Adrian R. Martin

This book is basically two stories, the main one being the journey of Glenwood Stephenson from young man trying to make his way through 1930s America to becoming an officer in the United States Army Air Force just in time to be caught up in the disastrous opening battles of the Pacific Theater in World War II. The other story is that of the 27th Bombardment Group's abortive participation in those battles and relegation to the status of nearly forgotten footnote.

Apart from the aspects of show more family and unit history, which I commend, the authors do fall a little flat in their epilog when they try to turn this tale into a parable of unpreparedness. That this might really be the story of how a bad strategic choice (the annexation of the Philippines by the United States in the first place) eventually yielded a bitter harvest really isn't addressed. show less