In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army steamrolled through Burma, capturing the only ground route from India to China. Supplies to this critical zone would now have to come from India by air—meaning across the Himalayas, on the most hazardous air route in the world. Skies of Thunder is a story of an epic human endeavor, in which Allied troops faced the monumental challenge of operating from airfields hacked from the jungle, and took on 'the Hump, ' the fearsome mountain barrier that defined the air route. They flew fickle, untested aircraft through monsoons and enemy fire, at brain-melting altitudes with inaccurate maps and only primitive navigation technology. The result was a litany of both deadly crashes and astonishing feats of survival. The most chaotic of all the war's arenas, the China-Burma-India theater was further confused by the conflicting political interests of Roosevelt, Churchill, and their demanding nominal ally, Chiang Kai-shek.
Riveting ... Vivid ... Alexander adroitly explicates technical concepts — flight mechanics, de-icing, night vision — but is at her best rendering pilots’ fear ... Epic.
It's not a ton of fun to read, though. Alexander's account is beautifully researched and clear, but it's also slow to get off the ground ... Sections come alive with memorable details about the startled residents of southeast Asia.
The author tells, through a clear and engaging narrative, the story from the pilots in the planes to the level of campaign overview ... A thorough, but never dull, history for the reader curious about the reality of World War II, including enough facts, personalities, and names to make this history whole.
