Tom Hudner was an F4U Corsair pilot during the Korean War who risked his life in an attempt to save another. Jesse Brown was the Navy's first African American pilot. While undoubtedly the book's main subjects, Hudner and Brown are representative of several pilots who served in that war, many of whom are mentioned in the text. Makos's (A Higher Call) novelistic latest is about more than Brown's legacy and Hudner's actions. The author discusses pilot training and preparation for the war, as well as personal aspects of pilots' lives. Included are tales of marines who served on the ground in Korea, and who therefore benefited from the actions of close-support fighters such as Corsairs and Skyraiders. Makos provides a visualization of combat both in the air and on the ground, tapping into the psyches of marines and pilots engaged in battle. VERDICT Based on interviews with many of the volume's characters in addition to official documents and reports, this account should appeal to general readers interested in the Korean War, military history, and the transcendence of race issues in the 1950s.—Matthew Wayman, Pennsylvania State Univ. Lib., Schuylkill Haven