The Flying Tigers: The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan

My first cousin, George McMillan, was a Flying Tiger and was killed in action. I have just finished reading Sam Kleiner's book. He has done a wonderful job of capturing the human story of the Flying Tigers. For the first time, it enables me to really feel all that George went through, and what life was like for him and the others on a daily basis. --Neil M. McMillan

The Flying Tigers(The untold story of the American Pilots who waged a secret war against Japan)By, Sam Kleiner I purchased this newly published book as soon as I learned of it. It is very well written and researched. Most of you reading this will have no knowledge or recollection of this famous group. Because of my advanced age I do. At the beginning of WWII there was nothing but bad news. We were beaten everywhere by the Japanese. The Flying Tigers was the lone exception. In reading I now know how it was formed. Claire Chennault had resigned from the Army Air Corp and went to China in the 30’s to help them create a Chinese Air Force. In this he was not successful due to the poor quality of the aircraft and the poorly trained pilots. He brought the situation to the attention of President Roosevelt to create a volunteer Air Force of Americans in 1940 to help China, which was before we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. The volunteers for the most part were from our air force. They resigned with the understanding that they could return after serving one year. There were about 100 pilots and an equal number of maintenance personnel. They were supplied with P-40’s which I am proud to state was produced in Buffalo, N. Y. They painted the nose to resemble shark teeth. Somehow sharks became tigers in describing the group. Do to the foresight of FDR and Chenault they were ready at the time of Pearl Harbor and became active. The book covers the events during that year. A few agreed to stay on. Some of those didn’t make it back. Some rejoined the Army, others returned home. Their exploits were spectacular. The Japanese for the first time had equal opposition. Many enemy aircraft were destroyed but the main benefit in my opinion was the huge boost in moral for those of us at home when all else was disaster. They fought over Burma, China, Thailand and French Indo-China. They are credited with destroying 299 Japanese planes with another probable of 153. They also strafed and bombed Army units as they found them. Many were aces destroying 10 or more planes. Many didn’t return home. Those that did received boisterous demonstrations from grateful citizens with home town parades. This is another great book reminding us of the contributions of the “Greatest” generation.Jack B. WaltersJune 27, 2018

I have little doubt that the author researched the facts, but I was sorry he didn’t mention all of the pilots who made up what became known as the Flying Tigers. This may very well be the last publication of it’s kind that is published on their existence as information pertaining to their history is fading. My father was in his very early twenties when he volunteered to fly with them and the stories I overheard in later years spoken between fellow members over Black and White scotches stick with me still. Obviously there was far more to be told.

The Flying Tigers tells about an amazing episode in US history. Kleiner captures many sides to the story: aerial combat; international relations between the US, China, and Great Britain; the personal lives of adventurous young American pilots; and politics of the US Army and Roosevelt administration that guided the US entry into war. The book weaves all of this together to create a rich atmosphere of action and intrigue. Best of all, the book lets the pilots' diaries do most of the talking - quoting these war heroes directly whenever possible, and filling in combat details with original research of combat logs.

When I pick up a book to read on history, I usually examine the authors notes/resources. I could tell up front that this book was well researched! I categorize Sam Kleiner, the author, with a younger generation of journalists who pride themselves on telling a story with the unvarnished truth. Sam didn't romanticize the Flying Tigers, but gave praise where praise was due.I have read well over 100 books about World War II and at least a couple others about the Flying Tigers. The author spends a great deal of time on Claire Chennault and his life. I believe Sam has defined the life of Chennault with great depth and emotion.Sam takes you on a journey of the pilots who joined Chennault to wage war against the Japanese and their reasons for doing so. Through their triumphs and tragedies, this story really resonated with me like never before.Simply said, Sam Kleiner is a great writer. If you like World War II history, especially aviation history, this is a tale that has a soul. Sam's credentials are extensive. I truly hope this is not a one time shot for him, but rather the beginning of a long career in writing many books. I will be standing in line for your next one, Sam! Great job! I mean that from the bottom of my heart!

The Flying Tigers, led by Claire Chennault, was a group of American men who left the United States to fly in defense of the Chinese. These men used false identities to make their way across the Pacific. Once there, and under Chennault's leadership, these men became the first Americans to take on the Japanese in combat.The results were good; many pilots, including future Marine ace Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, honed their skills in combat and dogfighting tactics. Fighting in the dark early days after Pearl Harbor and often using second-hand equipment, these brave men showed the Japanese that the American pilots were no pushovers.Over the course of several years, the Flying Tigers continually harassed the Japanese while helping to save China from being overrun.Sam Kleiner has written a fine book about one of America's most heroic combat units. Drawing on first-person accounts from Chennault and the pilots, he tells the story of the air battles fought between the Tigers and the Japanese. These men gave America hope during the early days of the war and fought the Japanese to a stand-still.

Sehr ansprechend umgesetzte und extrem gut lesbare Version der Flying Tigers Geschichte. Die Auswertung umfangreicher Tagebücher, Briefe etc. der beteiligten Protagonisten gibt nochmal einen viel besseren Eindruck über die Beweggründe und Gemütslage der handelnden Charaktere. Im Gegensatz zum 'Standardwerk' von Daniel Ford liest sich dieses Buch fast wie ein Roman. Echt klasse - Ich hoffe immer noch auf eine überzeugende Verfilmung (z.B. mit Robert DeNiro als Claire Chennault ;o)).

A good read for pilots, history buffs, and those thankful for services rendered by brave, young adventurers. Enough about flying to keep a pilot turning pages; and plenty of human interest and political intrigue.

This historical book about the Flying Tigers is very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.