Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group (1977), Edition: (1st,1958); 1st Prtg.thus
Description
Here, in his own words, is the true story of America's wildest flying hero, of his extraordinary heroism, and of his greatest battle of all-the fight to survive. The World War II air war in the Pacific needed tough men like Colonel Pappy Boyington and his Black Sheep Squadron. The legendary Marine Corps officer and his bunch of misfits, outcasts, and daredevils gave a new definition to "hell-raising"-on the ground and in the skies. Pappy himself was a living legend-he personally shot down twenty-eight Japanese planes, and won the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. He broke every rule in the book doing so, but when he fell into the hands of the vengeful Japanese his real ordeal began.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Michael_P
This book is considered a classic WWII memoir for a very good reason.
Filled with tales both funny and heart-wrenching, Pappy Boyington gives the reader an unpretentious view of his life on the Pacific war front, from his early days of looking for a fight, to his capture and imprisonment by the
This book has remained in print since its initial publication in 1957, and even inspired a hit television show in the 1970s.
Filled with tales both funny and heart-wrenching, Pappy Boyington gives the reader an unpretentious view of his life on the Pacific war front, from his early days of looking for a fight, to his capture and imprisonment by the
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Japanese. As he tells his story, we learn about everyday life as a fighter pilot, the beaurcracy of the government and armed forces that sometimes keep the best soldiers from doing what they do best, the wacky sense of humor men develope when under extreme pressure, and why Boyington came to like and respect the Japanese people even while his prison guards beat and starved him nearly to death.This book has remained in print since its initial publication in 1957, and even inspired a hit television show in the 1970s.
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LibraryThing member drmaf
I read the book after seeing the TV series, and found the book to be much better. The TV series was well-made but so full of tired cliches about rebellious airmen bucking the system that it really sank without trace. The book is much more subtle, an excellent account of war, the men who fight them,
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their disillusionment and how they interact with the enemy when they happen to come face to face with them. Great read Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1958
Physical description
7 inches
ISBN
0553107909 / 9780553107906
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