The Deadly Skies

For those of us who are interested in the more detailed history of the air war in the Pacific during WWII, this is a great book. It's a bit difficult to find, but well worth the effort. My father flew with the legendary "Jolly Rogers" - the 90th Bomb Group, during WWII and this book details the highly risky mission to Borneo to bomb the Balikpapan oil refineries, the Japanese source of fuel for it's air and naval war. It encompasses not only the 90th Bomb Group, but all the other groups that participated in the mission. It details the strategy of those who planned the mission and their agony at knowing it was dangerous and that many lives would be lost. In addition, it also details the anxiety and fears of the brave air crews sent out on this deadly mission and the human cost of it's success. A great read for anyone interested in the air war in the Pacific ... something that's often forgotten by the movie and television world, but was essential to winning the war against the Japanese.