Customer Reviews

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Interesting, first person narrative, from Greg Boyington himself. No ghost writer involved. Full of personal anecdotes from his time with the AVG (Flying Tigers), VMF 214 (The Black Sheep), his time as a "Special Captive" (not a POW) of the Japanese (in my opinion the most interesting part of the book), his post-war fall from grace and descent in to acute alchoholism, and finally his redemption. Nothing politically correct about this one folks. Boyington calls them as he sees them. An absorbing first person account of an amazing time in human history. Shows that the Black Sheep weren't the collection of "screwballs & misfits" portrayed in the entertaining, yet highly fictionalized 70's TV show. Also the story of a man trying to make sense of his life. I have owned this one for over 20 years, and re-read it on a regular basis. It never gets boring. A man who's days of combat were over by the age of 31, was considered the 'old man' in his squadron, hence his famous nickname. I find it amazing that a 6 week or so period of time in this man's life defined if thereafter. Well worth having in any WW II buff's collection, or simply for fans of the TV show who are interested in learning a version closer to the truth, at least the truth as seen through the eyes of the man himself.

I came to this book believing that "Pappy" Boyington was a pugnacious drunken spendthrift that the Marine Corps was anxious to be rid of, and that he may not have been the leading Marine Corps ace of World War II as he was thought to be. From what I had read, Boyington spent most of his time on the ground as a member of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), better known as "The Flying Tigers," and was only credited with shooting down 3 ½ Japanese planes (although he claimed six). I also understood that Boyington left the AVG early and was the only man ever dishonorably discharged from that organization. In addition, I questioned his account of the final action in which he was shot down, another unseen action in which he claimed two more enemy planes.

After reading this book, however, I'm not quite so sure. In it, Boyington readily admits that he was a "drunk" and a "bum," and he allows as how he liked to wrestle a bit. As to his claim of six enemy planes while with the AVG, his explanation is easily believable. As he explains it: In order to get credit for a kill with the AVG you almost had to bring your victim back to the landing field in your teeth and drop it where everyone could see it, whereas the majority of his kills had been 75 to 100 miles away, most times behind enemy lines. In addition, and most likely with some merit, he states that the records of his actions at Rangoon were lost when that city fell to the Japanese. With regard to his being "dishonorably discharged" from the AVG, Boyington acknowledges that he left shortly before the remaining volunteers were forced/coerced into the Army Air Corps as 2nd lieutenants. But once again his explanation rings true. Boyington correctly states that he wasn't the only member of the AVG to leave the group, that the reason he left was because he wanted to return to the Marine Corps rather than be conscripted into the Army, and that it was ridiculous to claim that you could "dishonorably discharge" someone from a civilian volunteer organization. As to his account of his final, once again unseen action, Boyington's account is so vivid as to be easily believable.

Having read a number of books which touched upon the life and times of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington before reading this one, I had already formed a somewhat negative impression of the man. After reading this book, however, I have concluded that it is one thing to view a man from the outside, especially from a distance in time, recounting his every fault and failure, but it is quite another thing to view that same man from the inside looking out.

So, although much about Boyington is and will always remain a mystery, he certainly was an American hero and he certainly could tell an interesting, believable, and highly entertaining tale. And this is one of them. But don't stop reading too early. You certainly won't want to miss the chapters in which he recounts his nineteen months as a "captive" of the Japanese. To me, that's the best part of the book. Six stars anyone?

Pappy Boyington would not have gotten great marks for literary style or technique, but a reader delving into BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP probably wouldn't care very much. I certainly didn't. The insight into the man's life is often priceless--especially his takes on aerial combat, his experiences in the South Pacific (both before and after being shot down), and the Japanese people once the war was over. The lucid and colorful accounts of his days in the AVG as well as VMF 214 make all the superfluous sidetrips, self-deprecating ruminations, and endless proselytizing (even though he tells you time and again he's not doing that) worth the bumpy ride. There's a genuineness and immediacy about his story that would indicate that, while he may have necessarily had a heavy-handed editor, the words are basically his own. Boyington drives home the excitement and horror of his wartime experiences with great intensity, making this book a real thriller. Despite Boyington's endless flaws and rough edges (which he never ceases to remind you of), he comes across as a character to admire and to identify with--even if you often want to smack him a good one. Definitely recommended.

This is a strange book with a misleading title. It is more an autobiography than a narration about the Black Sheep squadron. However, I rate it five stars because it delivers what I was looking for, an excellent narration of Boyington's internment in a Japanese internment camp.

Reading the book, it appears Boyington wrote it himself without the help of a ghost writer or editor, and it shows. It rambles at times, meditates, confuses, dwells on his drinking problems... But overall, Boyington delivers the goods: (1) a pre-war background; (2) his work in China; (3) the Black Sheep aviators; (4) his being shot down by the Japanese; (5) his internment; and (6) after the war.

Boyington, the author, treats us to the use of "tough guy" 1940-1945 words and expressions, which is refreshing, and he goes into detail on some events which could have been left out but which, nevertheless, are very interesting (traveling as a missionary, adventures ashore, etc.) and give the book a special touch.

His capture by the Japanese was what I was after, and I was well satisfied. Boyington goes into great detail and, by his method of writing, makes the reader feel you could actually see him sitting there begging sake from the Japanese guards while he worked in the kitchen preparing for one of their celebrations.

A nice book, better written by Boyington than by a ghost writer. It captures the essence of the moment.

At first I found this book dull and boring. The author talks in great detail about his drunken excesses in the opening year of service as a pilot in the Pacific. It gets to be a bit much. He obviously has a big problem controlling his alcohol. The beginning of the book should be titled "I was too drunk to remember much". However the author begins to change as he is given more responisiblity. He becomes a leader. He leads a very successful fighter group. However after his 26th aerial victory he himself is shot down. When he is captured by the Japanese he is beaten and treated very poorly.
The best part of this book is that even though he was a rough and tough SOB that liked his booze and was badly beaten and mistreated by most of the Japanese guards - he does not hate his "enemy" in the end. He writes in great detail about some courageous acts kindness that some Japanese offer him while he is in captivity. These stories are very moving, honest, and personal. You will be amazed at the transformation. The last third of the book is well worth it. Unfortunately when he returned to the US he got back into the drinking. A tragic hero.

Greg Boyington is likely the most likeable and most irritating of WWII heroes. He was a Flying Tiger before he was a Black Sheep, and he was a drunkard and a braggart throughout. His autobiography is a delight to read, but you can't take it at face value--he had a ghost writer, he had some axes to grind, and he himself admitted that booze affected his memory. Still, you haven't read them all if you haven't read this one.

I found this book to be a fascinating historical look at the Pacific theater during World War II from the eyes of a marine combat pilot who experienced it first hand. Boyington was indeed in the thick of it during the war, and to his credit he shot down 28 Japanese planes during his time in combat. Once in a single mission, he shot down five planes over Japanese territory. This book is an auto-biography of his time before, during and after the war. It is quite an interesting read. I enjoyed the pilot's viewpoint this book carries from the cockpit of a Corsair during combat. Boyington was an incredibly adept pilot and taught the other pilots in his famous `Black Sheep Squadron' how to beat the Japanese in air combat. Boyington describes first hand aerial dogfights over the Pacific Islands that comprised well over 100 planes at a time with the skies glowing like fire flies filled with tracer fire, a truly remarkable period in aerial combat history. He portrays his experiences as a pilot and later as a 'Special Captive' instead of a prisoner of war, with finesse so as not to make it too heavy of a read, but it leaves the reader with a deep respect for the American service man. During his time in a Japanese prison of war camp, his courage was undaunted and he emerged as a true American hero receiving national recognition after the war was over having won the Navy Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor. This book is relayed by the author in a first person narrative, and is a sincere and down to earth account of his experiences. It is very interesting and enjoyable.

There is no doubt that Pappy Boyington was a man who really had "been there and done that." He was a Flying Tiger and an ace before WWII even began, recipient of the Medal of Honor, and a former Japanese "special captive".

His writing style is certainly not concisce. It is sometimes winding, often rambling and tortured. Pappy was not a writer, and doesn't try to pretend the book is a peice of great literature. He is just a man who had been through a heck of a lot, and shares his recollections with you. Pappy simply calls them the way he sees them.

Pappy Boyington would be the first to point out his numerous flaws, (he points them out in the book ad nauseum...). The book is almost nothing at all like the series. I loved the series when I was a kid, and still watch it on the History Channel. But the tales in the book are his real recollections, this is history the way Pappy saw it, there are other accounts that sometimes do not jibe with what Pappy remembers. That really doesn't bother me, nor do I think it detracts from who Pappy Boyington was.

Is all of the history accurate? I don't know, I am not a historian. Should you take some of his assertions with a grain of salt? Of course, I do that no matter what the source. Should you read this book? I would recommend that you do if you are interested in the subject matter at all.

Boyington was definitely not your Tom Cruz type of pilot, he was an unorthodox risk taking, erm, a Black Sheep, which goes a long way to describe his style. In a time when so many people played it by the book, he took men destined for hard jail time and turned them into one of the most feared squadrons of the South Pacific.

The book is a description of the days with his squadron, as recounted by him so expect this not a dry and exacting account written by someone in USMC public relations.

This is among my favorite books of all time, and a recomended read for anyone interested in aviation, WWII, or just a great (and true) action story.

I first met Pappy at the Oshkosh Airshow in 1983. He came across as he does in the book; somewhat of a braggard but also self depreciating. While the book is certainly worth reading, I am disappointed that no one (including Pappy) attempted to expand on his biography in the years since it was written. I would like to know more about how he chose the Marines, his early training and flying experiences before the war and the period of time after he wrote the book until his death.

To more fully understand the period that is described in the book, one should read Daniel Ford's "Flying Tigers" and Walton's "Once They Were Eagles". The TV serial, while it occasionally borrowed ideas from the book, must be supressed (except for the great aerial sequences).