While the Marine Corps island-hopped across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Saipan to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Army was locked in a grueling, multiyear fight for the jungle island of New Guinea, which in Japanese hands threatened both Australia and the vital supply lines stretching to the United States. Forces under Douglas MacArthur intended to deny the Japanese this opportunity and use New Guinea as a stepping stone on the road back to the Philippines and, beyond it, Japan. A critical component of that campaign was waged in the air, where American pilots supported ground troops and took the battle to the Japanese in scattered villages and beaches, along the way fighting not only the Japanese, but also the dangers of the island’s mountainous terrain and thick jungles, the weather, and the surrounding ocean.

Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is the story of the stirring and terrible air combat that made winning the fight for New Guinea possible. It includes accounts from fighter, bomber, and transport crews—primarily George Kenney’s Fifth Air Force—and places their actions within the broader context of strategy and tactics, also providing descriptions of equipment and the experiences of the mechanics and support men who made it all possible. It is a riveting narrative of World War II in the air, combining deep primary research and Jay Stout’s personal experience as a fighter pilot. More than a great read, Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is an important contribution to World War II history.

Jay A. Stout is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot who, during a twenty-year military career, logged a remarkable 4,500 flight hours, including thirty-seven combat missions during Operation Desert Storm. He has appeared as an aviation and military expert on various television and radio programs, and his writings have been published in newspapers and professional journals around the country. He is the author of nearly a dozen books, including Air Apaches: The True Story of the 345th Bomb Group and Its Low, Fast, and Deadly Missions in World War II, Hell’s Angels: The True Story of the 303rd Bomb Group in World War II, Fighter Group: The 352nd “Blue-Nosed Bastards” in World War II, and The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe: The U.S. Army Air Forces against Germany in World War II. He lives near Richmond, Virginia.