Rating: 
Summary: Hits home
Review: I received my copy of Bob's book two weeks after I had scheduled a trip to Waterbury Connecticut to the 56th reunion of my own father's WWII military group. My father passed away last year after a long battle with alzheimers, and I too was on a quest of sorts. I was never able to get my father to open up about his war experiences on the beaches of Normandy and beyond, and know now that their generation was truly the "great generation" of our time. This book really hit home. The content was interesting enough that I read the book at one sitting, and it provoked questions of a very personal nature to me. For those of us who are members of the "baby boom" generation I hope we all start asking our Fathers, Mothers, Uncles, Aunts - anyone with personal experiences about this remarkable time in our history to share their stories with us while they are able. We should also give them a sincere Thank You for their sacrifices.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: If you are a fan of WW II VMF-214, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Once They Were Eagles", this is a must read. Two stories in one. That of "Bandanna Maggie" before, during and after WW II. Also, a determined author's quest about a Marine hero he did not know until too long. Follow the trail of a Marine I'm sure Gregory Boyington admired as a great fellow warrior after the "big one" and his attepts to find himself in war and peace. (Success, or failure? Yes? No? You decide.) A remarkable book for those who are interested in the men of 214. As I said, if you liked the two first books mentioned, you will love this one written by the one man who would have done it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: If you are a fan of WW II VMF-214, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Once They Were Eagles", this is a must read. Two stories in one. That of "Bandanna Maggie" before, during and after WW II. Also, a determined author's quest about a Marine hero he did not know until too long. Follow the trail of a Marine I'm sure Gregory Boyington admired as a great fellow warrior after the "big one" and his attepts to find himself in war and peace. (Success, or failure? Yes? No? You decide.) A remarkable book for those who are interested in the men of 214. As I said, if you liked the two first books mentioned, you will love this one written by the one man who would have done it.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Biography with an interesting twist
Review: If, like me, you read Baa Baa Blacksheep and Once They Were Eagles, this is for you. The mysterious life and whereabouts of Chris Magee almost haunted me after reading Frank Walton's Once They Were Eagles. The information about Chris Magee in Walton's book and the fascinating letter it contains left many questions about Magee that begged for answers. I knew this would be an interesting book before I read it and I was not let down. I did not know it would be emotionally provocative. I won't spoil the surprises. Don't read too many reviews lest you not get the full effect. Pick it up soon.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Biography with an interesting twist
Review: If, like me, you read Baa Baa Blacksheep and Once They Were Eagles, this is for you. The mysterious life and whereabouts of Chris Magee almost haunted me after reading Frank Walton's Once They Were Eagles. The information about Chris Magee in Walton's book and the fascinating letter it contains left many questions about Magee that begged for answers. I knew this would be an interesting book before I read it and I was not let down. I did not know it would be emotionally provocative. I won't spoil the surprises. Don't read too many reviews lest you not get the full effect. Pick it up soon.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating, superbly written biography
Review: In Lost Black Sheep: The Search For WWII Ace Chris Magee, Robert Reed reveals saga of an extraordinary man in a real-life story of war and peace, crime and punishment. Chris Magee was one of the legendary Black Sheep Squadron under "Pappy" Boyington's command. He grew up with stories of World War I aviation heroes and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Chris transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps and went to the South Pacific where his personal bravery and skills as a combat flier earned him the Navy Cross and the respect of his peers. After the war ended Chris spent the next twelve years as a black marketeer, bootlegger, volunteer fighter pilot for Israel, courier for a covert American group involved in Latin American politics, and finally a bank robber. In his middle years he turned his life around and became a respected journalist. By age 70 he was living in retirement in a rustic apartment on Chicago's North Side. Then Chris found an envelope slipped under his front door with a note that compelled him to revisit parts of his past he thought long buried. Several of Magee's letters, poetry, and other writings are woven into the text (including a short story titled "Keep Moving". Lost Black Sheep is a fascinating, superbly written biography of a very unusual American unusal life.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking on many levels
Review: Lost Black Sheep makes an exellent addition to the growing library of books covering the adventures of 214 VMF, Greg "Pappy" Boyington's famous Black Sheep Squadron. However, this one stands apart as the most personal of the published accounts. Author Reed's quest to find the father he never knew is both profound and filled with questions of identity and purpose that once again manage to transcend the genre of "war book." Magee was the squadron's second highest scoring ace with 9 confirmed "kills" (only Boyington scored higher). However, the real adventure occurs during Magee's post-war careers as mercenary, armed robber, inmate, and editor. Navy Cross winner, Magee, is at once a romantic and tragic figure, yet not entirely sympathetic. An intellectual at heart, his colorful life hints at something more behind this mortal veil. Lost Black Sheep is thought provoking on many levels and definately appealed to my own middle-aged sensibilities. With the possible exception of Boyington, Chris Magee likely stands as VMF 214's one true Black Sheep...
Rating:
Summary: A Different Kind Of War Story
Review: The Lost Black Sheep is a war story with a uniquely personal twist. Author Bob Reed does an excellent job of weaving the tale. A must read (and a great gift) for anybody who liked "Once They Were Eagles".
Rating:
Summary: A Different Kind Of War Story
Review: The Lost Black Sheep is a war story with a uniquely personal twist. Author Bob Reed does an excellent job of weaving the tale. A must read (and a great gift) for anybody who liked "Once They Were Eagles".
Rating:
Summary: Insight into an interesting man ...
Review: Years after having first read Greg Boyington's 'Baa Baa Black Sheep', I stumbled upon my beat-up copy in a pile of books and decided to re-read it. Boyington painted a fascinating picture of the Flying Tigers, VMF-214, and life as a POW -- and I found that I enjoyed the book more upon re-reading than when I first bought it. Curious if any of the associated people in the book had ever written autobiographies, I did a quick search on the net and found not only Frank Walton's honest book, but two fantastic books by Bruce Gamble. The collection painted a far more detailed picture (than Boyington's book) of VMF-214's (fall/winter '43) pilots. Among the pilots described was Chris Magee -- someone who seemed unique among his comrades. [The often-told story about Magee and the grenade on a strafing run is alone enough to make me wonder about the guy.] Information on what many of the rest of the Squadron had chosen to do with their lives was relatively easy to find. Magee, however, seemed to fade into the ether of time -- and it appeared that neither Frank Walton or Bruce Gamble had much information available to them. I was surprised on a recent search to come across Robert Reed's book about Chris Magee, especially when noting that it had only recently been published. That didn't deter me from ordering it, and I read the book over the past few evenings. Robert's writing style is straightforward and sincere. He breaks the book really into two components; the first being background about Chris in a narrative, and the second being from Robert in first person. It wasn't difficult to determine what Robert's association with Chris was, even after reading only the dust jacket. [Were this fiction, I'd suggest that Robert use a slightly less common plot twist. :) ] I enjoyed the book, but was at first critical of some parts. First, large chunks of Chris' life are unexplained. Chris' experiences in the Israeli Air Force are only briefly discussed, and you regularly get the feeling that you're getting short glimpses (... into Chris' life ...) almost randomly. Second, the book lacked the intense thoroughness that I'd enjoyed in Bruce Gamble's work. After re-reading some of Robert's statements near the end of the book, I realized that this isn't completely fair criticism. It's clear that Chris never spoke of many of the details of his past, and that the details and history that Robert relayed were those things that he _could_. Most of the holes in time and mysteries about Chris' life will probably never be understood. Throughout the book, Robert did an excellent job of displaying the fact that Chris was an ... 'independant spirit'. [So independant that I still have difficultly fathoming what Chris' rationale could have been for some of his actions. Late in the book, Robert describes what a potential motive for the Bank Robberies might have been.] If you have an interest in VMF-214, I'd first recommend Bruce Gamble's books. If you've already passed through those, I'd feel comfortable recommending 'Lost Black Sheep'. It's an enjoyable read, and perhaps you'll feel as I did -- that although you've met many fascinating people in your life, you regret that Chris Magee wasn't among them.
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