Flyboys

Flyboys by James Bradley - Finished May 2005 - score 9

Among other things, Flyboys is a well-told account of 8 navy flyers shot down over the little known Japanese island of Chichi Jima, during the waning days of World War II, in the Pacific.

A bit north of it's better known neighbor Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima served as a Japanese radio outpost during WWII. As US marines fought pitched battles on Iwo Jima, navy flyers fought a violent and dangerous air bombing campaign to knock out the Japanese radios, and general military presence, on Chichi Jima. James Bradley focuses on 8 flyers shots down during that campaign, and traces their final days through testimony and stories from Japanese soldiers who were there.

A compelling, and at times heartwarming book, it is by no means a light read. Bradley takes a square, no-nonsense, head-on look at the historical context leading up to WWII, and makes clear just how horrible war can be. From the Japanese atrocities, such as the Rape of Nanking, to beheadings and, yes, cannibalism, Bradley also manages to put a human face on what was, for an entire generation of Americans, the Japanese animals that Americans fought so hard to destroy during the early 1940s.

From personal stories of the families that knew them, recollections from both the 1940s and today, we get to know each flyer as they travel the path fate set out for them, and of the one flyer that fate spared, who went on to become the 41st President of the United States.

Commentary on Gen. Billy Mitchell, Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, Gen. Curtis LeMay, President Roosevelt, as well as Japanese Emporer Hirohito and the commanding officers on Chichi Jima, flesh out the motivations of the warriors who fought the battles.

The fate of these flyers, and the American cover-up of the occurrences on Chichi Jima, and the unvarnished truth of war are told eloquently and gracefully, but be warned, they are also told graphically and vividly.

Catching Up

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown - Finished Fall, 2004 - score 6
I think this was Dan Brown's first major novel on his run up to The DaVinci Code. Set at the NSA, it deals with a code-breaking supercomputer and the globe-trotting intrigue that entails. Dan Brown seems to have a formula (every-man scholar rises above himself to hero status, and at the same time quasi-gets the girl) which he sticks to. Not exactly a predictable book, but not bad either. A good before-bedtime read.

Chindi by Jack McDevitt - Finished January, 2005 - score 6.5
Having read several war/naval/secret ops books, I felt like getting back to a good sci-fi book. I found Dan McDevitt and picked up a couple of his books. This one I liked, a lot. In his future universe, mankind is basically alone in the universe, save for a few very old relics of long gone, very alien civilizations. Space travel has become very laze-faire and almost boring. Until a certain discovery bring some excitement back, that is. Nothing ground-breaking, but solid story telling and good science.

Infinity Beach by Jack McDevitt - Finished February, 2005 - score 4
Written prior to Chindi, and set in the same general universe, this is more of an old fashioned mystery set in a futuristic setting. Solid writing, but it just didn't grab my attention. I was thinking my opinion was shaded by the fact that I just wasn't in the mood for a mystery, but the reviewer I've linked seems to agree with me, so.... reader beware.

Star Trek: Federation by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens - score 9
Even though I am a Star Trek fan, I don't read all the Star Trek books, because most of them are crappy, churned out in a hurry to publish the book and make a buck. The Reeves-Stevens', however, have a reputation for taking their time and writing a good book, and they do a great job here. "Federation" traces a 3-pronged story, with timelines running through the life of Zefram Cochran (inventor of the warp drive), Kirk and his crew, and Picard and his crew, which all become intertwined in a somewhat fantastic, yet fun, climax. It's clear the Reeves-Stevens' love Star Trek, and love the characters that have become larger than life, and this is a grand, heroic adventure worthy of "legends". Beware, this was written before the movie "First Contact" laid down Star Trek canon for how Zefram Cochran invented the warp drive and made first contact, and this story is very different from accepted Star Trek history. The authors acknowledge in their forward that this is their offering of a possible Star Trek history, not the official Paramount version. Anyway... if you like Star Trek, this is a great, fun read.

Just Finished

Ice Station by Matt Reilly - Finished 4-13-2005 - score:7
I loved this book! Think "Die Hard" at an Antarctic research station. A marine special forces group must secure an American research station after an amazing discovery which everyone , even allies, now wants. The action rolls along non-stop. Completely unbelievable, but I didn't care a bit, because it was so much fun. Matt Reilly's writing style flows and reads effortlessly. Any fan of military action, Tom Clancy "Rainbow Six" style action, or even James Bond, will eat this book up. Not real deep, but roaring fun.

Saucer by Stephen Coonts - Finished 4-08-2005 - score:3
Fansites give it a good review, but I was sorely disappointed with this book. I've read a few of Coont's Jake Grafton novels, which are head a shoulders better than Saucer. Wooden characters do nothing to help an absolutely ridiculous romance. Even the villain is a carboard cut-out. In my opinion, if you are a fan of Stephen Coonts, stick with his Grafton novels, and give Saucer a pass.

Recent Reads I've Completed

HMS Unseen by Patrick Robinson

In The Company Of Heroes by Michael J. Durant

Hidden Prey by John Sandford

Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton

Deception Point by Dan Brown

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

Timeline by Michael Crichton

Prey by Michael Crichton

Spectre (#1 in The Mirror Universe Saga - Star Trek) by William Shatner

Dark Victory (#2 in The Mirror Univers Sage - Star Trek) by William Shatner

Preserver (#3 in The Mirror Univers Sage - Star Trek) by William Shatner