[Milsurplus] Re: FLYBOYS

[brewerj@squared.com]

Hue mentions:

>If you're interested in WW2 aviation, Pacific War, you might
>want to have a look at "Flyboys", a book by James Bradley.
>I paid $20 for it, you might find it for less, but i think it's worth
>every cent i paid.

I just finished it too. Another excellent book about a small incident
that's part of a war filled with thousands of such incidents.
Very well written and researched. I recall the news accounts
of HW Bush's war experience being somewhat poo-pooed during his
election cycle. Though he plays only a very small (almost incidental)
part of this book, his experience was by no means any cakewalk.


>The book is pretty fair about blame being handed out. It
>talks about US planes gunning Japanese in parachutes
>(standard for the Pacific War, both sides.) and of machine
>gunning ship sinking survivors,  etc.

This is true, and the book does so without gross revisionism.
However, as the book points out, the level of brutality by
many of the Japanese soldiers and officers is far, far above
that of what Hue mentions above (including ceremonial
cannibalism and extreme torture of prisoners). The book
does a good job of explaining (but not by any means excusing)the
mindset required for such extreme behavior.

An interesting story by a talented writer. Available at
your friendly neighborhood library!

John