Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1430329 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-30
• Released on: 2004-08-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From Library Journal
Many books, articles, films, and TV productions have appeared on the legendary exploits of the Flying Tigers, General Chennault's small band of U.S. Army and Navy pilots recruited to fly for China in 1941. This is not another laudatory work. The author tries to strip away many of the legends surrounding the Group. There were never more than 100 pilots (not 200). Some of them enlisted for adventure and some for patriotic reasons. The majority were attracted by the salary--$500 per month plus a bonus for every enemy plane destroyed--much more than they could earn in the peacetime Army. Most served out their year's contract, collected that money, and went home. Contrary to popular opinion, they were not fighting the Japanese before America entered the war. They did not see action until December 7th. The Group destroyed 115 enemy planes and lost 22. Actually they had little influence on the outcome of World War II; but 50 years later the publicity rolls on. A worthwhile addition to aviation and World War II collections. P.S., John Wayne never served with the Flying Tigers. For a roundup of books on Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War, see "Day of Infamy in Print," LJ 9/1/91, p. 206-7.--Ed.
- Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Stars and Stripes, January 4, 1992
"Ford has researched the truth of the matter with singleness of purpose and has presented it with page-turner interest."

The Hook, Winter 1991
"War history as it should be written."

Customer Reviews

The book for you!
" There were... Jap planes all over the sky. I tried to shoot them all down my self, but on got two in a full hour of fighting. It was a scrmble. ....[John] Farell got a bullet through his canopy and i got one through my wing taking out my right tire. Some fun"
This is a passage from Daniel Ford's book the "Flying Tigers". It was a great AVG (American Voluenteer Groupe) book. It captures some of the emotion of a volunteer fighter pilot in China during World War II. Clair Chenalt a famous stunt pilot and a World War I fighter pilot is recruiting " Ace Pilots" to form an airforce for china during World War 2. It is a great book and it would be a good book to add to your collection(If you have one). I recomend it to any airforce historian looking for an exciting new book!!!

Yep, this is the real thing!
I was amused by the reviewer who was upset that Ford's book came up with lower figures for the Flying Tiger victories than did the "PBS" program, with all its supposed money available for research. Actually, there was no such program. PBS simply bought the rights to broadcast one hour out of the two-hour "Fei Hu" video, which is available for purchase on Amazon. It's actually a very good history of the Flying Tigers, and I reccomend it highly. But it doesn't contain any original research--it simply interviews the Flying Tiger vets and lets their figures stand. (There's also some footage of Japanese and New Zealand pilots from the same time and place.) It's a much less critical study than Ford's book, and was actually done before it, so Ford probably used it as a source.

But to get back to the "Flying Tigers" book -- yep, it's the real thing. Use it as a source, whether you're writing a thesis or reading for enjoyment.

-- Paddy O

Ok this book is not accurate.
There are many figures and facts in this book that aren't correct. PBS did a special on the Flying Tigers of 1941, spent a lot of $$ doing research and interviewing actual members of the FT. They came up with different numbers than this book... and I am more likely to believe PBS's info integrity. So think twice before you take any of this book to heart, don't base your thesis on it.