{"product_id":"americas-few-9781472847492","title":"Americas Few","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUsing the parallel stories of Gregory Pappy Boyington and Joseph Smokey Joe Foss, the two top-scoring US Marine Corps fighter aces of all time, this fascinating new book explores US Marine Corps aviation over the South Pacific.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmerica''s Few\u003c\/i\u003e delves into the history of US Marine Corps aviation in World War II, following the feats of the Corps'' top-scoring aces in the skies over Guadalcanal. Marine Corps aviation began in 1915, functioning as a self-contained expeditionary force. During the interwar period, the support of USMC amphibious operations became a key element of Marine aviation doctrine, and the small force gradually grew. But in December 1941 came the rude awakening. Within hours of Pearl Harbor, heroic Marine aviators were battling the Japanese over Wake Island.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the South Pacific, the aviators of the US Marine Corps came out of the shadows to establish themselves as an air force second to none. In the summer of 1942, when Allied airpower \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmerica's Few\u003c\/i\u003e describes Marine Corps aviation's few: the two dozen ‘double digit’ aces who gained hard-won air superiority in the first year of the Pacific War, many of whom contributed en route to VJ Day.  Bill Yenne not only describes their combat careers but the youthful backgrounds that shaped who they were beyond what they did. * Barrett Tillman, author of 'U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II' *\u003cbr\u003eReadable and well researched, \u003ci\u003eAmerica’s Few\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles the combat history of the ‘double-digit’ fighter aces, an elite cohort of Marine Corps aviators who shot down ten or more Japanese warplanes while flying the famed F4F Wildcat and F4U Corsair. An essential addition to the bookshelf of readers interested in the F4U Corsair and the remarkable pilots who flew them. * Steven K. Bailey, author of 'Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942–1945' *\u003cbr\u003eAuthor Bill Yenne captures the true essence of this great generation of young pilots who sacrificed so much. In 1942 the War in the Pacific Theater was not going well for the Allies and, the USMC pilots had an uphill battle to wage. The reader is immediately drawn into each dogfight, as Yenne displays a unique talent for capturing precise details. For the pilots, the obstacles were significant and an enormous psychological weight to bear. Base operations were austere, shoot down the enemy or be shot down, AAA threats, will the aircraft hold up under the stress. Every second in the air were the vivid haunting threats—bailing out over the ocean or crashing in the jungle. Will I be quickly killed or, become a POW of the Japanese? Yenne preserves the legacy of a generation of USMC airmen that deserve lasting respect. * Erik Simonsen, author of 'A Complete History of US Combat Aircraft Fly-Off Competitions' *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eList of Illustrations Introduction Double-Digit US Marine Corps Aces of World War II Squadron Names\u003c\/i\u003e   \u003cb\u003ePART I: ORIGINS\u003c\/b\u003e 1: Marine Corps Aviation from Flanders to Wake Island 2: Who They Were 3: Taking to the Air 4: First Combat   \u003cb\u003ePART II: THE FEW\u003c\/b\u003e 5: That Place Called Guadalcanal 6: First Blood 7: New Blood 8: Changing of the Guard      9: The Coach Takes the Field 10: Joe Foss Takes the Lead 11: Tipping Points 12: Matching the Ace of Aces 13: The Long Season of the Dancing Bears   \u003cb\u003ePART III: NO LONGER A MERE FEW\u003c\/b\u003e 14: The Corsair and the Changing Game 15: Corsair Aces Over the Solomons 16: Slow Rolls and Victories Over the Slot 17: The Ace and the Albatross 18: Finding Their Momentum 19: A Wanderer in the Wings 20: The Black Sheep Go to War 21: Three Aces Reach Double-digits 22: The Major Leagues 23: Two Squadrons Over Kahili 24: Cherry Blossom Over Bougainville 25: Two Aces Over Rabaul 26: Everything They Had Left 27: At the Top of Their Game 28: The Ending of Eras   \u003cb\u003ePART IV: COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY\u003c\/b\u003e 29: Second Acts 30: Unfinished Business 31: Victory Achieved   \u003cb\u003ePART V: POSTWAR LIVES\u003c\/b\u003e 32: In War and Peace 33: The Black Sheep and the Governor 34: Final Flights   \u003ci\u003eAppendix Abbreviations and Acronyms Bibliography Index\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49408765985111,"sku":"9781472847492","price":21.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781472847492.jpg?v=1730504124","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/americas-few-9781472847492","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}