A few years ago I received a letter from Eric Bergerud requesting information regarding my service with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam. When I saw that Dr. Bergerud was an academic, with a connection to Berkley, I dismissed the request out of hand. Berkley had been the source of some of the most extreme criticism of the war and the soldiers who served therin. I erred in not responding to Dr. Bergerud's information request.

Years fade and conditions change. Change began with one significat event. The Wall went up on the mall in D.C. Its simplicity and haunting design erodes the barriers of time and space. No one who was there can look upon the Wall and fail to see his reflection looking back at him through the names of absent comrades. Now, five years after its initial publication, I have discovered Bergerud's book. Its effect is similar. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. I know some of the people quoted in it and neither they nor any of the rest of us who served there were made to look as villainous as we have been previously portrayed by the media and academia. My only objection to the book and the only fault I found with it came at the end. I have been present in the field with Field and Company-grade officers, and I have seen General officers on-site.

Perhaps it may have been the early stage of the war, but during my participation in it (I was an RTO) my unit, 4/23 Inf., was constantly involved in Battalion sized operations. The Battalion commander, LCL Bzarcz was continuously in the field. I saw the XO, MAJ Crim take a load of shrapnel in his leg and refuse medical evacuation. I walked, with MAJ Hamlin through the world's scariest minefield. Only later did it occur to me that whatever minefield you're in is the world's scariest.

One evening GEN Weyand landed inside the Bn. perimeter. In another incident, the Bn. lost several helicopters filled with men from Co. A in the Iron Triangle. While preparing for a rescue operation with the Recon Platoon, I saw! Generals from my own Division, the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Airmobile. To state that these men took no risk, or were somehow imune to it, demeans their integrity and valor. In my experience, such statement is untrue.

The book is powerful and insightful. I believe it is must reading for those of us who served there and all others who would attempt to see the war through grunt's eyes.

I served with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam--the unit which is the subject of Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning. I have read over a hundred books about Vietnam, but was really impressed with this work. Dr. Bergerud and his oral contributors, one of whom was in my squad, tell it the way it was. I've read other books by Eric Bergerud and consider him a meticulous researcher and brilliant historian. I believe the 25th Infantry Division Association, who recently honored Dr. Bergerud with their Stanley R. Larsen Award for his efforts on this book and his portrayal of the "Tropic Lightning" (25th) division, speaks louder than the "reader from VA". I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in what it was really like to be an infantryman in Vietnam.

I've had people tell me that this book reads like a History book. Maybe so , but it's a history book the average citizen can understand.Eric writes about a Division (the 25th) that unless you are a vet,very few people know of. This division didn't receive the aclaim that others did , but should have. They fought bravely in an area north west of Sigon known as War Zone C which included the dreaded Iron Trangle,Hobo Woods, and along the Cambodian border. This Division suffered some of the highest casualties of the war.(5000+) The vets Eric interviewed were real grunts. They told their story as it was when they were there. They didn't try to make themselves look like hero's, they talked about the fear, the loneleness,the good times, and the times they cried when they lost a buddie. If you want to read a good book that covers the Vietnam War from begining to end (10 yrs)this is it.

Pros: Incredible narrative and detail, expert analysis, well documented.
Cons: Not for the casual reader due to technical detail and length.
The Bottom Line: Original analysis of factors not often addressed by other writers, engaging first person narratives.
Recommended: Yes

I recently attended a lecture by Dr. Robert Ballard touring for his new book "Graveyards of the Pacific War". He told us that the generation that fought World War 2 are disappearing fast. The veterans will soon all be gone. Along with the same concerns voiced by Stephen Ambrose, it's important to get the oral history recorded before these men and women are no longer with us.

Eric M. Bergerud has achieved a readable approach to writing history by including such personal narratives collected from his countless interviews with veterans, and personal research. I find all of his books totally engaging. Unlike other writers, Bergerud examines all aspects of the subject: the technological development of the aircraft and design theory, the men and their training, the terrain and its effects on the men and machines, the evolution of combat in the war over the south Pacific.

A good example of his narrative story telling comes from his chapter on the terrain of the battlefield. (I will add the exact quote in an update.) The south Pacific boasts some of the world's deepest jungles and most deadly shark infested waters. Pilots taking off from New Guinea could look down and see schools of sharks below them in the clear blue water. Yet if they were forced down and had a choice between landing in the water or the jungle, they always chose the water. The jungles were so impenetrable, if they landed there they were as good as dead. At least in the water, they might be spotted and picked up be a rescue plane.

How would one assume this might affect battle? In Europe a downed aviator could at least expect a chance to escape with help from the resistance, find people (of his own race) who spoke English and possibly could help him, in a terrain that he was at least familiar with. At worst he could expect capture and internment, more or less by the rules of war. Not so in the Pacific. The terrain was (and remains) among the most hostile to human life in the world, distances were vast, some of the natives on New Guinea and in the Solomons still practiced head hunting, while others were allies with the Japanese. Those unlucky enough to fall into Japanese hands alive, were usually tortured for information, executed, or shipped off to slave labor camps in Japan and elsewhere. Thus, pilots were understandably very cautious about accepting battle unless circumstances gave them the advantage.

As a student of the Pacific War and aviation history I can say this is the best historical work on the air war I have ever read. This is not simply a history of force x engaging force z on such and such a day. This is a story of two cultures, with different philosophies of training and technological design that came to be embraced in mortal combat. Thus the aircraft manufactured by each side reflected those cultures as much as the men who flew them. What this book most accurately depicts is the evolution of two industrial nations at war over the most remote battlefield of World War 2.

Japan, lacking an industry in depth, produced variants of aircraft trying to compete with the United States. By the first months of 1943 the US was flying second generation fighters: the F4U Corsair, the P38 Lightning, the F6F Hellcat. At the same time the ranks of elite Japanese pilots were rapidly disappearing. So too did their technological advantages as the Americans arrived in battle flying aircraft that, with proper tactics, could outfly, outgun, and destroy their Japanese counterparts. Without the ability to achieve air superiority, it spelled doom for the Imperial Japanese Navy beginning from Guadalcanal. As each island garrison was isolated or overtaken, the Allies crept close to Rabaul, the main Japanese anchorage in New Britain. The aeriel siege of Rabaul was among the final blows that brought down the Japanese empire, and an example of some of the bravest flying of World War 2.

I recommend this book if you are interested in the history of World War 2, combat aviation or technological histories. The level of detail may but off the casual reader. Anyone interested in the ground war should read "Touched With Fire, the Land War in the South Pacific", also by Bergerud ISBN: 0140246967 . (I am currently reading his second book, "Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning: The World of a Combat Division in Vietnam" ISBN: 0140235450 another great read.) He is currently working on a third volume covering the naval carrier operations.

Like its predecessor "Touched With Fire : The Land War in the South Pacific", "Fire in the Sky" brings to light a wealth of little-known information concerning warfare in the South Pacific. This is truly a groundbreaking book on the subject. Unlike many other books that I have read on the airwar in the Pacific, Eric Bergerud's book goes beyond the romanticism of descriptions of famous Aces and the vaunted Japanese Zero. This book studies in great detail the (sometimes surprising) strengths and weaknesses of the opposing sides aircraft, doctrine, training and maintenance programs, etc... By covering details often omitted by other Authors, Mr. Bergerud shows us how in the space of a half year the outnumbered and poorly equipped Allied air-forces are able to achieve parity with the Japanese, and eventually turn the tide of the air battle. In addition to interviews with pilots and descriptions of tactics and combat, his attention to the war-winning effects of such neglected topics such as aircraft maintenance bring new understanding to this topic. I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is without a doubt the most interesting book that I have read on the airwar on the Pacific and indeed one of the better Military History books available.

Having read dozens of books on the Pacific Theater of WW II in the past few years, I would rate this book as the best. Beautifully researched and written, Bergerud captures the essence of the air war in the South Pacific as he did in his book on the land war in the South Pacific (Touched by Fire...) a few years ago. Gives both the big picture and the details (including interviews with combatants) in a compelling and informative style. I was engrossed from page 1 to 670. Non fiction of this caliber is rare. A must read for anyone interested in the complete story and an in-depth analysis of this long and hard fought campaign. I enjoyed Fire is the Sky more than Touched by Fire.......can't wait for the third volume in this series (if he chooses to write it) a definitive account of the sea war in the South Pacific. I would be his first customer.

Many people reading this review are well read concerning the European theatre and shockingly ignorant about the Pacific. I was also, until now. While Bergerud's style is not nearly as gripping as other recently popular authors on WWII his complete coverage of the savagery and confusion in the Solomons and New Guinea will grab even the hardest East Front grognard. The author gives extensive coverage of the armies, the weapons, and the brutal terrain that defined the war in the South Pacific. My only complaint about the work is its somewhat overly detailed description of the force structures and island geography that may distract the casual reader at times. Bergerud gives the Australian forces much deserved respect and completely immerses the reader in the horror that was Jungle warfare in WWII. His books about Vietnam have given him extra insight into the jungle warfare that is still so foreign to the American military. The book focuses completely on the South Pacific and does not cover the mid-Pacific campaign (Siapan, Guam, Iwo Jima, etc.) and this is also a strong point. I strongly recommend this book as an introduction to the land war in the Pacific in WWII. All European theatre fans should read it.

The superb account rendered so graphically in this book educates a new generation of readers as to the horrific practical realities involved in the Allied island-hopping strategy employed by the Allies in waging the Pacific campaign during World War Two. Indeed, while the specific individual battles often involved far fewer ground troops and were much smaller in scale than what occurred in the European theater of the war, the ferocity of the opposition and the relative number of casualties were staggering. Thus Eric Bergerud's gripping recounting of the incredible details involve in the war in the South Pacific in "Touched With Fire: The Land War In The South Pacific" reminds us of the terrible costs associated with that campaign.

This was truly a campaign requiring a total re-education of the American military involved. Starting with the disastrous lessons of the quite different realities of jungle warfare first experienced on Guadalcanal, the Allied command had to learn to adapt to the extremely tenacious, ingenious, and almost indefatigable efforts of the island's Japanese defenders, who could subsist on a little water and rice and move through the jungles with much great ease and skill than could we. No one was prepared for the sustained levels of ferocity with which the Japanese fought, usually to the death, over these small atolls that they had to recognize they could not hold onto forever. Yet they fought on.

The book recounts the many ways in which the war in the Pacific was different from that waged in Europe, and is organized around several themes such as terrain, climate, diseases such as dysentery, etc. in illustrating how the very different negative circumstances surrounding the island hopping strategy affected and constrained our ability (as well as those of the Japanese) to fight effectively in such an environment. Of course, as the author maintains, the Allies learned very quickly; they needed to in order to survive. As so well described in Ronald Spector's "Eagle Against The Sun", the Japanese were incredibly ingenious in devising ways to use topography, indigenous materials, and a willingness to "'rough-it" to build virtually impregnable walls of resistance to the oncoming invaders.

This is a very well written, passionately argued, and absolutely entertaining book to read. The author has done a remarkable job in documenting and substantiating his notions and theories, and I found myself surprised at how well some of his more provocative and controversial ideas are supported by the data he employs. This is an eminently worthwhile book, a wonderful addition to the growing library of titles exploring the realities of the war in the Pacific, and one I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the gritty details of the Allied 'island to island' war against the Japanese. Enjoy!

The superb account rendered so graphically in this book educates a new generation of readers as to the horrific practical realities involved in the Allied island-hopping strategy employed by the Allies in waging the Pacific campaign during World War Two. Indeed, while the specific individual battles often involved far fewer ground troops and were much smaller in scale than what occurred in the European theater of the war, the ferocity of the opposition and the relative number of casualties were staggering. Thus Eric Bergerud's gripping recounting of the incredible details involved with the war in the South Pacific in "Touched With Fire: The Land War In The South Pacific" reminds us of the terrible costs associated with that campaign.

This was truly a campaign requiring a total re-education of the American military involved. Starting with the disastrous lessons of the quite different realities of jungle warfare first experienced on Guadalcanal, the Allied command had to learn to adapt to the extremely tenacious, ingenious, and almost indefatigable efforts of the island's Japanese defenders, who could subsist on a little water and rice and move through the jungles with much great ease and skill than could we. No one was prepared for the sustained levels of ferocity with which the Japanese fought, usually to the death, over these small atolls that they had to recognize they could not hold onto forever. Yet they fought on.

The book recounts the many ways in which the war in the Pacific was different from that waged in Europe, and is organized around several themes such as terrain, climate, diseases such as dysentery, etc. in illustrating how the very different negative circumstances surrounding the island hopping strategy affected and constrained our ability (as well as those of the Japanese) to fight effectively in such an environment. Of course, as the author maintains, the Allies learned very quickly; they needed to in order to survive. As so well described in Ronald Spector's "Eagle Against The Sun", the Japanese were incredibly ingenious in devising ways to use topography, indigenous materials, and a willingness to "'rough-it" to build virtually impregnable walls of resistance to the oncoming invaders.

This is a very well written, passionately argued, and absolutely entertaining book to read. The author has done a remarkable job in documenting and substantiating his notions and theories, and I found myself surprised at how well some of his more provocative and controversial ideas are supported by the data he employs. This is an eminently worthwhile book, a wonderful addition to the growing library of titles exploring the realities of the war in the Pacific, and one I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the gritty details of the Allied 'island to island' war against the Japanese. Enjoy!