[bsmith13]

I've read the book. It's a good read and does a pretty good job of telling the story of VMF-214 from Boyington's point of view. If you'd like more info on the Black Sheep, I recommend "Once they were Eagles" by Frank Walton. Walton served as Boyington's XO and has a somewhat broader perspective.

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I've read the book. It's a good read and does a pretty good job of telling the story of VMF-214 from Boyington's point of view. If you'd like more info on the Black Sheep, I recommend "Once they were Eagles" by Frank Walton. Walton served as Boyington's XO and has a somewhat broader perspective.

You sold me, bsmith. I went on abe books and ordered a hardcopy of "Once They Were Eagles for $5.30, including shipping!

[Ara1]

Originally Posted by Captain Eddie

You sold me, bsmith. I went on abe books and ordered a hardcopy of "Once They Were Eagles for $5.30, including shipping!

Captain Eddie, post a review once you've read it!

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by Ara1

Captain Eddie, post a review once you've read it!

I'll keep that in mind, but could be awhile! (so much to read, so little time!)

[jim]

The forum members recommended this book to me so i jumped in and bought it.

What a great read, I thought it to be an honest assessment of a complex man.
He certainly lived life to the full even if he didn't always get it right, or more to the point it would be better to say that he got a heck of a lot wrong but in the best possible way perhaps.

One thing that can said about old Pappy , he has nothing to come back for, he lived life to the full and despite his problems I found that after reading the book Pappy had my respect and admiration..

[Ara1]

Originally Posted by jim

What a great read, I thought it to be an honest assessment of a complex man.
...I found that after reading the book Pappy had my respect and admiration.

Thanks Jim. I'll let you know tomorrow if I snagged it.

[Ara1]

Got the book! Here are the pics, I'll write a review once I've read it.

[Elmer]

Doesn't look a bit like Robert Conrad.

I read this years ago... as a teenager. I loved it then. I wonder if I would still love it now? Anyway, should be a fun read, Ara.

btw... always read bios with a grain of salt.

[Ara1]

Thanks Elmer. One of my favorite genres is mid-twentieth century bios:

• Marine at War by Russell Davis
• Guadalcanal Diary by Dick Tregaskis
• Diary of Anne Frank
• Papillon by Henri Charriere
• Flight to Everywhere by Ivan Dmitri
• Samurai by Saburo Sakai
• Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg, by various German survivors.

I also cannot get enough of Desert Rats by George Forty, which is full of British diary anecdotes and veteran entries.

I've read through chapter 3 in Baa Baa Black Sheep. I'm enjoying the voice of Pappy B as he takes us into Singapore as a soon-to-be Flying Tiger in September 1941. I like how he says he had the uncanny knack of leaving a region just before being asked to leave.

[Ara1]

I am well into the book and am happy to report it's a great read. One of the things I like about original printings (as opposed to reprints, revised texts, and resissued books) is the honesty of the original copy. This book is written from a 14 year retrospective (1958) and the first edition pages and typeface make it feel true. Somehow, if I were reading a mass market 1986 reprint I don't think I'd have the same impression.

I am also keeping Elmer's comment in mind as I read, regarding reading this bio with a grain of salt. Let me tell you, this book was not ghostwritten, the voice is honest and unpolished. It jumps around a bit, often within the same paragraph, which is also cool as it tells me it was not heavily edited, and thus, I believe reading this book is like spending a relaxing weekend with Pappy, as he relates his story. That's how he writes: he's chosen to have a 384 page conversation with you.

One of the things Pappy tells us is how he once read a WWI airman's bio, and by the time the guy had reached 24 kills, Pappy was wishing someone would shoot him down. He implied he did not want to write that type of repetitive, point-and-shoot book, or elicit a like response.

There's a neat little story here about Pappy hastily being put in charge of flying escort to Generalissmo Chiang Kai Shek and his wife as they moved their headquarters from the advancing Japanese in early 1942... more later.