| Read the first 3 chapters -
I've now had a chance to read the first 3 (of 10) chapters of this book (the next/4th chapter is "Enter the Mustang.")
Like almost all the Osprey books - there isn't a lot of wasted words. I very much like the way this book is written and reads. The first couple pages set the racial tone in the U.S. during the 1930's and 40's and the context of Black aviators/CPTP/Tuskegee in the larger context of the U.S. Army and society in general. Book does not come off "preachy." You do get a sense of the good guys and the "bad" guys within the fight to integrate the U.S. Army at the time.
Has several first person quotes from Tuskegee personel as well as upper level officers involved in the Tuskegee "experiment." Also includes quotes from government reports/evaluations regarding Tuskegee. These are weaved well in context of the chronological story.
Missions/airiel combat/incidents are written concisely - again not any wasted words. I feel like I've read a lot more than 46 pages.
What I really like and am also suprised about, is that this book also presents incidents that make you think "Why did that happen?" - i.e ground collisions; "mistakes;" etc. (I've never flown an aircraft, but some of the stuff kinda makes me scratch my head.) This book gives you an honest picture of air operations within a fighter group(s) - no whitewashing (so to speak) or deletion of incidents - i.e. when one Tuskegee airmen landed his P-47 intact on a German airfield - 35 miles in the opposite direction of his base. (This was the first intact, flyable P-47 to fall into german hands.)
Seemed like a lot of accidents with the P-39's and P-47's. Keep in mind they were hand-me-down aircraft that had been flown extensively by prior units.
As I am reading this book, I'm wondering if other units had the kind of non-combat losses/accidents that seemed to plague the Tuskegee airmen - before they got the P-51. (NOT taking ANYTHING away from their accomplishments - militarily as well as within the larger picture of civil rights/U.S.armed forced integration.)
I am really enjoying this book - and because its so densely written, am overwhelmed with the details/story.
HIGHLY reccomend this book! |