Flying Tiger Ace / The Story of Bill Reed, China’s Shining Mark

Osprey Publishing (2020)

335 Pages / 69 photos

$35.00

ISBN Hardback: 978 I 4728 4003 5

ISBN Paperback: 978 I 4728 4004 2

ISBN eBook: 978 I 4728 4002 8

Purchase: Click Here

Many thousands of young men gave their lives in the service of the United States during World War II, but seven decades after his death Lt. Col. William N. Reed still stands out for the shining mark he left during his short lifetime. A standout student and athlete while growing up in Iowa during the Great Depression, Reed realized his dream of becoming an aviator by completing U.S. Army Air Corps training in 1940. Hungry for adventure and eager to boost his family’s finances, he resigned his commission the following year to fly for China in the American Volunteer Group – the legendary Flying Tigers. After six months of intense combat, he returned home a local hero and then volunteered his talents to help sell government bonds to support the war effort. Duty called, however, and Reed resumed his Army flying career so he could return to combat in China. In command of a unique fighter outfit manned by American and Chinese pilots, Reed became legendary for his ability to find and engage the enemy in the air and on the ground. His score was nine Japanese aircraft shot down and seven more destroyed by strafing when he was killed at age 27 in a desperate night parachute jump on Dec. 19, 1944. Author Carl Molesworth spent more than 30 years piecing together the story of Reed’s life so he could write the complete account of this unforgettable American war hero.

“Through exhaustive research, including Reed's letters to his mother and innumerable interviews with Reed's friends and relatives, the author fleshes out Bill Reed, the man, providing a fitting tribute to an otherwise little-known American hero. Highly recommended reading for anyone, but a ‘must have’ addition to the library of military aviation history enthusiasts!”
- Col. J. Ward Boyce, Jr., USAF (Ret), Former Executive Director, American Fighter Aces Association