I’ve just finished a book that I found fascinating. Hump Pilot — Defying Death Flying the Himalayas During World War II is written by Nedda Thomas, daughter of Hump Pilot Ned Thomas.
One reason I found it so enjoyable and educational is that I honestly never understood the complex WW II relationships between the USA, the Chinese, Chiang Kai-shek, and Mao Tse-tung until I read this book.
You people who love maps — as I do — will want to read this book with a world atlas and/or globe at hand. I rather thought that there was “a” route over the Hump. There were many, and I found it fun to look them up.
I never knew before that flying the Hump was the very first airlift in world history. The second was the Berlin Airlift, which was run by the same person who ran the Hump airlift.
Finally, the book is about the pilots who flew the Hump, the unbelievably horrific odds against survival (The author’s father did survive and went on serve our Air Force in many important ways.) and the machinations of the big shots up to and including the president.
All in all, a great read.
