Customer Reviews

Ace!: A Marine Night-Fighter Pilot in World War II

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I could barely put this book down. It was a reviting story from the first page to the last.

The author also did not get into the "I'm so great" attitude that so many people do. Fighter pilots seem espcially prone to this idea.

It was also written in a nice simple matter that takes the time to explain what was going on for those who are not familair with the Second World War.

It is a great first person account of the air war in the Pacific.

I knew and admired Bruce until the day he died. In an era where every one is a hero, he was the real thing. A great book, a real look into the early war years in the Pacific by a man who had the right stuff.

One quote from the book seems to flavor the rest of the book. "I no longer have the figures, but the training hours outnumbered the combat hours by several hundred to one, and the balance kept shifting farther and farther toward the training hours." In fact much of the book is training. While he seems a very decent person, and would be interesting to meet, he was not in the thick of much of the fighting. He probably saved a large number of more raw recruits as he was a training officer and gave his extensive training knowledge to others, but it does not make a great combat narrative.

Also, while there are some interesting parts about the plane, there is really very little detail about how night fighting developed, or why. Some surmises, but no real look at the details.

This is a personal account, and while interesting, don't mistake this for a lengthy combat descriptor.

Having met Bruce Porter, I can honestly say the guy is a jewel. Sure, I was all of ten then but he was just a nice, funny guy. His book is a illustration of this. His opening anecdote is of how the Marines "stole" him from the navy. From there it is the very best of history written by a man who was there.

I highly suggest this book to historians, Marines, vets and aviators the world across. Anyone else too.

ACE is a good look at the world of WWII night pilots. It brings with it the Marine punch that delivers the grit and form to keep a reader enthralled.