An amazingly well-researched, and fascinating book about a little-known campaign during WW2, that kept the Chinese army supplied by air from India to Burma by flying over the Himalayas. The route was known as flying over 'The Hump' - literally the roof of the world. I was staggered to read that at least 600 transport aircraft were lost by the USAAF and the RAF, but the true number may be much higher.
The author includes many true stories from the aircrew who braved these incredibly dangerous missions in unreliable and badly maintained aircraft. Apart from flying blind along most of the route, the aircraft were subject to severe storms and heavy icing that made the planes virtually unflyable. I related some of the dreadful stories to my son (a former RAF pilot) who, unknown to me, had almost lost an RAF aircraft in Afghanistan due to a heavy buildup of ice on the wings and fuselage.
The book not only covers the air war, but also the dreadful experiences on the ground in Burma for the British Chindits and the US Marauders. Sadly, some of their leaders were political animals who spared little thought for their troops, who were riddled with disease and were generally poorly led.
To summarise, a fantastic military history book that I thoroughly recommend.