A solid story from the second greatest figure in Marine Corps history. ( )

2318 Baa Baa Black Sheep, by "Pappy" Boyington (Col. Gregory Boyington, .U.S.M.C.Ret.) (read 14 Aug 1990) I read Robert Leckie's book on Guadalcanal in April 1990 so I decided to read this book, published in 1957. The author was in the Flying Tigers in 1941 and 1942. Then he flew as a Marine in 1943 in the South Pacific. He was shot down Jan 3, 1944 and was a prisoner of the Japs --most of the time in Japan--till the war ended. He was quite a guy, and a drunk. The end part of the book seems very amateurishly written. I haven't read a war experience book like this one before--irreverent is, I guess, the best word for it. ( )

This book is considered a classic WWII memoir for a very good reason.

Filled with tales both funny and heart-wrenching, Pappy Boyington gives the reader an unpretentious view of his life on the Pacific war front, from his early days of looking for a fight, to his capture and imprisonment by the Japanese. As he tells his story, we learn about everyday life as a fighter pilot, the beaurcracy of the government and armed forces that sometimes keep the best soldiers from doing what they do best, the wacky sense of humor men develope when under extreme pressure, and why Boyington came to like and respect the Japanese people even while his prison guards beat and starved him nearly to death.

This book has remained in print since its initial publication in 1957, and even inspired a hit television show in the 1970s. ( )