Fire in the Sky : The Air War in the South Pacific [Hardcover]

Eric M Bergerud (Author), Eric Bergerud (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 1999

In the first two years of the Pacific War of World War II, air forces from Japan, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand engaged in a ruthless struggle for superiority in the skies over the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. Despite operating under primitive conditions in a largely unknown and malignant physical environment, both sides employed the most sophisticated technology available at the time in a strategically crucial war of aerial attrition. In one of the largest aerial campaigns in history, the skies of the South Pacific were dominated first by the dreaded Japanese Zeros, then by Allied bombers, which launched massed raids at altitudes under fifty feet, and finally by a ferocious Allied fighter onslaught led by a cadre of the greatest aces in American military history.Utilizing primary sources and scores of interviews with surviving veterans of all ranks and duties, Eric Bergerud recreates the fabric of the air war as it was fought in the South Pacific. He explores the technology and tactics, the three-dimensional battlefield, and the leadership, living conditions, medical challenges, and morale of the combatants. The reader will be rewarded with a thorough understanding of how air power functioned in World War II from the level of command to the point of fire in air-to-air combat.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A scant three years after publishing his account of WWII's land war in the Pacific (Touched with Fire), historian Bergerud has completed an exhaustive companion volume addressing the theater's ferocious air war. Bergerud states clearly at the outset that he has attempted to cover both sides of the Pacific air war fairly; but, he notes, fairness dictates acknowledging "that something went very wrong in Japan during the 1930s and that the air war in Asia was due to Tokyo's overaggressive nature." Giving Japanese pilots their due, however, Bergerud portrays them alongside their American counterparts as honorable and worthy warriors. Indeed, the cutting-edge Japanese Zero fighter plane gave Tokyo an early advantage that threatened to overwhelm the Americans. Refreshingly multidimensional, with battle tales carefully crafted within the context of the overall campaign, this meticulously documented work portrays both the stark conditions and the high stakes of one of the largest air wars in history. Although much of the factual material comes from archival sources, the meat of the work is in the firsthand interviews with the rapidly dwindling pool of Pacific war veterans. The nuggets are well worth digging for. One American former pilot, for example, describes being forced to belly flop his plane after being attacked by an enemy Tony aircraft: "I have no idea whether that Tony pilot claimed me as a victory, but he certainly had a legitimate right to because my airplane was forced to crash-land and was totally wiped out." Scenes such as these help this fine history bring home with clarity the perils and rewards of the Pacific campaign and, in the process, illustrate lessons of value to today's military commanders. Photos and maps. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Part two in Bergerud's history of the Pacific War focuses on aviation's major contribution to the effort (Touched with Fire dealt with the land campaigns). The historian uses his trademark thoroughness, eyewitness interviews, and boundless energy to produce the unoriginal thesis that Japan's goal of expanding into the South Pacific was doomed by poor leadership and a military ethic that hindered its response to the Allied onslaught. While the author's theme is not new, his participant accounts add authenticity to the sweep of the story. Though Bergerud covers only the period from the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 to the close of 1943 (when he contends the war's outcome was no longer in doubt), he still dissects previously neglected facets of the battlegrounds, from the physical conditions and their health effects to the machinery for building landing fields. While repetitious and overly long, this wide-ranging history with aviation at its heart offers new perspectives on a brutal and epic war.
-Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 217 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (November 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081332985X
• ISBN-13: 978-0813329857
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #931,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tremendous book!, December 6, 1999

By 

Jay Boyer (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire in the Sky : The Air War in the South Pacific (Hardcover)

Like its predecessor "Touched With Fire : The Land War in the South Pacific", "Fire in the Sky" brings to light a wealth of little-known information concerning warfare in the South Pacific. This is truly a groundbreaking book on the subject. Unlike many other books that I have read on the airwar in the Pacific, Eric Bergerud's book goes beyond the romanticism of descriptions of famous Aces and the vaunted Japanese Zero. This book studies in great detail the (sometimes surprising) strengths and weaknesses of the opposing sides aircraft, doctrine, training and maintenance programs, etc... By covering details often omitted by other Authors, Mr. Bergerud shows us how in the space of a half year the outnumbered and poorly equipped Allied air-forces are able to achieve parity with the Japanese, and eventually turn the tide of the air battle. In addition to interviews with pilots and descriptions of tactics and combat, his attention to the war-winning effects of such neglected topics such as aircraft maintenance bring new understanding to this topic. I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is without a doubt the most interesting book that I have read on the airwar on the Pacific and indeed one of the better Military History books available.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fire in the Sky: A Major Contribution to Aviation History, January 11, 2000

By 

Mike Lavelle (Lytham - ST. Ann Great Britian) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire in the Sky : The Air War in the South Pacific (Hardcover)

This book written by Professor Eric Bergerud is excellent in every respect. The organization, technical accuracy and readability is the best I have read in over 30 years of aviation history study, teaching and writing. Compared to the air war in the European Theater of Operation there are relatively few books that cover the Pacific Air War and none that are so encompassing as this book. I especially like the many detail comparisons of the military organization structures the land air bases, the men and the machines (aircraft) as well as the importance logistics played in the overall out comes. The only fault I have with the book is that it is to hard to put down. The 690 + pages provide the reader not only with the subject matter being address but also the technical and aviation history leading up to those events. Therefore, in addition to the Pacific Air War the reader will learn many interesting, important and integrated aviation facts that give the reader a clear understanding of events that shaped not only the Pacific War but World War II in total. In my opinion the book without a doubt will become a classic in it's field.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eric Bergerud's Fire in the Sky is a triumph, December 28, 1999

By 

"historywriter" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire in the Sky : The Air War in the South Pacific (Hardcover)

With the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at PearlHarbor, a series of stinging military disasters would punish Americanand Allied forces, and push them back across the whole of the Pacific for the next six months. The strategic victory in the Battle of the Coral Sea, followed by the staggering beating suffered by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the waters northwest of Midway island finally halted the relentless military juggernaut of Japan.

For the next two years one of the hardest fought battles raged in the South Pacific. Places like Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Bougainville and Rabaul would fill the headlines in American newspapers across the country. A great many books have been written about various aspects of this especially difficult theater of operations. However, few of these have addressed in depth the complex campaign waged by both sides for control the air. Eric Bergerud's newly released Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific, does exactly that.

This is no small work of history. There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to take a great deal of time to wade through. In all likelihood, it probably would take weeks to finish.

I finished the book within five days. Then, I read it again, cover to cover. I devoured Fire in the Sky in huge chunks, pouring over chapter after chapter for hours at a sitting.

So, you may wonder; what is the attraction of this book?

First and foremost, it is excellent history. Yet, there is no hint of the dry, colorless narration that hallmarks much of the work that attempts to encompass the breadth and scope that Mr. Bergerud has so ably captured in this remarkable volume. Nearly every page provides a revelation.

Fire in the Sky is possibly the very best analysis of a major air campaign ever placed in print. Bergerud's consummate writing style is very entertaining, his skillful use of personal anecdote combined with the detachment of a historian, blend into compelling reading and a truly enjoyable experience.

Warts? A few. I cannot imagine a 700 page monster such as this without any. Still, these are generally related to technical subject matter and in no way take away from the completeness of Bergerud's triumph, and a triumph it is. Having also read his wonderful Touched by Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific, I can say without hesitation that this new work not only complements Touched by Fire, it surpasses it.

Destined to be the definitive history of the air war in the South Pacific, no serious student of World War Two or aviation can afford not to have this book in their personal library.

Corey C. Jordan, Editor

The Planes and Pilots of WWII Internet Magazine