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Devotion (Movie Tie-in): An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER • SOON TO BE 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?
"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?
Editorial Reviews
"Riveting . . . a meticulously researched and moving account."-USA Today
"An inspiring tale . . . portrayed by [Adam] Makos in sharp, fact-filled prose and with strong reporting."-Los Angeles Times
"[A] must-read."-New York Post
"Stirring."-Parade
"A masterful storyteller . . . [Makos brings] Devotion to life with amazing vividness. . . . [It] reads like a dream. The perfectly paced story cruises along in the fast lane-when you're finished, you'll want to start all over again."-Associated Press
"A delight to read . . . Devotion is a story you will not forget."-The Washington Times
"My great respect for Tom Hudner knows no bounds. He is a true hero; and in reading this book, you will understand why I feel that way."-President George H. W. Bush
"This is aerial drama at its best-fast, powerful, and moving."-Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile
"Lovingly rendered and meticulously researched, here is a tale of true friendship across the racial divide. Though it concerns a famously cold battle in the Korean War, make no mistake: Devotion will warm your heart."-Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice
"At last, the Korean War has its epic, a story that will stay with you long after you close this book."-Eric Blehm, New York Times bestselling author of Fearless and
"An inspiring tale . . . portrayed by [Adam] Makos in sharp, fact-filled prose and with strong reporting."-Los Angeles Times
"[A] must-read."-New York Post
"Stirring."-Parade
"A masterful storyteller . . . [Makos brings] Devotion to life with amazing vividness. . . . [It] reads like a dream. The perfectly paced story cruises along in the fast lane-when you're finished, you'll want to start all over again."-Associated Press
"A delight to read . . . Devotion is a story you will not forget."-The Washington Times
"My great respect for Tom Hudner knows no bounds. He is a true hero; and in reading this book, you will understand why I feel that way."-President George H. W. Bush
"This is aerial drama at its best-fast, powerful, and moving."-Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile
"Lovingly rendered and meticulously researched, here is a tale of true friendship across the racial divide. Though it concerns a famously cold battle in the Korean War, make no mistake: Devotion will warm your heart."-Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice
"At last, the Korean War has its epic, a story that will stay with you long after you close this book."-Eric Blehm, New York Times bestselling author of Fearless and
Readers Top Reviews
Donna HolcombAaro
Good read, well researched and lots of first person accounts.
ImmerDonna Holcom
Adam Makos Devotion I have now completed Adam Makos three novels, somewhat out of order, with the last first, then the first, and now Devotion. I’m somewhat happy there’s not a fourth, at least for a while. I found Devotion the least satisfying, behind Spearhead and A Higher Call. My rationale follows, and for those who have not read Devotion, and don’t know how it ends, I will include a bit of a spoiler alert. Makos writing is formulaic, though not bad, and pivots around a central event in all his novels thus far. Background information on the main characters, some technical dialogue, less in Devotion than the other two books, and events funneling in toward the stories climactic moments. The story then fans out from the book’s climax, and leads us to the more recent past. Devotion’s main story occurs during the Korean War, a conflict that really has had paltry coverage compared to our armed interventions of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Devotion occurs during the war’s first two years. The focal points of Devotion are a sharecroppers son who becomes the Navy’s first black carrier pilot, and a well to do east coast Naval academy graduate, the cast of characters around them, and sub-stories involving marines and army on the ground. The books span informs the reader briefly of how the war began, the initial push of the North Korean Army, MacArthur’s success in pushing them back to the Yalu River, and the subsequent counter attack by the Chinese, with the retreat of the 1st Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir. Devotions central figures, Ensign Jesse Brown and Lieutenant Tom Hudner fly F4U Corsairs, and are members of Fighter Squadron 32 on the aircraft carrier USS Leyte Gulf. Ultimately, their focus is supporting the marines during the retreat from the Chosin Reservoir. I’ll be honest, with Devotion, I had no knowledge of what happened prior to reading the book. Perhaps it’s tragic pivotal moment was part of the reason for not enjoying this book vs Makos other two books. Perhaps Makos attempted to cover too much tangential material. I found myself wanting to know more about life on the carrier, more about the Corsair and its eccentricities, but that’s just me. The reader receives a healthy dose of the racism that existed, and how Jesse Brown prevailed. To those who say slavery ended more than 150 years ago, it’s time for “them” to get over it, Devotion documents the systematic and unbridled racism that existed 60 years ago. The treatment received by Jesse Brown and ultimately his wife Daisy leaves the reader with a feeling of aching emptiness. Adam Makos Devotion is a good book. He captures the waste and desolation of war in a very personal fashion. His research notes and bibliography are extensive, as well as the multitude of photographs documenting his story. Devotion is a page turner, tough to ...
Thomas RearsImmer
I felt I was there during the time this was being experienced by the airmen and marines. The writer gave you the emotions to go with the story. It is well worth the time to read this.
ifly85Thomas Rear
This is a tremendous book that shares the inspiring story of many American heroes and some fine examples of the character we should all aspire to. The writing is great and the story full of depth, detail, emotion, and feeling. I loved it and highly recommend it.
Thomas Bertieifly
Was very enlightening about the Korean War. Adam Makos has a gift for recounting the lives of these past heroes.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
Ghosts and Shadows
December 4, 1950
North Korea, during the first year of the Korean War
In a black-blue flash, a Corsair fighter burst around the valley's edge, turning hard, just above the snow. The engine snarled. The canopy glimmered. A bomb hung from the plane's belly and rockets from its wings.
Another roar shook the valley and the next Corsair blasted around the edge. Then came a third, a fourth, a fifth, and more until ten planes had fallen in line.
The Corsairs dropped low over a snow-packed road and followed it across the valley, between snow-capped hills and strands of dead trees. The land was enemy territory, the planes were behind the lines.
From the cockpit of the fourth Corsair, Lieutenant Tom Hudner reached forward to a bank of switches above the instrument panel. With a flick, he armed his eight rockets.
Tom was twenty-six and a navy carrier pilot. His white helmet and raised goggles framed the face of a movie star-flat eyebrows over ice-blue eyes, a chiseled nose, and a cleft chin. He dressed the part too, in a dark brown leather jacket with a reddish fur collar. But Tom could never cut it as a star of the silver screen-his eyes were far too humble.
At 250 miles per hour, Tom chased the plane ahead of him. It was nearly 3 p.m., and dark snow clouds draped the sky with cracks of sun slanting through. Tom glanced from side to side and checked his wingtips as the treetops whipped by. Beyond the hills to the right lay a frozen man-made lake called the Chosin Reservoir. The flight was following the road up the reservoir's western side.
The radio crackled and Tom's eyes perked up. "This is Iroquois Flight 13," the flight leader announced from the front. "All quiet, so far."
"Copy that, Iroquois Flight," replied a tired voice. Seven miles away, at the foot of the reservoir, a Marine air controller was shivering in his tent at a ramshackle American base. His maps revealed a dire situation around him. Red lines encircled the base-red, enemy lines. To top it off, it was one of the coldest winters on record. And the war was still new.
***
The engine droned, filling Tom's cockpit with the smell of warm oil. Tom edged forward in his seat and looked past the whirling propeller. His eyes settled on the Corsair in front of him.
In the plane ahead, a pilot with deep brown skin peered through the rings of his gunsight. The man's face was slender beneath his helmet, his eyebrows angled over honest dark eyes. Just twenty-four, Ensign Jesse Brown was the first African American carrier pilot in the U.S. Navy. Jesse had more flight time than Tom, so in the air, he led.
Jesse dipped his right wing for a better view of the neighboring trees. Tom's gut tensed.
"See something, Jesse?" Tom radioed.
Jesse snapped his plane level again. "Not a thing."
Through the canopy's scratched Plexiglas, Tom watched the cold strands blur past at eye level. The enemy was undoubtedly there, tucked behind trees, grasping rifles, holding their fire so the planes would pass.
Tom clenched his jaw and focused his eyes forward. As tempting as it was, the pilots couldn't strafe a grove of trees on a hunch. They needed to spot the enemy first.
The enemy were the White Jackets, Communist troops who hid by day and attacked by night. For the previous week, their human waves had lapped against the American base night after night, nearly overrunning the defenses. Nearly a hundred thousand White Jackets were now laying siege to the base and more were arriving and moving into position.
Against this foe stood the base's ten thousand men-some U.S. Army soldiers, some British Commandos, but mostly U.S. Marines. Reportedly, the base even had its cooks, drivers, and clerks manning the battle lines at night, freezing alongside the riflemen.
Their survival now hinged on air power and the Corsair pilots knew it. Every White Jacket they could neutralize now would be one fewer trying to bayonet a young Marine that night.
"Heads up, disturbances ahead!" the flight leader radioed.
Finally, something, Tom thought.
Tom's eyes narrowed. Small boulders dotted the snow beside the road.
"Watch the rocks!" Jesse said as he zipped over them.
"Roger," Tom replied.
Tom wrapped his index finger over the trigger of the control stick. His eyes locked on the roadside boulders.
When caught in the open, White Jackets would sometimes drop to the ground and curl over their knees. From above, their soiled uniforms looked like stone and the side flaps of their caps hid their faces.
The rock pile slipped behind Tom's wings. He glanced into his rearview mirror. Behind his tail flew a string of s...
Ghosts and Shadows
December 4, 1950
North Korea, during the first year of the Korean War
In a black-blue flash, a Corsair fighter burst around the valley's edge, turning hard, just above the snow. The engine snarled. The canopy glimmered. A bomb hung from the plane's belly and rockets from its wings.
Another roar shook the valley and the next Corsair blasted around the edge. Then came a third, a fourth, a fifth, and more until ten planes had fallen in line.
The Corsairs dropped low over a snow-packed road and followed it across the valley, between snow-capped hills and strands of dead trees. The land was enemy territory, the planes were behind the lines.
From the cockpit of the fourth Corsair, Lieutenant Tom Hudner reached forward to a bank of switches above the instrument panel. With a flick, he armed his eight rockets.
Tom was twenty-six and a navy carrier pilot. His white helmet and raised goggles framed the face of a movie star-flat eyebrows over ice-blue eyes, a chiseled nose, and a cleft chin. He dressed the part too, in a dark brown leather jacket with a reddish fur collar. But Tom could never cut it as a star of the silver screen-his eyes were far too humble.
At 250 miles per hour, Tom chased the plane ahead of him. It was nearly 3 p.m., and dark snow clouds draped the sky with cracks of sun slanting through. Tom glanced from side to side and checked his wingtips as the treetops whipped by. Beyond the hills to the right lay a frozen man-made lake called the Chosin Reservoir. The flight was following the road up the reservoir's western side.
The radio crackled and Tom's eyes perked up. "This is Iroquois Flight 13," the flight leader announced from the front. "All quiet, so far."
"Copy that, Iroquois Flight," replied a tired voice. Seven miles away, at the foot of the reservoir, a Marine air controller was shivering in his tent at a ramshackle American base. His maps revealed a dire situation around him. Red lines encircled the base-red, enemy lines. To top it off, it was one of the coldest winters on record. And the war was still new.
***
The engine droned, filling Tom's cockpit with the smell of warm oil. Tom edged forward in his seat and looked past the whirling propeller. His eyes settled on the Corsair in front of him.
In the plane ahead, a pilot with deep brown skin peered through the rings of his gunsight. The man's face was slender beneath his helmet, his eyebrows angled over honest dark eyes. Just twenty-four, Ensign Jesse Brown was the first African American carrier pilot in the U.S. Navy. Jesse had more flight time than Tom, so in the air, he led.
Jesse dipped his right wing for a better view of the neighboring trees. Tom's gut tensed.
"See something, Jesse?" Tom radioed.
Jesse snapped his plane level again. "Not a thing."
Through the canopy's scratched Plexiglas, Tom watched the cold strands blur past at eye level. The enemy was undoubtedly there, tucked behind trees, grasping rifles, holding their fire so the planes would pass.
Tom clenched his jaw and focused his eyes forward. As tempting as it was, the pilots couldn't strafe a grove of trees on a hunch. They needed to spot the enemy first.
The enemy were the White Jackets, Communist troops who hid by day and attacked by night. For the previous week, their human waves had lapped against the American base night after night, nearly overrunning the defenses. Nearly a hundred thousand White Jackets were now laying siege to the base and more were arriving and moving into position.
Against this foe stood the base's ten thousand men-some U.S. Army soldiers, some British Commandos, but mostly U.S. Marines. Reportedly, the base even had its cooks, drivers, and clerks manning the battle lines at night, freezing alongside the riflemen.
Their survival now hinged on air power and the Corsair pilots knew it. Every White Jacket they could neutralize now would be one fewer trying to bayonet a young Marine that night.
"Heads up, disturbances ahead!" the flight leader radioed.
Finally, something, Tom thought.
Tom's eyes narrowed. Small boulders dotted the snow beside the road.
"Watch the rocks!" Jesse said as he zipped over them.
"Roger," Tom replied.
Tom wrapped his index finger over the trigger of the control stick. His eyes locked on the roadside boulders.
When caught in the open, White Jackets would sometimes drop to the ground and curl over their knees. From above, their soiled uniforms looked like stone and the side flaps of their caps hid their faces.
The rock pile slipped behind Tom's wings. He glanced into his rearview mirror. Behind his tail flew a string of s...
