Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942

In the skies over Burma, a handful of American pilots met and bloodied the "Imperial Wild Eagles" of Japan and became immortal as the Flying Tigers. They were recruited to defend beleaguered China for $600 a month plus $500 for each Japanese plane they shot down—fantastic money in an era when a Manhattan hotel room cost three dollars a night. "Admirable," wrote Chennault biographer Martha Byrd. "A readable book based on sound sources." Flying Tigers won the Aviation/Space Writers Association Award of Excellence when it was first published by the Smithsonian Institution. This new edition was revised and updated in May 2023. Read more