Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #738272 in Books
• Published on: 1993-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews

An eyewitness account: good stuff
General Bond kept a diary during his year with the American Volunteer Group. Unfortunately, it was slightly edited for publication, so we don't in all cases get his unvarnished view. Still, it's by far the best account currently in print from the point of view of one of the original Flying Tiger pilots. There's some historical context provided by historian Terry Anderson.

Truth in advertising
This book is exactly as advertised. It is basically the day-to-day diary entries of a member of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), the "Flying Tigers" of World War II fame with additional material to set the entries in context. As such, it should be a valuable historical reference for anyone seeking insight into the internal workings of the AVG, the personal thoughts, struggles, adventures, and misadventures of those in that group, and, in particular, the exploits of those in the First Squadron of the AVG.

I found the book to be interesting and quite factual; particularly since the entries in the diary were made at the time the events actually took place and in many instances detailed the actions of the man making the entries. I had hoped, however, that this book would tell the broader story of the AVG, based on the diary entries, rather than simply restating the actual records. But it didn't. As a result, I found the book to be somewhat narrow in scope. I say that since the author of the diary was in the First Squadron of the AVG which was generally remote from the other two squadrons. As a consequence, virtually all of the diary entries relate to the exploits of the Adam and Eve Squadron and the personnel in that squadron. The missions and actions of those in the Second and Third Squadrons (the "Pandas" and "Hell's Angels"), such as Tex Hill and Ed Rector were touched upon lightly, but much was left out. Of note, however, the cumulative entries in the diary did present a somewhat different picture of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington than I have seen in other venues.

Since the book is in diary form with many missing dates, it is somewhat difficult to read and, as you might expect in this form, there is some lack of continuity. One diary entry doesn't necessarily relate to the one before or the one after. Nevertheless, this book includes some valuable and noteworthy information and should be of interest to anyone seeking to learn more about the Flying Tigers.

Flying Tiger History Revisited
Charlie Bond kept a diary of his experiences while flying with the American Volunteer Group, popularly known as the Flying Tigers. This book covers this time in his life, with a brief preamble and a brief postamble. Bond retired from the USAF as a Major General, and had many varied experiences after his tour with the AVG, but this book is 95% Flying Tigers.

Claire Chennault, and the AVG, went against the grain. Army Air Corps doctrine was that the bomber will always get through. Chennault thought differently, and showed that doctrine was incorrect during interwar maneuvers, and was allowed to retire for his efforts. He was hired by the Chinese to rebuild the Chinese air force, and was a confidant of Chiang Kai-Chek, and also the very powerful Madame Chiang. He taught his tactics to the AVG pilots, and they set records that were embarrassing to the Army Air Corps hierarchy.

Bond explains some of the higher-level activities, but stays mainly with his own experiences as a pilot flying Curtiss P-40's This book really shows the nitty-gritty of life in a war-torn third-world country, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the AVG history, and a should-read for everyone else.