Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island: The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation

A small contingent of U.S. marine aviation corps pilots and support staff desperately hold the Pacific island of Guadalcanal against the Japanese in this exhilarating account from bestseller Bruning (Indestructible). Portraying the unit as an undertrained and unprepared force propelled to victory by sheer daring and tenacity, Bruning relays the story largely through the eyes of three officers who helped capture the Japanese base at Guadalcanal in 1942 and then led the fight to keep it during a surprise Japanese counterattack and grueling siege. They are “Ace of Aces” Maj. John L. Smith, who oversaw the battle in the air as 15 American fighters shot down a staggering 83 Japanese planes in less than two months; Maj. Richard Mangrum, the dive-bomber commander who spearheaded relentless attacks on the circling Japanese fleet with 11 inexperienced bomber crews; and Maj. Marion Carl, who trekked a treacherous 25 miles through Japanese-held jungle after being shot down. Adding depth to the white-knuckle heroics is Bruning’s detailed depiction of the aftermath for these three officers, who, relieved of their posts after 53 days of touch and go fighting, were conflicted about being paraded around the U.S. as a morale-raising publicity stunt. WWII history buffs will be engrossed. (May)