FLIGHT DECK

by Robb White

Navy pilot John Lawrence, wounded at the Battle of Midway, wants action. When the medics tell him he can't fly again, he thinks up a scheme that'll get him back on the firing line - a scheme so crazy he'll have to disappear to make it work!

Genres: Young Adult, World War II, Historical Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Robb White was partnered with gimmick horror film king William Castle during Castle's most popular and productive period. Born in the Philippines, White was a preacher's son who held a wide variety of jobs before landing in the Navy during World War II. He initially collaborated with Castle on the short-lived TV series "Men of Annapolis" (1957), then joined forces with the enterprising producer-director on the horror thrillers "Macabre" (1958), "House on Haunted Hill" (1959), "The Tingler" (1959), "Homicidal" (1961), and "13 Ghosts" (1960). He later went back to TV writing, including "Perry Mason" (1957), as well as novels.

Reviews

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historical aspects were interesting as I knew very little about WWII in the Pacific beyond Pearl Harbor. The horrors of war were depressing, however.

[Richard Locke Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

exciting readable story, with heroic people and bad guys, character development, inner thoughts and self doubts dealt with. But severely marred by racism!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really, good and hip read on WWII PTO (Pacific Theatre of Operations) with a light and airy writing sense and style making for a non-rigorous read. Rather, the matter of WWII in this book is that the nasty business of WWII sea-going aircraft carriers (of all types for the USA service in The Navy) is rather an almost bucolic happenstance----if the ocean was a pastoral and idyllic pasture (that feeling exuded in the writing style)....no just kidding. It's kind of somewhere in-between there and a book that is serious matter about battling the Japanese Navy in WWII. It is a style that is most affable to read. Check out another book of his "Up Periscope" about the "silent service" of USA Navy submersible attack submarines plying The Pacific Ocean.....and the dangerous conditions that occur in undersea and U/W sabotage warfare. I would really suggest these two books.....even if you hate the topic of war.......read them for the style as it is interesting and pleasant to peruse...the old type is not hard-on-the-eyes............even though this is a tough subject (war) to digest. I would say try and read them during an opportunity to not having some terse book with bad type to read that is small. That can wrack the mind sometimes. Easy reading.......as a fifth-grader Scholastic Book Services paperback should be.