I was pleasantly surprised that the author took the time to talk about his childhood and family. I just don't think over 100 pages at the beginning was necessary. Yawn! It read like a reader's digest story. The author spends a great deal of time linking every little mishap in Boyington's life to his drinking. Yes, discussion of his drinking is necessary and important, just don't make it the theme of the book. The details and discussion of his missions were dry and almost surgical in nature. If I wanted that I would read a military report. No passion or flavor. However, the Boyington quote at the end of the prologue or intro to the book could make a grown man cry. For people who did not like Boyington's Black Sheep book because of it is bragging and strecthed stories you would really like this book. The author does cut threw alot of the B.S. tall tales and backs his conclusions up. However, I can not recommend this book due to its over-emphasis on the drinking, the dry writing style and lack of passion.

Being a military history buff and a Boyington fan, this book was a "must read" for me. This book shows the human side of Boyington. While Boyington may have seemed a larger-than-life war hero (which in many ways he was) he was an ordinary man with his own demons. His worst enemy was himself.. and his addiction to alcohol...an addiction he never totally defeated. One wonders what Boyington may have accomplished had he not have been an alcoholic. His alcohalism cost him a lot.. several divorces, alienation from his family, and quite possibly a polital career.

Boyington was way ahead of his time in the area of air combat tactics. Sometimes his propensity to deviate from regulation got him into trouble with superiors, but no one can deny the combat victories the Blacksheep attained under his leadership. No Marine Squadron has ever attained the success VMF 214 had in those two combat tours then or since. His military combat record speaks for itself. Boyington's tactics were unconventional, in the sense he never employed the same tactics for long. He was constantly evolving, a theory that never allowed the Japanese to catch on to his tactics.

This is an excellent book to learn about Boyington the man, how he thought, and what made him tick. In spite of his faults, he will forever be remembered as the greatest Marine Ace of all time. This book does him justice. I highly recommend it.

Pappy Boyington is one of the most memorable pilots of World War II. But as he famously said: "Show me a hero, and I'll show you a bum." He did the best to prove his own maxim.

As a member of the Flying Tigers of Burma and China, he was credited with two Japanese aircraft shot down, but left early and in such disfavor that he got a "dishonorable discharge" from its commander, Claire Chennault. He then re-joined the Marines and proceeded to build an unorthodox fighter squadron--the Black Sheep--with many similarities to the Tigers, with himself playing the role of Chennault. Shot down, he was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving time in two of Japan's most notorious prisons. He emerged alive at the end of the war, claiming to have accounted for enough Japanese planes on his final day to make him the leading USMC ace of World War II.

It's a fascinating story, but Bruce Gamble goes beyond the war record to show us the boy growing up in a troubled family and following his seemingly doomed path to alcoholism and brawling and a troubled marriage of his own. Boyington's checkered career postwar is equally compelling. You feel sorry for him, angry at him, and in awe of him as one of the great shooters of all time.

This is a brilliant book and an important one, and it belongs on the shelf of anyone with an interest in World War II aviation.

The exploits of the Black Sheep Squadron may have dimmed in popular memory in recent times, especially outside the US. This is the story of their most famous pilot, Pappy Boyington, beginning with his stint with the Flying Tigers in China and ending with his capture by the Japanese in the latter stages of World War II.
Boyington's prose is prosaic to say the least, however at least it seems to be his own words, unpolished by the editor or ghostwriter. Predictable hell-raising type antics involving booze and fighting are plentiful, the questionable veracity of some of the particular facts is probably unimportant if you take it for granted that in general Boyington was an outstanding pilot, had problems with authority etc.
The best part for me was the description of his time in captivity, especially his relationship with an elderly Japanese lady. These passages I think raise the book up a level, as he displays remarkable insight and personal development. There's a genuine character arc here. Hollywood executives take note, it could be time to revisit this particular story. The Godfather was fashioned out of original pulp material, I think equally this book is worth more than the sum of its parts.

I found this book to be a fascinating historical look at the Pacific theater during World War II from the eyes of a marine combat pilot who experienced it first hand. Boyington was indeed in the thick of it during the war, and to his credit he shot down 28 Japanese planes during his time in combat. Once in a single mission, he shot down five planes over Japanese territory. This book is an auto-biography of his time before, during and after the war. It is quite an interesting read. I enjoyed the pilot's viewpoint this book carries from the cockpit of a Corsair during combat. Boyington was an incredibly adept pilot and taught the other pilots in his famous 'Black Sheep Squadron' how to beat the Japanese in air combat. Boyington describes first hand aerial dogfights over the Pacific Islands that comprised well over 100 planes at a time with the skies glowing like fire flies filled with tracer fire, a truly remarkable period in aerial combat history. He portrays his experiences as a pilot and later as a 'Special Captive' instead of a prisoner of war, with finesse so as not to make it too heavy of a read, but it leaves the reader with a deep respect for the American service man. During his time in a Japanese prison of war camp, his courage was undaunted and he emerged as a true American hero receiving national recognition after the war was over having won the Navy Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor. This book is relayed by the author in a first person narrative, and is a sincere and down to earth account of his experiences. It is very interesting and enjoyable.

Boyington's autobiography "Baa Baa Black Sheep" is, in my opinion, the best WWII fighter pilot autobiography available -- and I'll tell you why.

Calling this book the 'best' is not something I say haphazardly or without reason. I've read a number of other WWII fighter pilot autobiographies including: Yeager, Forever Flying, Thunderbolt!, First and Last, and View from the Cockpit. Boyington's book is as good as these books on their terms, and offers a good deal more.

First, Boyington projects an openness and humility not found in the other books. But even more importantly, Boyington's character exhibits incredible growth.

The book starts with his joining the American Volunteer Group, knows by the acronym AVG, and even better known as the Flying Tigers. At this point, Boyington is essentially a mercenary. And the appeal of this section is the insight on Chennault, China, and the P40 Warhawks.

The next section of the book is his time with VMF 214 flying F4U Corsairs in "The Slot" near Guadacanal. This section of the book is interesting in it's comparison to the TV show. This is the section of the book that most people know Boyington for, and buy the book for. And if this is you, then you will not be disappointed. For this section has all the air combat, pranks, and drunken revelry that you expect. But it is also interesting that Boyington's character begins to change....in ways that I'll leave for you to interpret.

The next section of the book is his time as a POW in Japan. This section is interesting in it's content. But I was completely amazed at Boyington's growth, maturity, and lack of hatred or generalizations of the Japanse people. It is also the section where he is not drinking, and he attains an almost spiritual maturity that took me by suprise.

The final section deals again with his drinking problems, and recovery. By this time, his drinking antics have any frat-house appeal, and he realizes his drinking for what it is.

Like I said, I've read a number of WWII fighter-pilot autobiographies, and I think this is the best of the genre.