The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting

The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17

THE JOLLY ROGERS
The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17

Tom Blackburn
with Eric Hammel

Introduction by Vice Admiral James Stockdale, USN (Ret.)

The Jolly Rogers is the true story of one of the U.S. Navyâ€™s foremost World War II fighter
squadrons, VF-17, and its charismatic commander, fighter ace Tom Blackburn. In his= action-packed war memoir and unit history, Blackburn describes VF-17â€™s intense, winning campaign against the Japanese over the northern Solomon Islands and Rabaul in late 1943 and early 1944.

Beginning with his own experiences as a trainer of fighter pilots early in World War II and his leadership of a small carrier-based fighter squadron supporting the invasion of North Africa, Blackburn goes on to provide a rich, detailed account of how he shaped a crew of
over-eager hotshots into one of the highest scoring fighter squadrons of World War II. In
only seventy-six days of combat, Tom Blackburnâ€™s Jolly Rogers knocked down a record
154 enemy warplanes, and Blackburn himself emerged as one of VF-17â€™s leading aces with
eleven kills to his credit.

Boisterous at times, and sober at others, Blackburn explains the methods he used and
example he set to shape and wield VF-17 before and during its South Pacific combat tour.
Not least of the challenges facing Blackburn and VF-17 was taming the hot new Vought
F4U Corsair fighter. Originally slated to serve aboard a fleet aircraft carrier, VF-17 was
ultimately transferred to land-based duty when the Corsair proved too hot to handle
during carrier-deck landings. Though the Corsairâ€™s teething problems were worked out by
othersâ€”it eventually became a superb carrier-based fighter-bomberâ€”it was Blackburn
and his Jolly Rogers who proved the full potential of the Corsair as a killer of enemy
airplanes.

Both a war memoir and a caring tribute to the aggressive, hold-nothing-back young men
he trained and led in combat, Blackburnâ€™s story is an epic in World War II history annals.

Tom Blackburn, who was preparing to lead a carrier air group into combat when World
War II ended, later commanded an aircraft carrier and retired as a captain in 1962. He
passed away in 1994.

Eric Hammel is an acclaimed military historian with more than thirty-five books to his credit.

Critical Acclaim for The Jolly Rogers

Publishers Weekly says: â€œBlackburn was an exceptionally talented, resourceful, inspiring leader who imparted to his men a fierce warrior ethic . . . especially noteworthy is the
authorâ€™s straightforward description of the methods he used organizing, training, leading
his pilots in combat and developing air tactics.â€

The Shipmate says: â€œTom Blackburn [was] exceptional, and so is his book.â€

The Hook says: â€œTom Blackburn [was] one of the most successful fighter squadron
commanders the U.S. Navy ever produced . . . not only a cracking good story, but a
valuable primer on dealing with the rugged individualists who populate naval aviation,
Highly recommended.â€

The San Diego Union says: â€œ[This] thrilling saga focuses on unsung heroes.â€

Stars and Stripes says: â€œIn a book generously laced with tales of air combat, Blackburn
talks of the days spent building VF-17 into an outfit with its own identity and then leading
his men into combat . . . â€

The Naval Institute Proceedings says: â€œExcellent . . . a well-rounded, coherent story that
focuses on intense combat . . . As a professionalâ€™s account of his squadronâ€™s . . . war,
Blackburnâ€™s has no peer.â€

Kirkus Reviews says: â€œA macho, like-it-was memoir . . . a gritty, action-packed slice of
WWII life.â€

Country	USA
Binding	Kindle Edition
EISBN	9781890988289
Format	Kindle eBook
Label	Pacifica Military History
Manufacturer	Pacifica Military History
NumberOfPages	304
PublicationDate	2009-07-18
Publisher	Pacifica Military History
ReleaseDate	2009-07-18
Studio	Pacifica Military History

The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17

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