'War history as it should be written'

Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and the American Volunteer Group was published by Smithsonian Institution Press in 1991. The book won the Aviation/Space Writers Association Award of Excellence and was a main selection of the Military Book Club and the Aviators' Guild. "War history as it should be written," said the reviewer for The Hook, magazine of naval aviation. Here's what readers are saying about the revised and updated HarperCollins edition:

A riveting read

"During the dark, early days of World War II, when the Imperial Japanese army, navy, and air force were running roughshod over Asia and the Pacific, it seemed that nothing could stop them. Only a small band of American mercenary fliers based in Burma and known as the Flying Tigers, led by a leather-faced fighter named Claire Chennault, seemed able to challenge and defeat the Japanese.... The exciting story of this legendary fighting force that wore American uniforms but Chinese insignia is told in Daniel Ford's definitive history of the legendary Flying Tigers. Every page contains a new tidbit of information and rich, long-forgotten detail.

Most importantly, Ford's prose -- and the use of dozens of first-person accounts by the pilots who made up the AVG (American Volunteer Group, known variously among themselves as the Panda Bears, Adam & Eves, and Hell's Angels) -- puts human faces and flesh on a unit that everyone has heard of, but about which very few people know....

"The book is so full of stories of derring do and close calls that it seems like fiction -- a tall tale of brash young men in bygone era -- yet it's all true.... Anyone who loves stories of aviation combat and wants to learn more about the undereported war along the China-Burma border, will love Flying Tigers. A riveting read." -- World War II magazine, November 2007

Ground-breaking work

"The AVG is officially credited with over 290 Japanese aircraft shot down over Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. Official Japanese records credit them with about [half] that amount. Over the years, the stories and accomplishments grew.... The AVG people claim that official Japanese records are lies, perpetuated to this day.

"It is a shame this goes on. Their record, even with less kills, is one to be proud of. The AVG fought courageously with an aircraft inferior in some ways to Japanese machines, in appalling living conditions with an ally, Chang-Kai-shek, who did not really care about the war, per se, but only holding his power and position against the Chinese communists in the show-down to come. The AVG's record deserves to be a legend, but not quite the John Wayne type.

"Ford laid all this out in his first edition in a very readable of historical book. This second edition corrects some errors, adds information and comments on his on-going controversy with the keepers of the AVG legend. If this interests you at all, buy this book, admire their accomplishments and admire Dan Ford for his ground-breaking work." -- John R. Beaman Jr. on Amazon.com

Unlikely ever to be surpassed

"Apart from new material, the second edition retains the strengths of the first: honest scholarship and good writing. Ford clearly admires his subjects, but succeeds in telling the human side of the legendary airmen and the ground staff that 'kept 'em flying.' Claire Chennault's faults and foibles lend credence to the overall worth of this fine effort, which is unlikely ever to be surpassed." -- Barrett Tillman on Amazon.com

An excellent history

"I have stated in a previous post to this forum that I believed portions of Ford's earlier editions of Flying Tigers were 'unnecessarily provocative'. I found most (but not all) of that confrontational language has been removed from this revised edition. What remains is an excellent history that, in my view, will help to preserve the accomplishments of the AVG for future generations. The book not only tells the story of the AVG, but tells the story in the context of the larger war.... I wish there were more statements of the type, 'None of these victories can be confirmed in Japanese records' (p. 264) rather than 'for a total of six Japanese fighters supposedly destroyed that Friday morning' (p. 169).... Still, looking at the events in Burma and China in 1941 and 1942 from various perspectives is a valuable exercise and a much richer reading experience than looking at history from only a single perspective (usually the winner's). I also like the way Ford's new book is integrated into his web site ... which provides additional information for those who are interested. I can, without reservation, recommend Dan Ford's Flying Tigers to readers of this forum." -- Brad Smith on the Flying Tigers Association message board.

A must

"I'm going through an advance release of Dan Ford's revised Flying Tigers.... If you have any interest in the subject and do not have the original (no longer available) this is a must. Even if you have the 1992 version, I recommend the new and revised edition. Amazingly Dan has added new information (from published and unpublished sources) and yet shortened and tightened up the narrative....

"For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dan's work, he has published several books of both non-fiction and fiction (one became the basis for a movie). He is an oustanding writer and his rendition of history in Flying Tigers is excellent. -- Richard Dunn on the J-Aircraft Message Boards

Book of the week

"Historians don't set out to make people angry or unseat heroes or embarrass governments. They set out to tell the truth. At least, that is what good historians do. Ford has been criticized for comparing Japanese military records with the 'official' records of the Chinese and Americans. But when some sources claim more planes downed than were actually built, the historian, the good historian, looks at all the facts....

"In this second edition of his 'revisionist' history masterpiece, Daniel Ford tightens up the tale, corrects a few errors, and adds dramatic new details. But he does not back down against critics who prefer the legend to the truth. And he does not believe that the truth diminishes the stirring events, but only makes them more human and exciting." -- JDR on SeacoastNH.com