Customer Reviews

Cactus Air Force

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The fight for Guadalcanal as told from the air. Another of my favorites, it recounts the deeds of Joe Foss, Marion Carl, et al and their desperate bid to hold onto America's first gains in the Pacific. This one will have you rooted to the edge of your seat. It's a great mix of well researched historical information and dramatic story telling. "WWII Aviation Booklist" http://www.ampsc.com/~prophet/booklist.html

I read this book several years ago and was impressed with the historical facts pertaining to the Quadalcanal fight. The men that took place in the defense of that island were true Heros.

Although the stunning Midway victory levelled the odds in the Pacific, it was the epic battle for Guadalcanal that tilted the scale irrevocably in favour of the Americans. Cactus Air Force may be the title of the book, but the author certainly does not limit his scope to the small but vital band of airmen. His immaculately researched account encompasses practically the entire air campaign, including detailed looks at the battles of Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz. Right from the first page the reader is plunged headlong into the frenetic 90-day clash of military heavyweights concentrated in a tiny area.

While the information contained within this relatively slim volume is potentially overwhelming, with his authoritative grasp and style Miller is able to present his vast depository of facts and people in a way the reader can easily absorb. Not for a moment did I find any of the details gratuitous.

An excellent companion to this book is The Story Of Wake Island, a seemingly forgotten first-person account by the late Brigadier General James P.S. Devereux. Narrative differences aside, the two books tell what is essentially a continuing story. I heartily recommend both.

I read this originally over 20 yrs ago, and it is by far the best and most accurate account of the Guadalcanal cmpn from the air standpoint. It also
has a good history of the ground and naval aspects of this epic siege since the air aspect was directly involved. There are no boring parts of this account, and it has details that I've not known before regarding the Navy, Marine, and Army Air Corps flyers who endured unbearable conditions and constant combat. This includes being under artillery and rifle fire while launching and landing from Henderson field and massive naval bombardments at night. For 87 days the airmen known as the Cactus air force fought like Spartans and won. By Carl Gould