Well written account of an ace pilot serving before and during WWII. The details of his life and leadership were well researched and brought to life in an enjoyable read throughout the narrative.

This is a wonderful biography for any history buff to read and enjoy. I was not familiar with the author before reading this work, but I have to say he researches and writes well. The detailed information about Bill Reed really makes him fully dimensional. The personal letters and journal entries makes this read deeply intimate. I'm buying this for my uncle who is a big WWII buff!

There are so many unknown heroes out there and it was a pleasure to read about this one. Bill's time with the Flying Tigers and service to his fellow soldiers made this an inspirational read. Tragically, Bill lost his life doing a stunt late in the war.

A detailed biography of Col. Bill Reed, one of the original Flying Tigers. The book follows Reed’s career as a fighter pilot in China with the AVG group under General Chennault to his return to China near the end of the war. Reed was killed in a meaningless accident near the end of the war when he had to bail out if his plane due to the refusal of the commander of the airstrip to turn on the landing lights.
The book is based on the journals and letters left behind by Reed. At times it gets tedious with the narration of mundane details. (I didn’t care about the scores in Reed’s high school football games.) However, the book accurately depicts the thrill and boredom of a WWII fighter pilot. Interestingly, Reed read the classic book, God is My Co-Pilot by Col. Robert Scott who came to the AVG in China one month before Reed left to go stateside. Reed said “the book is as great a compilation of lies and overstatement as it has ever been my displeasure to read.”
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.