Wake Island Pilot: A World War II Memoir (Memories of War) [Paperback]

James M. McCaffrey (Author), John F. Kinney (Author)

Book Description

Series: Memories of War | Publication Date: September 30, 2005

Wake Island Pilot is the story of John F. Kinney - hero, POW escapee, and aviation pioneer. It contains the first full-length account of a successful escape by a Marine captured in one of the great battles of World War II. Within hours of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese struck the small U.S. garrison on Wake Island. As his squadron's engineering officer, young pilot John F. Kinney used all his considerable ingenuity to oversee the cannibalization of crippled planes for spare parts when he himself was not in the air fighting off the Japanese assault. His gallant efforts helped enable the desperate Marine and Navy defenders to hold out for an incredible two weeks, a truly epic struggle. After the island's inevitable surrender, Kinney was a Japanese prisoner in China for the next three and a half years. During this time, he put his amazingly inventive mechanical skills to work, creating from scratch numerous items, including a radio, to improve his fellow POWs' situation. Toward the end of the war, Kinney escaped from a prison train and, with the assistance of both Nationalist and Communist Chinese troops, made his way to an American airfield. He was thus one of the few Americans to escape from Japanese captivity outside the Philippines. General Kinney's subsequent Marine Corps career was equally distinguished: He flew fighters in the Korean War and helped develop the classic A4-D Skyhawk.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kinney, writing with McCaffrey, who teaches history at the Univ. of Houston in Texas, here relates how, as a boy in the 1930s, he fell in love with flying; became a Marine pilot before WWII; and took part in the epic defense of Wake Island. On December 11, 1941, four days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked Wake but were repulsed with heavy losses inflicted by marine and navy defenders. Returning in greater strength on December 23, the enemy made a successful landing and forced the American surrender. In this gripping memoir, Kinney conveys the shock of sudden incarceration and also recalls, inspiringly, how he and his comrades coped with harsh conditions in Japanese prison camps. There is an exciting account of the author's escape and arduous trek to friendly lines. Kinney retired as a brigadier general after a career in the marine corps that included having command of a fighter squadron in the Korean War. He explains that his motivation for writing his memoir was "to show families of future prisoners of war that a man's life need not end when he enters into a prison compound. He can survive, recover, and lead a useful, productive life." Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

The "gripping and exciting" (Publishers Weekly) story of a captured young marine pilot who survived more than three years in Japanese prison camps before escaping.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (September 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157488736X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574887365
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,307,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Aviation

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Against all odds he survived, mind over matter!, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wake Island Pilot: A World War II Memoir (Hardcover)

The first two chapters were a warm up for the real guts and glory! I have never met the author but just reading his book made me proud to be an American. Using the genious approach to cannibalizing parts to fly planes that had no chance of surviving against such great odds is overwhelming.

My advise is to buy the book and read, start to finish!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A heroe's story, and an excellent researcher's resource too!, October 13, 2006

By 

Ryan Fisher (Santa Maria, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wake Island Pilot: A World War II Memoir (Memories of War) (Paperback)

In any story one reads about Wake Island, Lt. Kinney is always mentioned as a key player. It is interesting to piece the Wake saga together with the individual stories and anecdotes of the men like Kinney who were there.
The story Kinney tells is a humble one, considering the events he has seen and endured. He is the original "MacGuyver," fixing equipment not only at Wake, but also throughout his career.
Kinney's story is like walking through nearly every chapter of military aviation history. Few can ever say they flew in everything from Curtiss Jennys to early Vietnam era jets.
A great read for Wake Island, WWII, aviation and Korean War enthusiasts alike.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, December 6, 2010

By 

benh7777 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Wake Island Pilot: A World War II Memoir (Memories of War) (Paperback)

Well written, very interesting book. I have read several books on Wake Island, in most if not all you learn a little about John Kinney, but this book is his own story. From his pre Wake days to his escape from prison camp and later life. I highly reccomend reading this book. Not as detailed as most Wake books about events that occurred but mostly of what he himself witnessed and endured on Wake and as a POW. Without Kinney the defense of Wake would not have lasted nearly as long, he kept our planes in the air by his great mechanical skills. Truely a great American hero.