David Sears
Da Capo Press, $27.50, 372 pages
Pacific Air is no airline; it’s the story of the Pacific air war during World War II told through the experiences of the naval aviators involved. The author David Sears uses other accounts, oral histories, memoirs, military action reports and interviews with a handful of veterans (from a regrettably fast-dwindling pool) to write his book from the viewpoint of those that were there. Though it’s a fairly long book, I had trouble putting it down, and couldn’t wait to get back to it, unusual for books I review. Mr. Sears told me, “While I try to be as accurate as possible with the details of history, my focus is on the men and women on the front lines, those on the bridge, behind the guns, or in the cockpits.” He definitely keeps that focus. Granted, not everyone will have an interest in this book, but if you have any interest at all in World War II, or the planes and people of time in history, get this book. You’ll be happy you did.
Dave Broughton