Daniel Ford’s Flying Tigers is the high-flying history of a group of American aviators who took to the skies over southeast Asia in 1941 to challenge the seemingly unstoppable military might of the Japanese empire, which had begun its juggernaut –like march across much of Asia and the Pacific. Lured by promises of high pay and bounties by the beleaguered Chinese government, the rough-and-tumble Americans flew with guts and bravado and, though nearly always outnumbered and under-supplied, downed more than 100 Japanese planes from 1941 through 1942.
This is fantastic history, painstakingly researched by author Daniel Ford, from a composite of both western and eastern sources that is sweeping in scope and balanced in perspective. At the same time, this is far from a stodgy historical tome; the dogfights are pulse-poundingly recreated from the hammer of the machine guns to whine of straining engines and propellers. Ford evokes all the nail-biting chaos and split-second maneuvering of aerial combat, drawing directly from the logs, diaries, and records of the combatants. I know (only because Ford clues us in the preface) that there is considerable controversy regarding the number of “kills” accredited to the Tigers, but whatever the actual number is, it does little to diminish the bravery or gumption of the pilots. (And to be fair, by the close of the book, Ford often a pretty good case when it comes to the final tally of downed aircraft).
This is also not a novel penned through rose-colored glasses. Ford acknowledges that while patriotism played a role, money was also a motivator. There’s certainly a sense of a proto-military-industrialism among some of the backers of the AVG operation, and the Tigers themselves tend toward the Hand Solo-side of things rather than the more altruistic Luke Skywalker-type. Throw in femme fatales like green-eyed Olga Greenlaw and the mysterious Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and the mythology fairly writes itself. To his credit, Ford doesn’t give in to this lure and sticks to the facts, but the characters, locale, time period, and subject matter are simply irresistible and fairly beg for pulpy fictionalization.
Bottom line ... Ford delivers a solid historical narrative that never skimps on the details, but reads like an adventure novel. Bravo! And, to echo the author, all honor to the men and women of the Flying Tigers.
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Top reviews from other countries
Andy Brockman
Excellent study of a contentious legend
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 3, 2012
