"In August 1941, a handful of young Americans disembarked at Rangoon, Burma, the first contingent of fighter pilots of Claire Lee Chennault's American Volunteer Group. Enlisted from the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps to aid the Chinese Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek in the their bitter war against the Japanese, Chennault's aviators were destined to gain worldwide renown as the Flying Tigers. Within the year the Flying Tigers' distinctive shark-toothed P-40 fighters would be credited with destroying nearly 300 enemy aircraft ... Flying Tigers retells the full story behind one of World War II's most colorful fighting elite forces, from the recruitment of the first pilots, through their initial training in Burma and the savage dogfights over Rangoon, to their missions defending the retreating Allied forces. A final chapter looks at the demise of the unit and makes a critical assessment of its contribution to the Allied war effort"--Front flap of book jacket.