Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
From huddled command conferences to cramped cockpits, John Lundstrom guides readers through the maelstrom of air combat at Guadalcanal in this impressively researched sequel to his earlier study. Picking up the story after Midway, the author presents a scrupulously accurate account of what happened, describing in rich detail the actual planes and pilots pitted in the ferocious battles that helped turn the tide of war. Based on correspondence with 150 American and Japanese veterans, or their families, he reveals the thoughts, pressures, and fears of the airmen and their crews as he reconstructs the battles. These are the story of the Wildcat and Zero fighters, and the Dauntless, Avenger, Betty, Kate, and Val bombers. Lavishly illustrated with drawings, maps, and photographs, this fresh look at the campaign set a standard for aviation histories when first published in 1994.
Synopsis
This long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed First Team completes a fascinating chronicle of the carrier-based air battles that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. Justly renowned for their heroic feats, these fighter pilots amassed a remarkable combat record in the face of desperate odds. Alongside their Marine and Army Air Force compatriots, U.S. Navy aviators inflicted a decisive defeat on their counterparts in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Victory in the Pacific depended upon superior tactics and doctrine, and the lessons learned at Guadalcanal paid great dividends later in the war. As in his earlier work, which has been hailed as "one of the finest examples of aviation research," Lundstrom draws from a decade of research to present a thoroughly detailed and scrupulously accurate account of naval air combat in the arduous Guadalcanal campaign. Picking up the story after Midway, this book describes in rich detail the actual planes and pilots pitted in battles of rarely matched ferocity. Based on correspondence with 150 American and Japanese veterans, or their families, Lundstrom reveals the thoughts, pressures, and fears of these airmen and their crews. Here too are the stories of the Wildcat and Zero fighters along with the Dauntless, Avenger, Betty, Kate, and Val bombers. A resolute historian, the author has tapped new American and Japanese sources to fully reconstruct every significant action in which these fighters were involved, placing them within the context of carrier operations. Lavishly illustrated with drawings, maps, and photographs, some never before published, this fresh new look at the Guadalcanal campaign joins The First Team in setting the standard for published aviation history.
Booknews
Lundstrom (curator, American and military history, Milwaukie Public Museum) presents an account of naval air combat in the Guadalcanal campaign after Midway. He describes actual planes and pilots involved in the battles, and reveals the thoughts and fears of 150 American and Japanese veterans, based on correspondence with the veterans and their families. Lundstrom reconstructs every significant action of the fighters, placing them within the context of carrier operations. Includes numerous b&w photos. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)