Skies of Thunder: The deadly World War II mission over the roof of the world

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Description

'Riveting' - The New York Times

THE LITTLE-KNOWN STORY OF THE ALLIES' FIGHT IN WWII'S CHAOTIC AND LETHAL CHINA BURMA-INDIA THEATER.

In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army captured Burma, closing the only ground route from India to China. Supplies now had to be flown over the foothills of the treacherous Himalayas, on the most dangerous air route in the world.

Delving into memoirs, diaries, and official records, Caroline Alexander tells the story of the airmen who braved this perilous journey, flying unreliable aircraft through monsoons and enemy fire, with primitive navigation tools. The result is a litany of both deadly crashes and astonishing feats of survival.

Highlighting the efforts of units like the Chindits and Merrill's Marauders, and examining the political tensions between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek, this book also exposes the fractures between the Allies and the impact of their decisions on post-war relations.

Reviews

'Riveting' * The New York Times *
'Alexander's vivid retelling of this aerial feat is matched only by her exquisite rendering of the pilots' fear' * The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) *
'A clear and engaging narrative ... A thorough, but never dull, history for the reader curious about the reality of World War II' * The New York Journal of Books *
'Well-detailed and engagingly told' * The Wall Street Journal *
'A thrilling aviation adventure that also casts an assured historical lens on a lesser-known arena of WWII diplomacy, this is sure to enrapture readers' * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
'Readers interested in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II and Asian history will enjoy Alexander's detailed and beautifully written account' * Library Journal (starred review) *
'A fresh narrative that pulls readers into the challenges and complexities of this enormous theater of vast jungle and mountain at the end of the world' * U.S. Army War College Press *
'Author Caroline Alexander in her new book Skies of Thunder presents a riveting, faced-paced account of the action there both on the ground and in the skies that would make for a best-selling movie' * Asian Review of Books *
'[Caroline Alexander] brings her keen eye and narrative skill to Skies of Thunder. A chronicle of waging war by flying over the Hump: those mountain ridges that make up the border of Burma and China and turned into a theater of both disasters and triumphs' * Airmail *
'A seamless and illuminating piece of modern war history' * Shelf Awareness *

Author Bio

CAROLINE ALEXANDER is the The New York Times bestselling author of The Endurance, The Bounty and other acclaimed works of non-fiction, as well as a new translation of Homer's Iliad. She read Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and has a doctorate in classics from Columbia University. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, and National Geographic among other publications.