Author: Michael G. Uva
Product Details
1 Paperback:
178 pages
2 Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform;
3
First Edition (January 5, 2015)
4 Language: English
5 ISBN-10:
1506015832
6 ISBN-13: 978-1506015835
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed By Michelle Stanley for Readers’ FavoriteReview Rating:
5 Stars!
“There
are only two types of fairy tales told in the Corps; one begins with, “Once upon
a time…” the other, “This is no shite!” - Tippy (Tales of Flying Sergeants)
Enlisted Fighter Pilots in WW11.
Robert “Tippy” Tipatue, a skilled mechanic,
enlisted in the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was an ingenious,
courageous, forthright man who took his mechanical assignments seriously at the
Maw Airbase. This enabled him to move quickly through the ranks to become a
fighter pilot, much to the regret of First Lieutenant Goldberg, a commissioned
Officer who disapproved of enlisted men becoming pilots. Tippy and other trained
enlisted pilots had many close encounters with death while fighting the
Japanese, and their living conditions were basic, but they learned to keep their
spirits up with moral support, a few fights, and pranks.
Michael G. Uva
has written this very poignant military fiction as a warm-hearted tribute to
Master Gunnery Sergeant Charles W. Tippy, a “salty old Marine” with whom he
served. He wrote compassionately, recollecting tales filled with sadness,
nostalgia and mirth of the war. Surviving Marines who pay tribute to Pastor
Tippy at his funeral narrate with stirring tales of their friendship with the
deceased throughout intervals in the book. Pastor Tippy rarely spoke of his
Marine years, so his grieving congregation were surprised to see politicians,
actors, other public figures, and a Japanese veteran turn out to pay their
respects. The cover illustration is lovely and the story made a very interesting
read.
SYNOPSIS
World War II is raging. The war is going
badly for the Americans. A young, backwoods car mechanic from Louisiana enlists
in the Marines after Pearl Harbor is hit.
The U.S.A. has more planes than
pilots. Several U.S. Marine mechanics, (both auto and aircraft) get a crash
course in flying fighter planes. Now they find themselves in a battle for their
lives against superior, outnumbering forces.
Problems soon occur on base
when a Harvard educated officer joins the squadron. He does not believe that
enlisted men have the ability to fly as well as officers. Soon after, all the
mechanic pilots are relegated, back to ground duty. During a surprise attack,
the enemy forces surround the pilot’s quarters, trapping them. One enlisted
pilot manages to takeoff in a fully loaded P-51. Within minutes, the officers
are freed and soon join the lone enlisted man aloft. Now the Harvard officer is
forced to fly as a team with the enlisted man, in a fight for their lives.
The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks at the enlisted hero’s current
day funeral by some of the former fighter pilots he fought alongside of.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tippy was inspired by true stories of US “Enlisted Men” that were elevated to the positions of “Fighter Pilots” during WWll. Author Michael Uva says, " I had the honor and privilege to have personally flown a few flights out of El Toro air base with one of these Heroic Marine Enlisted Pilots while I served in the Marines."
Tippy is a “Historical Fiction.” The story is an amalgam of fiction and history, with a slight bias toward authentic history.
----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning
HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at
Sharing with Writers and
The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
