Solomon’s Men, by Glenn Starkey

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MWSA Review

Solomon's Men is a fast-paced and enjoyable read.  Glenn Starkey’s protagonist, Greg Valdez is an art thief with a shadowy past.  Commissioned to steal a priceless artifact from an ancient Portuguese monastery, Valdez soon discovers that possessing the artifact puts him and his family in danger.  Hunted by a secret sect of Templar Knights and the secretive millionaire who hired him, Valdez has to use all of the skills from his past to save his son, himself, and the woman he loves. 

Glenn Starkey’s writing reminds me of other great authors in the genre.  I couldn’t put this book down and wanted to keep reading it.  If you liked The Saint series or Tom Clancy, you’ll love this book.  The ending will surprise you. 

Reviewed by: Edward Cox (November 2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Greg Valdez operates just the other side of the line, as a thief for private collectors. He's known as the best in the business. You name it, he's stolen it-from jewels to fine art. Now his mission takes him to an ancient monastery in Portugal, to steal a priceless artifact-the true Shroud of Turin-from beneath the altar. Centuries-old oaths and traditions come into play as modern day Templar Knights launch an international search for the thief and the Shroud. Glenn Starkey has written a book that will put you on the edge of your seat and keep you there. A real thriller in the tradition of the genre, Solomon's Men will take you on a roller coaster ride you'll wish would never end. You'll be asking yourself when Glenn Starkey's next book will hit the stands.

Silent Enemy, by Thomas W. Young

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MWSA Review

Don't bother to set your alarm clock... you'll still be reading this book when it goes off in the morning!

Thomas W. Young's Silent Enemy is a real page turner. After a terrorist bombing leads to a mass casualty event, the US military hastily arranges a medevac flight from Afghanistan to Germany, where patients--both American and Afghan--can receive the medical attention they so desperately need. By chance this flight (in a specially-configured C-5 Galaxy cargo jet) reunites the two main characters from Young's earlier novel, "The Mullah's Storm." 

Captain Michael Parsons (now C-5 pilot and aircraft commander) and Sergeant Major Sophia Gold (who was slightly injured in the terrorist bombing) have every reason to expect an uneventful flight; but what unfolds on that flight is anything but "normal." Shortly after takeoff, they learn that a bomb and perhaps other "surprises" have been placed on their jet and that they're not the only ones in this predicament. As a result, no country wants the stricken jet to land on its territory. This leads to a near globe-spanning journey that repeatedly tests the abilities of all onboard. Rather than droning along at high altitudes on autopilot, the crew and passengers face a harrowing series of challenges: bombs, hurricanes, irate Venezuelan fighter pilots, volcanoes, suicide attacks, and much more face this hapless C-5 crew. 

The reader gets hints throughout the book of an existing relationship/attraction between Parsons and Gold--especially given the ordeal through which they had to struggle during the first novel. However, no one has time to work on relationships when they must deal with a seemingly endless series of life-threatening events, which are thrown at the crew in quick succession. 

If you crave nonstop action, Silent Enemy will not disappoint.

Reviewed by: John Cathcart (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Four years after the events of The Mullah's Storm ("an irresistible adventure story"-USA Today), jihadists strike the Afghan National Police training center in Kabul, killing many and wounding others, including Sergeant Major Sophia Gold. The injured are hurriedly loaded onto a C-5 Galaxy bound for Germany, but once airborne, the commander, Major Michael Parson, receives a message. The jihadists have placed bombs on some planes leaving Afghanistan, and the Galaxy is one of them. If Parson tries to descend-the bomb will go off.

Parson, Gold, and everybody else aboard are trapped at altitude, until either they or someone on the ground can figure out what to do. They can refuel in midair, but not indefinitely. The aircraft is deteriorating, the condition of the patients is worsening, the crew is tiring-and their biggest challenges are yet to come. 

Child Finder: Revelation, by Michael Angley

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MWSA Review

Child Finder: Revelation, the third in award-winning novelist Mike Angley’s Child Finder Trilogy, lives up the promise of its two predecessors and then trots another mile down the road. Back are the protagonists readers have come to know and love―synesthetic psychic Pat O’Donnell and family, John Helmsley, Colonel Swank, and Woody Davis. This time, the good-guy cast includes such luminaries as the President of the United States and the Pope. The antagonists aren’t just any old kidnappers or run of the mill psychopaths. Lurking stage left is North Korea’s Dear Leader and his minions. At stake are the lives of two precocious, psychic little girls―twin daughters of the US Ambassador to South Korea.

Like Angley’s prior volumes, Revelation is filled with secrets―codes, equipment, paint, airplanes, weapons, abilities, and adventures. The characters are both tough and sensitive. Their stories explore the usual thriller theme―good and evil. Their battles are cataclysmic, their issues primeval. It’s the stuff of superhero action movies with dark undertones. 

Don’t let the drama fool you.

Angley’s story explores politics and religion with the same sense of fun and what’s-under-the-lid excitement as Steven Spielberg did with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. Who are these girls? Why do they matter so much that the President is willing to risk Pat―an important resource for the US (and all mankind)? Why do they matter so much that the Vatican gets involved?  They are so cute, so sweet―so adorable. But they are just little girls―aren’t they?    

Readers are seldom treated to such a clever, thoughtful and intriguing tale. The suspense takes two forms―action and philosophy.  I mean it―philosophy.  Not just the who, what, when and where of things, but the why. For those of us who seldom go through a day without pondering the mysteries of life, Angley’s sojourn into alternate possibilities is delightful. In particular, I love the short discussion about fiction toward the end of the piece. I have always found fiction to be the more eloquent genre―because the author is free to interpret his message―and to offer his version of the world to the reader as entertainment.  Angley’s coy suggestion that the classified Level 4 secrets revealed to Pat O’Donnell are really true makes the reader chuckle but five minutes after finishing the book, persistent thoughts tease the cerebellum like feathers tickle the nose. Could it be? Let’s see what Google does say about The Speech of the Unknown….Hmmm.

Reviewed by: Joyce Faulkner (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

Child Finder: Revelation is the highly-anticipated conclusion to the Child Finder Trilogy. The Library Journal called the series first novel, Child Finder, a compelling debut novel, and, a real find, and placed it on its prestigious Summer Reads List for 2009. Both the debut novel and the trilogy s second story, Child Finder: Resurrection, earned national level book awards. In Child Finder: Revelation, United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agent Patrick O Donnell faces his most challenging and life-threatening mission. North Korean terrorists stage a brazen attack on the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, stealing his twin daughters in the assault. The eight-year-old girls are powerful psychics with amazing extrasensory gifts, and it is clear that the North Koreans abducted them because of these abilities. Only one man can rescue them. Patrick O Donnell is the government s top agent with his own psychic abilities...skills crucial to finding the Ambassador s daughters deep inside North Korea. From the outset of the operation, O Donnell senses there is much more about these girls that goes unspoken. Head nods. Winks. Secrets shared between his boss, the President of the United States, and the Vatican. These are all signs of a mystery to which he is not privy. One thing is made clear in abundance: he must rescue the girls and bring them back to America with an urgency he has never experienced before. He seeks guidance and counsel in his Catholic faith, and during his recitation of the Holy Rosary, the Virgin Mary speaks to him. Her words carry as much seriousness about the rescue as his conversations with his mentor and the President. The one thing the Mother of God seems unwilling to tell him; however, is whether or not he will come back from his mission alive. Will Agent O Donnell be successful in rescuing the Ambassador's daughters? If so, will he return with them to see his family again? Will he be able to unravel the intrigue between the Oval Office and the Vatican? Other than their obvious psychic abilities, what makes the twins so special that their rescue consumes Washington, DC and Rome? Perhaps O Donnell will receive a revelation that will explain it all...and if he does, it may be something he wishes he never knew.

Aldric & Anneliese, by Harry E. Gilleland Jr.

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MWSA Review

You can find just about anything you’re looking for when you read this special story.  If you want the thrill of victory on the battlefield, you’ll find it; if you want the gruesomeness of war, you’ll find it; if you want romance, intrigue, betrayal, tragedy, revenge, hopelessness, and ultimate redemption, you’ll find it.  Aldric and Annelieseis a tale for young and old.

Set in Eastern Europe during times of kings, knights, and fair ladies, it is a compelling story of the elderly King Reinhardt who grooms his son, Edmund, to succeed him. To guard and watch over him, Reinhardt choses the young warrior, Aldric, the son of a faithful servant who had died defending his King.  Edmund and Aldric became friends and vow to never let the other one down.  They travel to Western Europe to study.  Both convert to Christianity and make vows of chastity and chivalry until they find their true loves.  Upon their return home Edmund becomes King.  He learns also that a marriage for him to Ursula, the daughter of the leader of a wayward tribe, has been arranged so that the tribe will be willing to peacefully join the five nations that King Reinhardt has already brought together. 

After Ursula and Edmund are married, she is more impressed with Aldric’s strength, both mentally and physically.  She is amused with her fascination for him. 

Untimely and tragic events spell the death of Ursula’s father leaving her jealous brother, Deitmar, to convince her to betray her new husband so they can rule the new nation themselves.  King Edmund dies on the battlefield and a wounded and despairing Aldric cannot forgive himself for not being able to keep his King safe. 

A winding tale of near death, survival and despair brings Aldric to the beautiful Anneliese.  The noble Aldric rescues her from a life of indentured servitude following the deaths of her father and brothers in the same battle where King Edmund died.  Anneliese renews Aldric’s spirit, but he keeps his vow of celibacy until they marry.  The tale continues with more intrigue, sorrow and problematic justice in the midst of great emotional turmoil.  Finally, it leaves us with the everlasting hope that good can overcome evil.

Review by Fran McGraw (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

When honor was everything, and your word, a binding contract, Aldric was knight and champion to the king. A tale of love and devotion, chivalry and honor, this great tale held me captive through to the end. I personally feel this item is good read to younger children, as a bedtime story, young adults venturing into reading for themselves, and adults as a light tale of true honor and integrity. There was no one part of the book I liked above the other, except for the morals and integrity listed within. Through action and word, Aldric is a prime example of a true friend, a great leader, and a person true to their word. Once it was over, I wanted more stories from this author. The tale was fast paced and one I couldn't put down. I felt transported back in time to a year where life was physically hard, and not always rewarding. Lessons learned often came at a high price. I would recommend this book to all readers. It is one that whisks you away into another world. It transports you through great imagery and action. A whole new adventure to be found. The author is very talented. I will be searching other books out from this author and adding them to my collection.

A Wound in the Mind, by Francis J. Partel

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MWSA Review

Every boy who dreams of being a Sailor or a Marine should read this book.  The story is fiction, but is dedicated in part to Lance Corporal Dana C. Darnell, USMC, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross in Vietnam in 1967 for heroic action at Khe Sanh. 

The author, Francis J. Partel, Jr., weaves a tale of intrigue following the arrest of Lance Corporal Cachora who had won the Navy Cross at Khe Sanh for heroic action during those intense battles now known as The Hill Fights.  The young, quiet marine who was recovering from wounds, was on R&R in Hong Kong with his buddies when he suddenly went berserk at the sound of exploding firecrackers thrown behind his group by a passerby.  Sadly, Cachora swung at whoever was near and broke the jaw of a superior officer.

Anytime a military man hits a superior officer it is serious business, and there seemed to be only trouble for the Defense Team.  The story of how the Defense Team was chosen endears you to those Navy men.  Then, how they came about finding the truth and presenting it through their courtroom endeavors so to convince the jurors makes an incredible story. 

 The courtroom scenes take place aboard a ship off the coast of Vietnam and all the while the business of war goes on.  This story brings to light the pain and suffering of young men who find themselves in a place they didn’t choose to be in, and by civilized birthright are, as the author states, "conscientious objectors of killing." 

 And so I repeat, every boy who dreams of being a Sailor or a Marine should read this book.  Every military man who has suffered post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as every doctor treating those who are diagnosed with PTSD should read this book.

Reviewed by: Fran McGraw (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

It is 1968.  The US naval war in Vietnam is at peak level of intensity.  USS Ticonderoga, Attack Carrier 14, is in the Gulf of Tonkin for her fifth combat cruise of the war prosecuting Operation Rolling Thunder.  The historical naval novel has moved forward from the Napoleonic Wars of C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian to the modern Navy

The ships and weapons may have changed, but time-tested traits of courage and leaderhip remain very much in demand. Ltjg. Cannon has just returned to his stateroom when Gunnery Sergeant Mates phones him to take on the defense of a marine's marine who won the Navy Cross in the brutal Hill Fights of Khe Sanh in 1967.  LCPL Cachora is charged with assault and battery while on liberty in Hong Kong.  Ltjg. Cannon along with Ens. Chase take on an uphill struggle to defend their client.  With the odds stacked against them, they creatively mount a spirited defense.  This is the thrilling drama of Cahora's court-martial.

Pass in Review-Duty, by Brian Utermahlen

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MWSA Review

If you love a long read, if you want to get to know the characters in this story better than your best friends, if you like reading informed dialogue, dive into "Duty." Brian Utermahlen knows human nature and he knows his history. Dave Nolan, soldier, husband, lover and father takes you into the trenches of WWI France and into his heart. Loyalty and honor are as natural as breathing to him and he did not learn those at West Point. He brought those qualities and a brilliant mind with him when he left his river town in Pennsylvania.

Utermahlen takes his reader into Army ranks and personalities and sheds new light on people who shaped American destiny. Whether you follow Nolan into the battlefields of Europe or Army bases with two women who have captured his heart, you will not want to put this book down until you discover Dave Nolan's choices in love and loyalty.

Reviewed by: Carmen Stenholm (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

Pass in Review is a trilogy about men and women totally involved in the love-hate relationship of military service to country. This is a saga of a 20th Century military family … three generations and their contemporaries – some famous, some not, but all of them intensely American. Pass in Review – Duty is the story of Dave Nolan – part man, part legend – who leaves a small river town in Pennsylvania to chase his destiny in the Army as a professional soldier. To him the Army is more than just a career, it is the essence of who he is – his very life. From the Plain of West Point, high above the Hudson, to the trenches of WWI France and the wearying decades between the two world wars of the 20th century, he devotes himself wholly and tirelessly to his country and the Army, even when they do not reciprocate. And woven throughout this saga is the historically accurate story of Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, and others who graduated from West Point and interact with the fictional Nolan, all of whom forged the victories on battlefields around the world, across a century. They along with Nolan, his friends, family and others – like the legendary “Wild Bill” Donovan, Dave Nolan’s mentor in war and during the peace – make and mold their Army, their country, their Alma Mater and their world.

No Paved Road to Freedom, by Sharon Rushton

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MWSA Review

No Paved Road to Freedom by Sharon Rushton is a gripping page-turner about one man’s quest for freedom against overwhelming odds. It is an inspirational story about a remarkable man who gave up everything (family, career, fiancée) to escape the horrors of communism. Sharon’s book is also a cautionary tale of what governments can do in the guise of “helping” their people.  It is almost universally known now that Communist Russia was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million of her people; Sharon’s story brings the horrors of the purges down to the individual and family level. It is a remarkable and powerful book.

No Paved Road to Freedom is listed as a fictionalized historical biography. It is the story of Cornel Dolana, a real person who escaped Communist Romania. Sharon has done her homework; the book is based on many hours of interviews with her subject, and is backed by solid historical research.

Cornel Dolana’s family owned a 300 acre farm prior to World War II, land they had accumulated by hard work. They produced plenty for their own family and enough to make a comfortable living. Then, with the advent of World War II, formerly neutral Romania was forced to join forces with Hitler’s Germany. Cornel’s father, Marin, was drafted to fight for the Third Reich. It was the beginning of a descent into hell for the family as the war came to their village and they waited anxiously to see if Marin would return.

 Marin returned at the end of the war, but Romania had fallen into the Soviet sphere of influence, and the communist state was determined to turn Romania (and all the countries under their influence) into a “worker’s paradise.” Gradually, under the guise of “helping” their subjects, they imposed a police state where freedom steadily eroded until there was no freedom at all. The Dolana family eventually was forced to give up their land to the “collective,” the people began to starve, and eventually Marin was sent to prison on trumped up charges.  The hardships all of this brought to the family made Cornel decide, after listening to the Voice of America, that he would risk all to escape. The reader will not be able to put the book down once Cornel plunges off a boat into the frigid Danube and heads under close pursuit to Yugoslavia. There is no paved road to freedom; Cornel endured interrogations, harsh jail sentences, frigid mountain passes and treachery to get to Italy, and then eventually the United States, the beacon of freedom. The story of the unbelievable hardships he endured to escape the clutches of communism is inspirational to say the least.

Sharon Rushton’s book should be widely read. It is a reminder of how easy our life is, but how fragile and precious our freedoms are.  Either the soft tyranny of the welfare state or the hard tyranny of communism erode freedom and take away initiative. This would be a particularly instructive book for high school students; it would be a revelation for them.  

Reviewed by: Weymouth Symmes (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

No Paved Road To Freedom is a gripping and emotional story that humanizes the impact of communist occupation in Romania after World War II. It is relevant, it inspires, and it reminds us that freedom is precious. Based on a true story, it documents the extraordinary courage of Cornel Dolana and his family as they pay an incredible price for resisting communism. Cornel makes up his mind to escape the oppression and uses his ingenuity to put his plan in place. His fortitude keeps him moving toward his goal, despite enduring enormous setbacks, brutality, and extreme outdoor elements that few humans could survive.

The Power and the Glory, by William C. Hammond

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MWSA Review

Nautical-themed historical fiction at its best… and swashbuckling good fun too!

William C. Hammond’s “The Power and the Glory” is the third novel in an action-packed series focusing on the nautical adventures of a fictional New England family during the late 1790s and early 1800s.  The Cutler family controlled a vast array of commercial enterprises and is closely connected with the fledgling US Navy in the decade following the American Revolution—when the United Kingdom and France swapped roles as enemy/ally of the US.  Well-researched and well-written, Hammond’s work combines fast-paced fiction with history—masterfully weaving together real people, places and events with fictional characters to conjure up a totally immersive, detailed and believable yarn.  Within the first couple of chapters, Hammond had me completely “reeled in.”  

As I eagerly raced through the pages, I found myself comparing Hammond’s work to two other, well-known books: Patrick O’Brian’s “Master and Commander” and Michael Crichton’s “Pirate Latitudes.”  I can honestly say that Hammond’s book merits the comparison… and comes out on top in many areas.

Like many others who watched the 2003 movie “Master and Commander” starring Russell Crowe, I picked up a copy of the first in author Patrick O’Brian’s 21-installment Aubrey-Maturin series of books—bearing the same title and upon which the movie was based.  I must admit to being consistently challenged by the often impenetrable nautical jargon O’Brian sprinkled throughout the novel.  Hammond, on the other hand, has struck the right balance of historical and lexicographical faithfulness while employing a writing style a bit less taxing for today’s reader.

At times “The Power and the Glory” is also evocative of Michael Crichton’s “Pirate Latitudes;” but seemed to hold together better than Crichton’s posthumously published work.  Hammond’s narrative was extremely well crafted, much easier to follow, and benefited from a seemingly closer entwinement with historical fact.  Noteworthy in this regard was Hammond’s descriptions of the behind-the-scenes political and diplomatic machinations amongst the various nations and their Navies as they struggled to control sea lanes, commerce and territory across the Atlantic and Caribbean.  In this regard, the background he provides on the Haitian Independence struggle is particularly fascinating.

“The Power and the Glory” will appeal to a wide audience and is a quick and enjoyable read.  My only regret is that I joined Lt. Richard Cutler (the novel’s main character) a bit late—starting off with Mr. Hammond’s third novel instead of his first!

Reviewed by: John Cathcart (December 2011)

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Author's Synopsis

This third novel in William C. Hammond's nautical fiction series is set in the late 1790s during the Quasi-War with France and offers readers a thrilling look at the new American Navy during the Age of Fighting Sail. Following in the wake of his previous novels, A Matter of Honor and For Love of Country, it features the adventures of the seafaring Cutler family of Hingham, Massachusetts, and an ever-expanding cast of characters some real, some fictional that includes Lt. Richard Cutler along with Capt. Thomas Truxtun, Capt. Silas Talbot, and other naval heroes personifying the best of American honor and courage as they confront French pirates off the coast of Nantucket and heavily armed French frigates in the Caribbean. 

Hammond packs his book with electrifying sea battles and daring challenges to French colonial rule in Haiti and the West Indies. He also offers fascinating glimpses into everyday life of the era, from the bedroom of the Cutler clapboard home in Hingham, to the family's sugar cane plantation in Barbados, to Adm. Sir Hyde Parker's flagship in Jamaica. And at the center of all the excitement, passion and intrigue are two of the finest frigates ever constructed, USS Constellation and her sister ship, USS Constitution. Lauded for his careful research, attention to detail, and thorough knowledge of the ways of the sea, Hammond brings history alive while telling a rollicking good tale.

A Passel of Hate, by Joe Epley

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MWSA Review

A work of historical fiction, A Passel of Hate transports the reader to the Carolina colonies during the American Revolution. In the western Carolinas, the war for independence has set families and neighbors against each other as Loyalist and revolutionary militias patrol the countryside exacting revenge on those who don’t share their political views. In the Godley family, three brothers will side with the British against two brothers who fight with the Liberty Men. The book culminates in the battle of Kings Mountain, where each brother will find out that the cost of war is personal and brutal.

A Passel of Hate is one of the best books I've read this year. The characters are finely crafted, the action is fast-paced, and the historical details are both interesting and accurate.

Reviewed by: Edward Cox (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

Gripping, visceral, and full of intensity, A Passel of Hate is as historically fascinating as it is emotionally satisfying; capturing the heartache and triumphs of a war that brutally pits brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor in the western Carolina frontier in 1780. “The first link in a chain of evils…the loss of America” is how Sir Henry Clinton, Britain’s commander-in-chief in the Colonies, describes the decisive American victory at the battle of Kings Mountain. This fact-based novel brings the events leading to that battle into sharp focus through the highly personal experiences of families and individuals who shaped its outcome. Through the eyes of Jacob Godley, A Passel of Hate brings to life the hardships and challenges of frontier living where there is a constant threat from Indians, roving raiders and British invaders. Without government orders or formal training, mountain and piedmont patriots join together with their own weapons and horses to expel a British led Loyalist army that plunders the western Carolina countryside, delivering harsh retribution to those supporting rebellion. Jacob and his 15-year-old brother enter the savage fighting with the Liberty Men, but with a dread of having to face their three Loyalist brothers. The overwhelming victory at Kings Mountain is bittersweet for Jacob who suffers a crushing personal tragedy on the battlefield. In addition, his nemesis, the notorious Tory raider Rance Miller escapes, and Jacob, consumed by hatred, tracks the terrorist through the Carolina backcountry to seek the revenge he so desperately needs. A battle Thomas Jefferson called “the turn of the tide of success,” Kings Mountain has a devastating impact on the British Army’s goal of quashing the rebellion in the south. Brutal in its depiction of the harrowing nature of war and the price paid by our revolutionary ancestors, A Passel of Hate is a powder keg of highly charged personal feelings and military significance.

Project Seven Alpha, by Leland "Chip" Shanle Jr.

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MWSA Review

The United States of America was caught with its' military pants down when the Japanese attacked at Pearl Harbor in 1941.  Our standing military was pretty much reduced to nothing after the First World War, and there were no reserve or National Guard units on standby as became the case after world war two. These passive forces were created precisely because of where we found ourselves in 1941. Given what was going on in Europe prior to Pearl Harbor, one wonders why we did not start building up our own armed forces well before the Hawaiian catastrophe. Looking back, such a buildup would have been just as effective a way to address the sorry state of the economy as the New Deal, and other government programs were designed to do. But, we were caught flat footed, and had to play catch up right out of the starting blocks. The alarming spread of the Japanese war machine throughout all of Asia, and the South Pacific called for an immediate response, preventing the Japanese from establishing bases in strategic areas that would be next to impossible to take away from them. One of these fronts was in China where the Chinese army was trying to keep the Japanese army from pushing further west, and eventually south into India. Supplying the Chinese with war material to fight the Japanese became a major priority for the United States immediately after Pearl Harbor, but the only way to accomplish this daunting task was to fly the supplies out of India over the Himalayan Mountain range. There were no aircraft up to this task, but the job was nevertheless undertaken using American airliners, specifically the DC3, which would later be military, rigged to become the vaunted C47, which would become the workhorse for Army Aviation in every theater of the war.  Not able to make the long, grueling flights at extremely high altitudes that later C46's would make over "The Hump" in one trip, C47's performed miraculously by hopping along the southern range of the Himalayas, and getting to the other side to supply the struggling Chinese army as it valiantly held off the advancing Japanese. Without the service of an American civilian aircraft, the DC3, and the heroic flying of civilian pilots gone military almost overnight, the Rising Sun would have swept over a much larger geography in southern Asia, making the retaking an almost impossible task.

Fighters, and bombers got most of the press, and glory in World War Two's air war, but as any of those pilots would have quickly told you, long distance cargo flying at extremely high altitudes, with winds up to 200 mph, over the most treacherous terrain on earth was the most trying, grueling piloting that air crews have ever faced.  The monumental logistical undertaking of air supply over The Hump might never have materialized if not for the early, quick response of the original DC3's and their awesome pilots, and crews. Their efforts remain as one of the most astonishing military feats in the history of our country.

Reviewed by: Bob Flournoy (September 2011)

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Author's Synopsis

In late 1941, President Roosevelt agonized over the rapid advances of the Japanese forces in Asia, they seemed unstoppable. He foresaw their intentions of taking India and linking up with the two other Axis Powers, Germany and Italy, in an attempt to conquer the Eastern Hemisphere. US naval forces had been severely surprised and diminished in Pearl Harbor and the army was outnumbered and ill-prepared to take on the invading hoards. One of his few options was to form a defensive line on the eastern side of the Patkai and Himalayan Ranges, there he could look for support from the Chinese and Burmese. It was to be the only defence to a Japanese invasion of India.

To support and supply these troops, fighting in hostile jungle terrain where overland routes had been cut off, he desperately needed to set up an air supply from Eastern India. His problem was lack of aircraft and experienced pilots to fly the dangerous 'Hump, over the world's highest mountains. Hence came Operation Seven Alpha, a plan to enlist the aircraft, DC-3s, and pilots, veterans of World War One, of American Airlines. This newly formed Squadron would fly these medium-range aircraft in a series of long-distance hops across the Pacific and Southern Asia to the Assam Valley in India. They would then create and operate the vital supply route carrying arms, ammunition and food Eastward to the Allied bases and return with wounded personnel. This is the story of this little-known operation in the early days of the Burma Campaign.

This book is based on the true experiences of those who were involved and is a fitting tribute to the bravery and inventiveness of a band of men who answered their country's desperate call at the outset of the war against Japan in Asia.