Chennault: A Rebel in China (Chennault Trilogy)

Chennault was a product of his time and circumstances. Born in the rural south just 28 years after the American Civil War ended, he felt its effects. He turned lessons learned in Southern defeat into victories in China.\nChennault: A Rebel in China
Before Claire Lee Chennault could achieve success with the Flying Tigers, he had to learn how to lead and what to teach. This book examines the unique influences which created this remarkable, prescient military aviation pioneer.
From his youth working on a family farm near a small Louisiana town, the book traces the influence of growing up in the American South, where Southern generals became his heroes. His education, both as a student and as a teacher, gave confidence but left him uneasy socially.
His love of flying enabled a military career, beginning just after World War I. His 20-year career in the Army Air Corps developed his flying skills. Later work with the Flying Trapeze honed his theories on combat flying and brought him fame. But his devotion to pursuit planes and his convictions about the future of aerial warfare brought controversy.
Cast loose from the military as a result, he went to China in the nick of time to help the Chinese Air Force oppose the Japanese invasion in 1937. He gained knowledge of Japanese tactics and equipment, and learned painful lessons there, which eventually enabled him to lead the Flying Tigers to their successes.
This book covers those formative years and illustrates Chennault’s early time in China with maps and photos.