Books

The Last Great Ace : The Life of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.
Reluctant Lieutenant: From Basic to Ocs in the Sixties (Texas a & M University Military History Series)
Custer: A Photographic Biography
A Gentleman and an Officer: A Military and Social History of James B. Griffin's Civil War
Musaddiq and the Struggle For Power in Iran
Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War
Kriegsgefangenen #6410: Prisoner of War
One of Lee's Best Men: The Civil War Letters of General William Dorsey Pender
Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge
Freedom Is for Those Willing to Defend It: Stories of Men in War
Closer Than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy
Attila: King of the Huns: The Man and the Myth
Scenes from the End: The Last Days of World War II in Europe
Betrayal of the Defence Forces: The Inside Truth
Love, War, and the 96th Engineers (Colored): The World War II New Guinea Diaries of Captain Hyman Samuelson
Quoth the Raven
Scanty Particulars: The Scandalous Life and Astonishing Secret of James Barry, Queen Victoria's Most Eminent Military Doctor
Journey to Peking: A Secret Agent in Wartime China
Kill-Cavalry: The Life of Union General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
"We Have It Damn Hard Out Here": The Civil War Letters of Sergeant Thomas W. Smith, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry
The Enemy's House Divided
Chained Eagle: The Heroic Story of the First American Shot Down over North Vietnam
Fighting Fascism in Europe: The World War II Letters of an American Veteran of the Spanish Civil War (World War II--The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension, 1)
In the Eye of the Storm: The Life of General Norman H. Schwarzkopf
American Guerrilla: My War Behind Japanese Lines (Memories of War)

The Last Great Ace : The Life of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.

Average customer rating:

Long Overdo Biography Does Justice to Last Great Ace
Should Be A Movie
An Outstanding Book About a True Hero
One of the Best I Have Ever Read About WWII Fighter Aces!
Great.. from the middle towards the end....

The Last Great Ace : The Life of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.
Charles A. Martin
Manufacturer: Fruit Cove Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

George Preddy, Top Mustang Ace

ASIN: 096677910X

Customer Reviews:

Long Overdo Biography Does Justice to Last Great Ace.......2004-06-14

I have been a student of aviation history since my childhood. Major Tom McGuire was one of my boyhood heroes and one of the aces I enjoyed learning about. To my knowledge this is the first biography dedicated to McGuire. Let me say that Mr. Martin has done a terriffic job with his book. It is well documented and paints a wonderful picture of McGuire's rather complex personality.

"Mac" doesn't live up to the cliched image of ace at all. He was no poor child growing up hunting in the hills or in the plains. Rather, he came from a well to do family and was something of a "geek" in school. He didn't play football, he played the clarinet.

Mr. Martin does a good job of presenting his facts and his documentation and he draws conclusions where appropriate. He finally introduces the world to Marilynn, McGuire's wife and the inspiration for his airplanes to be named "PUDGY". For the record, she wasn't. The book goes into some detail explaining the so called "ace race" between McGuire and Bong (it was perhaps a bit overstated) as well as McGuire's last flight (there was a reason to hold onto those drop tanks).

If you have ever had any interest in the life of Tom McGuire let me recommend The Last Great Ace to you. My impression about McGuire personally is that I am not sure I would have been friends with him, but I sure would've wanted him leading me into combat. Enjoy.

Should Be A Movie.......2003-05-04

I am a flier and I find this to be one of the finest books about flying I have ever read. McGuire was a great flier and a daredevil, but also a leader of men. Big surprise: he was raised by his mother and grandmother--no father in the home. He learned much of his leadership skills from ROTC at Ga. Tech. These factors go against some of our commonly held ideas about where heroes come from. This story would make a great movie. I've corresponded with the author and have found that McGuire will soon be the subject of a Legends of Airpower program on PBS.

An Outstanding Book About a True Hero.......2003-01-24

There is only one word to describe this book; TREMENDOUS! Author Charles A. Martin has written a masterpiece of aviation history. In this book, the reader is given insight into the life of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. who would end up as America's number two all-time ace with thirty eight confirmed (and many more unconfirmed) victories. This book does a superior job of giving the reader insight into McGuire's life. The first half of the book deals with McGuire from a young age until he entered flight training. Some of the other reviewers of this book thought that the first half was a waste; I highly disagree. Mr. Martin gives us insight into Tommy's youth and his upbringing, which in the end ultimately resulted in the kind of pilot and leader of men he turned out to be. His upbringing had a major impact on the type of commander he was, and I applaud Mr. Martin for including the early years of McGuire's life. Too often, biographers just concentrate on a specific area of a person's life. I'm glad that I found out what type of person Tommy McGuire was when he was younger. It's easy to see from his childhood how he grew to become such an effective leader.

The second half of the book deals with the actual combat life of Tommy. From August 1943 until his untimely death on January 7, 1945, Major McGuire compiled a record which most fighter pilots only dream about. He shot down thirty eight enemy aircraft; second only to his rival and friend Dick Bong's forty. He also grew to be a highly respected leader, tactician, teacher, and friend. Tommy was a fiery individual in combat, but he was a true friend to his comrades in every sense of the word and he always looked out for the well-being of everyone in his squadron.

I've read dozens of books about the Pacific war, but this book rates as one of my all-time favorites. This is a true classic of aviation history. Read it and discover the life of a true American hero.

One of the Best I Have Ever Read About WWII Fighter Aces!.......2002-06-13

Charles Martin has written the definitive account of the life of Tommy McGuire, one of America's greatest fighter aces. It is fascinating, exciting and instructive. The background information that Martin gives us about McGuire makes us privy to the motivation and inspiration that produced America's finest. I have read most of the books on WWII fighter pilots and find "The Last Great Ace" to be one of the best if not the best.

Max D. Isaacson

Great.. from the middle towards the end...........2002-02-27

This book only takes off around the middle of it, when it focus in McGuire's war exploits. Then you can feel all his stress flying countless operations, his skill, his charisma, what his fellow pilots thought about him. The first half of the book is utterly boring.

Books:

Books