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"Skies of Thunder" | Reviewed by William Winkler

Most readers are familiar with the European Theater of Operations in World War II, including the Normandy invasion of June 6, 1944, and the eventual surrender of Germany less than a year later. And even more are aware of the war in the Pacific, commencing with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the war-ending atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

            But relatively few have a great deal of knowledge about the third major segment of that war; the China-Burma-India theater.

            Part of the Japanese plan of regional conquest was the hope of subduing China and absorbing it into the Japanese empire. Tactically, attacking the Chinese mainland from the east was challenging, so the Japanese military chose to approach China from the south, through the British protectorate of Burma (now Myanmar).

            Caroline Alexander, author of books about the mutiny of Captain Bligh’s crew aboard the HMS Bounty, and the ill-fated journey of Ernest Shackleton in HMS Endurance, presents us with “Skies of Thunder,” a deeply researched account of the war in southern and southeast Asia.

            The heart of the book, and the inspiration for its title, is the story of the India-based aircrews who flew troops and supplies over a segment of the Himalayas they called “The Hump” The necessity of such an operation became crucial after the Japanese captured the Burma Road in 1942, eliminating the possibility of transporting supplies by ground to Chinese forces, as well as to U.S. military units in southern China. After a shaky start because of a lack of transport aircraft, difficult terrain and weather, and a dearth of crew familiar with such flying conditions, the operation managed, over the course of three and a half years, to deliver 650,000 tons of material into China with great loss of crew and aircraft.

            Alexander’s book highlights notable players in this segment of the war. Among these are Generalissimo Chiang-Kai-shek, who is portrayed as a demanding, but weak and ineffective leader of the Chinese Nationalists. Also profiled in depth is American general “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell, whose imperious nature and defiance of authority ultimately led to his removal from command.

            Alexander points out that the lessons learned from the flights over The Hump were crucial in the success of the airlift sustaining Berlin during the 1948-1949 Russian blockade of that city.

            “Skies of Thunder” will be a fascinating read for those interested in a less well documented episode of second World War history. Inclusion of more maps and illustrations might have made this book a bit more accessible.

            Buy the Book.


 

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