Black Sheep: The Life of Pappy Boyington (Library of Naval Biography)

This biography details the turbulent life of Gregory Boyington, who became the top Marine ace of the Pacific. It details his turbulent early life, which included abusive parents and frequent moves, his early military career, his service with the Flying Tigers in Burma and China, his feats as a Corsair fighter pilot in the South Pacific, his time in Japanese prison camps, and his postwar career. Wukovits attempts to show that the complex Boyington excelled when others looked to him for advice, but performed miserably when shunted to the sidelines. He thus amassed a spotty record with the Flying Tigers, who treated him as an outsider, but triumphed when in command of the Black Sheep Squadron, where the men considered him a teacher and leader. Many veterans either consider Boyington a hero or a villain, whereas in actuality he was a little of each.