REVIEWS
THE FLYING TIGERS
The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan
by Sam Kleiner, Viking, 2018, $28.
The American Volunteer Group (AVG) that helped China fend off Japanese invaders in the first seven months after Pearl Harbor has probably been detailed in books and assorted media more extensively than any other combat flying organization, so the subtitle of this new book on the legendary Flying Tigers will raise eyebrows with its claim that this is an “untold story.” While the author benefitted from previously unavailable letters and diaries, these materials only reinforce the longstanding narrative. Publisher hyperbole aside, this is a well-told story by a gifted debut author whose talent has been to weave the disparate parts of this familiar yet complex history into
