'War history as it should be written!' -- The Hook

Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and
His American Volunteers, 1941-1942

"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." -- World War II magazine, November 2007

HarperCollins has released Flying Tigers as an ebook, available for pre-order now for Amazon's Kindle reader in the United States and also in Britain . Official publication later this month or in September.

There's a good-hearted review of Flying Tigers in the Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute, in which Col. Gordon Keiser writes: "Having been a fan of the Flying Tigers since I saw the John Wayne movie as a kid, I picked up this updated version of their impressive combat history. One of the most interesting aspects of Ford's well-researched book is its in-depth coverage of 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) personnel, an odd lot of rugged individualists."

We all know the downside of the internet: it sucks up time that would better be devoted to more productive work. But ah, the upside! We meet people who otherwise would always be below the horizon. Most often this takes the form of information, like this from Robert Klemann about the disastrous raid on Lashio in June 1942, when four of six B-25 bombers were lost:

'I was the pilot of one of the two surviving B-25s. The supposition that three of the planes had run out of gas is reasonable, but not accurate. The fact is that two of them ... struck a mountain top while flying on instruments, and there was no possibility of any survivors. The third one did run out of fuel and the crew bailed out. We missed hitting that mountain by 15 or 20 feet. The trees and bushes were just beyond our wingtip.'

Bob had another link with the Flying Tigers: he was one of the bomber pilots who volunteered for the 2nd AVG, which was scheduled to leave Burbank CA on December 10 en route to Burma. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

"In this vivid and fact-filled historical account of aerial combat, Daniel Ford completely updates and revises his 1991 work" -- Naval War College Review, Summer 2008

click here for the cover

As always, Amazon.com has the lowball price: click here. For somewhat more, I'll put an autographed copy in the mail for you. Your cost including postage:

  • $18.95 US Media Mail
  • $22.95 US Priority Mail
  • $29.95 International Mail
  • You can also write a check. If all else fails, just send me email, and we'll work something out.

    Also from Dan Ford

    Lady & the Tigers

    Click here for autographed copies of my other books.

    And click here for the digital editions, including for Amazon's Kindle reader.

    Question? Comment? Newsletter? Send me an email. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford