Was given this doc for an honest review.

I read this book months ago but have gotten so far behind on my reviews. This book is really good first in that it gives accounts of the different men who fought against Japan besides Americans. The author takes you through the fall of the Philippines which took 140 days instead of 50 like the Japanese thought. Also goes into the men and women who were left on the island to fight and some to surrender after MacArthur left but made sure to take his staff.
He also goes into the different battles before Midway and the battle for Wake Island. He takes you through the flight of Doolittle and the bombing of Japan. He also goes into the lack of planes at the beginning especially after the attacks which destroyed many planes and then the men who actually were flying outdated planes until new ones could be shipped out. You see though really just how much Midway changed the course of the Pacific War. they lost so many planes and pilots that Japan could not recover. Were as the U.S. was able to not only re-supply but to make better aircraft which in the long term one the war in the sky. Overall a good book.

An interesting account of the first six months of the war, during the Empire of Japan's seemingly unstoppable onslaught throughout the Pacific in the early days of World War II. The author does a good job of using little known and often newly discovered primary sources to present the thoughts and actions of those confronting the Japanese war machine as it launched a murderous campaign into the South Pacific to capture and hold as much territory and resources before the allies could regroup and pool their own to fight back.

All the WW2 history often seem to jump from Pearl Harbor to victory. Mr. Cleaver brings you into the world of darkness and despair when many thought to make treaty with the is terror would be better. Great reminder that it was not so easy or sure as we are led to believer.

Lots of interesting stories. Especially interesting was the account of an American squadron in Darwin, Australia, after it suffered the first enemy raid.
The Japanese were so arrogant in their superiority that they ignored evidence to the contrary
Amusing, in a disgusting way, was the account of MacArthur. He “was shocked the enemy would dare to behave differently than he had declared they would,” and then sulked in his penthouse suite, incommunicado, for the next week. He got so much favorable publicity because news reports were based on press releases from his headquarters.
The Japanese were able to run wild for six months because they were prepared and possessed modern equipment. The Allies had obsolete equipment, shortages of parts, friction between allies, and disregard from home. A lot of text bogged down with listings of all the enemy ships and personnel involved in different battles. I skimmed over that.
Overall, though, recommended reading. I received a free copy for my opinion.

An excellent account of the early days of WW2 in the Pacific up to the battle of Midway. Great personal accounts from individuals on both sides provides a greater appreciation for the struggles and combat they faced. The book as well written and hard to put down. A great read for aviation enthusiasts.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Insightful and well-researched. A deep dive into a worthwhile, important aspect of history. A must read.Thomas McKelvey Cleaver does not disappoint.

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver’s “I Will Run Wild” is an entertaining and engrossing read.

The reader gets to experience the pacific war at a breakneck speed, guided by Cleaver’s obvious enthusiasm and painstakingly researched material.

Where Cleaver’s narrative comes alive is in recounting the exploits of individual pilots and American servicemen. In attempting to deliver on a grand scale, we end up spending barely any time with each of these fascinating individuals. As a result, these stories, while remarkable, rarely rise above the standard caricature of ‘brave war heroes do hero stuff”.

I learned many fascinating details that I didn’t know about the Pacific War on both sides and enjoyed every minute of Cleaver’s wild ride.

I received an advance copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a pretty interesting read and something that I will definitely add to our collection.