reviews of the jagged edge of duty

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" (The book) describes the combat careers of two men, and of their squadron mates, in considerable detail.  The core of the book is the story of one P-38 squadron in the Mediterranean Theater from the spring through the fall of 1943.  Besides utilizing voluminous official Air Force records, the author interviewed surviving 49th FS veterans, relatives of the squadron's pilots and other North African P-38 vets.

This is basically two books in one.  The other part is detailed background information - context.  (The book) delves deeply into such subjects as the politics effecting the Mediterranean air war; the weapons utilized by both sides (including a large section on the P-38); the various types of missions flown by the P-38 pilots; their tactics; the organization of a USAAF fighter group and squadron; and much more.  The book is also illustrated with a lot of interesting photos, many of them never before published.

The bottom line is:  If you are interested in P-38 combat stories, expecially in the MTO, and the Mediterranean air war in general, you should add this book to your library."

Steve Blake, P-39 National Association

"This book takes you right into the recollections of many fighter pilots who flew campaigns is WWII. Personal experiences of the pilots and their families come to light, some stories waiting over 70 years to be told. There's a lot of history, but what I liked best was the personal side of all the stories from the pilots and their families, and the bonds that formed within fighter squadrons, among the air and ground crews. It was exhaustively researched, and is a fine tribute to all who participated."

"This was a superb book. It's very informational, but it reads like a story. It's easy to dehumanize the men that went overseas during WWII and turn them into a statistic. This book brings them back to life and tells their personal stories. It follows one man's story in particular - Allan Knepper - but there are lots of others who's big sacrifices are brought to light in the book. These personal stories, coupled with the abundant research, make this book into a pretty comprehensive view of a pilot's life in the Mediterranean Theater in WWII. A really excellent book that I'd recommend to anyone. The reader doesn't have to be previously interested in WWII or the air force to really get sucked into this book and the stories from the pilots. Really, really excellent."

"The author did an exceptional work in describing the life and actions of WWII fighter pilots in North Africa and Italy."

William Gregory, P-38 combat pilot

"This remarkable book tells more than just a "shoot 'em up" account of individual pilots.  It illustrates the overall experiences of the 49th Fighter Squadron; it recounts their missions in Africa, Sicily, and Italy; and is a tribute to all P-38 pilots and crews who fought to win the greatest war in history"

Harold Harper, P-38 combat pilot