June 1944: A recon flight is shot down over the Japanese-held island of Biak, soon to be the next jump in MacArthur’s leapfrogging across New Guinea. Major Jock Miles, US Army—the crashed plane’s intelligence officer—must lead the handful of survivors to safety. It’s a tall order for a man barely recovered from a near-crippling leg wound. Gaining the grudging help of a Dutch planter who has evaded the Japanese since the war began, Jock discovers just how little MacArthur’s staff knows about the terrain and defenses of the island they’re about to invade.
The American invasion of Biak promptly bogs down, and the GIs rename the debacle Operation Fishwrapper, a joking reference to their worthless maps. The infantry battalion Jock once led quickly suffers the back-to-back deaths of two commanders, so he steps into the job once again, ignoring the growing difficulties with his leg. When his Aussie wife Jillian tracks down the refugee mapmaker who can refine those fishwrappers into something of military value, the tide of battle finally turns in favor of the Americans. But for Jock, the victory imparts a life-changing blow.
A lifelong student of history, William Peter Grasso served in the US Army and is retired from the aircraft maintenance industry. His devotion to all things historical, military, and aviation remains unabated and continues to inspire his fiction.
Operation Fishwrapper is an excellent read for alternative history fans. The author's style of writing is clear and eminently readable. His characters evolve as the series evolves. He has mastered the art of making his alternative history fiction just close enough to the actual history that it seems highly plausible unlike other alternative fictions that are so divorced from the actual events they feel like they must have occurred in another universe. Like most series, this series is best read in order, but each book can stand on its own if you prefer that.
Just finished reading “Operation Fishwrapper” the last in the Jock Miles WWII series. I loved these books. The characters are developed so you feel like you know them. The plot is developed without holes in them. Mr. Grasso you write a book I find difficult to set down. I can’t wait to read the Moon Brothers series. Kept up the writing and I will continue to read your books.
Even those these stories are called "alternative history", they are compelling and engrossing. These stories are so well written "The You are There" saying applies to each story Mr Grasso has written.
If you like military novels, these stories are for You!!!!!!!!!!!!
very good story except for a hole at the end. What happened 6 months ago? one complaint not about the book but trying to find the next one has been a challenge. Is there a sequel to Fishwrapper or not, or is it coming soon?
Sad to see Mr and Mrs Miles story end. But that they come back in Korea and Vietnam books by Mr Grasso. Very well done. Now after 11 books I will take a break with the Gray man.
A fictional story but very good. Jock makes lieutenant colonel. A mystery that Jillian had to solve. This book kept me in suspense. I wonder if there would be a sixth novel of Jock in WW2? If so it would be good one.
I have read the series and either having become very familiar with all the characters or the authors overuse this did not seem as sharp as previous novels.
This book was not as excellent as the previous four but an excellent read nevertheless. This story bounces around a little bit and some of the situations are a little bit preposterous for a long time military soldier to relate to. I enjoyed the earlier books in this series immensely but this one not quite as much. Maybe his books related to the Korean war will be more factually realistic.
This may be alternate historical fiction, but it certainly isn't historical fiction where MacArthur is concerned. My wife is a grand niece of Chester Nimitz, and Nimitz had a picture of MacArthur in his office. When asked why he had it, Nimitz replied that he kept it to "remind him what a jackals looked like." Mac was a man so full of himself it could make a man cringe. A pompous, self effacing jackals, who NEVER was concerned about anything but himself and how he would be awarded, he cared NOTHING about the men who sacrificed themselves to beat the Japs. Mr. Grassy makes some, however not enough reference to that in this last book in the Jock Miles story.
I've read the entire series 3 times now and it's just as good as the first time through. I'm hoping the author adds a short postscript to the series about what happens to Jock, Jillian, Patchett, and all the surviving members of Task Force Miles. That would be the perfect way to close the book on the series.