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 The
Flying Tiger
"Samson traces the career of this early prophet of air power who fought
the Japanese and became involved in a number of controversies. After the
war, Chennault continued to serve the Nationalist Chinese Government
and, along with his Civilian Air Transport (CAT), provided a number of
clandestine and unique air services to Asia. Samson, who served under
Chennault in both the 14th Air Force and CAT, writes with affection.
Recommended for most collections."
With Chennault in China
Robert Smith gives you the lowdown from the air field on what it took to
get the Flying Tigers in the air and to the Japanese bombers before they
could strike their Chinese targets. Here is the truly brilliant saga of
how Chennault's revolutionary combination of ground observation, central
data gathering and fighter scramble turned aerial warfare from hunt and
peck to dispatch and destroy.
We take these technologies for granted now, but when Chennault first
proposed them he was laughed at by the fledgling air forces that
stumbled along between the two world wars with no vision. Chennault had
the vision of what modern air warfare would become. He proved it with
the Flying Tigers by taking an under-manned, under-equipped, and
under-funded unit and making it into the bane of the enemy.
Robert Smith puts you there in the radio room, nursing the equipment,
listening through static, sifting the reports and making the critical
decisions to scramble the planes. The pilots got the glory. Smith told
them where the glory was to be gotten.
This is a little known page in the history of aerial warfare that is
told clearly, up front and personal, by a man who was right there in the
thick of it.
I heartily recommend With Chennault in China to anyone interested in The
Flying Tigers and/or air combat history.
 A
Flying Tiger's Diary
This book is exactly as advertised. It is basically the day-to-day diary
entries of a member of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), the "Flying
Tigers" of World War II fame with additional material to set the entries
in context. As such, it should be a valuable historical reference for
anyone seeking insight into the internal workings of the AVG, the
personal thoughts, struggles, adventures, and misadventures of those in
that group, and, in particular, the exploits of those in the First
Squadron of the AVG.
I found the book to be interesting and quite factual; particularly since
the entries in the diary were made at the time the events actually took
place and in many instances detailed the actions of the man making the
entries. I had hoped, however, that this book would tell the broader
story of the AVG, based on the diary entries, rather than simply
restating the actual records. But it didn't. As a result, I found the
book to be somewhat narrow in scope. I say that since the author of the
diary was in the First Squadron of the AVG which was generally remote
from the other two squadrons. As a consequence, virtually all of the
diary entries relate to the exploits of the Adam and Eve Squadron and
the personnel in that squadron. The missions and actions of those in the
Second and Third Squadrons (the "Pandas" and "Hell's Angels"), such as
Tex Hill and Ed Rector were touched upon lightly, but much was left out.
Of note, however, the cumulative entries in the diary did present a
somewhat different picture of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington than I have seen
in other venues.
 Flying
Tiger to Air Commando
Flying Tiger to Air Commando is an enlisted man's story of over twenty
years of service to his country. From enlistment in the Army Air Corps
at age nineteen as a Private to his retirement at age 44 as a Master
Sgt., his unusual tale will interest all aviation, history, and gunnery
buffs. At age twenty he volunteered for the American Volunteer Group,
hardly aware of China and its problems with Japan, but was soon to find
out as an armorer with Chennault's famed Flying Tigers. When that elite
group was broken up, he returned to the States, soon to return to the
CBI theater flying as a B-25 gunner with his good friend from the
Tigers, R.T. Smith, in the First Air Commandos. The end of WWII was not
the end of combat for Sgt. Baisden, who saw service in the Korean War,
both as an armorer in the 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the 8th
Fighter-Bomber Group, and as a gunner on B-29s in the 93rd Heavy
Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bomb Group. His last days in the Air Force
were flown as an in-flight refueling technician in KC-97s with the
308th, 2nd, and 19th Air Refueling Squadrons. His down-to-earth
narrative is interesting and informative, and is presented along with
his own period , over 100 b/w photographs, 6" x 9"
Chuck Baisden shares the exciting adventure of his participation in
the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers)who, under the leadership of
Claire Lee Chennault, inflicted the first reverses on the military
juggernaut of Japan. After the disbandment of the AVG, Chuck reenlisted
in the US Army Air Corp and returned to Asia as a member of the First
Air Commandos taking the battle behind enemy lines. His career continues
up into the jet age as well. Mr. Baisden's experiences are real life
adventure and related in a wry and unself-conscious manner. A very
entertaining and informative book covering little known operations in a
remote theater of war. The book's full of great pictures, too.
 Flying
Tigers
Daniel Ford has done something that took more than a little moral
courage. The American Volunteer Group, aka "The Flying Tigers," have
acquired mythic status in the annals of American arms. Ford has gone
back to the roots of the myth, to what actually happened; and written a
compelling, if at times tedious, history of the Flying Tigers.
He has done an excellent job of placing them in the context of their
times. He interviewed a number of surviving Tigers, including the lesser
lights of the Group, and told the truth with at best only a little
varnish. He provides the specifications of the aircraft used by both
sides over China and Burma, and precisely details who was stationed
where, when and with how many aircraft of what types, on both sides.
He gives a good look at the interactions between Chennault, Chiang,
Madame Chiang, Stilwell and Bissell; and their patrons and enemies back
in Washington. How the assorted feuds amongst the principals and their
patrons affected the war in the air and on the ground has never been
analyzed in quite this way before. One thing I like was that Ford
presents the facts as he unearthed them, and leaves it to the reader to
draw conclusions as to how things went wrong and what could have been
done differently, and who could have done them differently.
Ford brings the myths crashing down in flames. But he then erects a new
monument to a group of heroes, some of them reluctant and all with feet
of clay, who did the impossible for the ungrateful with almost nothing
at all. The reader will, I think, take away an even greater respect for
the men (and women) of the American Volunteer Group than he brought to
the book before reading.
This one belongs on the bookshelf of all who study World War II and how
it brought about the world we live in today. |
