" them has been another experience in gratitude and learning. The courage, love and sacrifice these people gave really shine through in Makos' telling and Dominic Hoffman does (in my opinion) as good a job reading this book as Edward Herrmann did "Unbroken." Some may question the actual closeness of the friendship between Jesse L. Brown and Tom Hudner - I did at first. Until Hudner makes the decision to help Brown with the full knowledge he was risking his own life and career. The title is perfect. It describes the Navy pilots and Marines central to the story, the marriage of Jesse and Daisy Brown, and the love and care of Brown's fellow pilots and the USS Leyte crew toward the Browns. The book is also a really good primer (for lack of a better word) for those of us who know so little about the Korean War, especially the battle of the Chosin Reservoir which I agree was very close to being the Korean version of the Battle of the Bulge. I find it so wrong that, at middle age, I had never heard of Ensign Brown - a true pioneer and an exceptional man who's story should be known by all Americans. Nor had I ever heard of Lt. Hudner who truly earned his MoH. And we should never discount or forget the awful racism of those times (or any other). Makos' book is a well written, engaging and remarkable story that I am thankful to have found. It's also a very worthy history lesson on several levels. Read this book - you won't regret it. But do remember to keep tissues near - you will need them.
  • J. S. Ven
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lost history and unsung heroes
    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2023
    2017. 464 pages. History. New York Times best seller. Major motion picture. The story takes place in the 1950s during the Korean War. This is the story of men from two very different backgrounds. One was white and privileged, and one was black and the son of a sharecropper. Jesse Brown was the first African-American Navy pilot. Strange that we have never heard his name or the story before. Tom Hudner turned down Harvard to attend the Naval Academy. This book does reveal some of the racism that Jesse and Daisy had to endure during the 1950s. This book sheds a great deal of light on an almost forgotten war and illustrates the brutal conditions at the Chosin Reservoir, as well as the real horrors of war. Another huge reveal was that the troops the US was fighting at the Chosin Reservoir were Chinese, not Korean! This book is a needed addition to lack of history on the Korean War. The pictures added much to the information on the people and places. Ultimately, this is a story of the friendship and bonding that takes place in a war. time situation. All this being said, I was not prepared for the ending.
  • Stephen Noorlag
    5.0 out of 5 stars Making Military History Fun and Revelent
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
    I first read Adam Makos’ “Spearhead’, which I also highly recommend. Makos writes from a journalistic perspective and has the ability and insight to making history relevant, emotional, and drives home the importance of what men and women are doing and did overseas in support of our nation.

    This book takes liberties with the dialogue but definitely tries to drive the emotionally. It’s effective, and powerful. Some may not enjoy that for a historical book which are usually filled with facts and points. The author does this to formulate a story, and pulls the reader in. If you want to learn more about Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner you can always find more.

    I’ll recommend this book to everyone, and look forward to more books from Adam Makos.

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