Malcolm Rosholt (1907–2005)

This book has been a real mixed bag. Some of the photographs are truly exceptional showing the unbelievable variety of aircraft and operator’s in China up until the arrival of the US Army’s 14th Air Force. The book is particularly well illustrated from 1931-1937 when the author worked in China while photographs for the other periods up to 1942 were provided by close acquaintances. Overall the text and photos provide an excellent record from the period mentioned above and from 1942 to 1945 when the author returned to China. The era from 1910 until 1931 is also a bit skinny. There are no pictures to be had after 1945.

Some pictures that did stand out (In no particular order, were single picture of a Savoia-Marchetti parked along side a Caproni in 1936, an I-16 next to a DC-2, a Vultee V-11, and a Curtiss CW-21.
Other unexpected bits and pieces included a few propaganda leaflets (3 American, 1 Japanese) a few approach plates, post flight interrogation debriefs. The six-page chapter on Soviet aid is also fairly well illustrated reasonably well fleshed out for its size.

Out of 219 pages, 112 pages cover the AVG and USAAF in China WWII with nothing after 1945, which means that 51% of the book covers five years out of 40. (Or for the math geeks, 51% covers of the book covers 12.5% of the years. Despite the title, the book effectively ends in 1945. But, interspersed throughout the book are little tidbits that will actually carry the reader past 1950. For example, Chapter VII; Commercial Aviation in China effectively ends in 1968 with the demise of CAT airlines
Errors include calling the Polikarpov I-16 the E-16, captioning a Kawasaki Hien Ki-61 (Tony) as license built German aircraft, and a photo of a high-speed pass captioned as a final approach.
The book is enjoyable, but, don't take it for more than what it is, a personal photo album that has been fleshed out. It is not a scholarly history per se of Flight in China 1910-1950.
For modelers there are four pages of B-24 nose art. (Regrettably sans aircraft serial number.) and a few other tidbits that would make the book a “nice to have” acquisition, but nothing to go out of the way for.
Moderately recommended for anyone interested in Chinese aviation, particularly the earliest years.
A qualified strong recommendation for those interested in the Chinese air war from 1932 and US Army Air Forces in China during WWII.… (mehr)

A retelling of an historical event from the pioneer days of Wisconsin. A white child, Caspar, is lost while the family is out in their sugarbush early one spring. After several days search, with the help of numerous neighbors, they are forced to assume he is dead. Two years later, relatives think a child in a nearby Menominee village is Caspar. Years of confusion follow as there are few interpreters, the legal system is distant, the impoverished Menominees want to avoid warfare, and white settlers take matters into their own hands.
This book does a good job of fictionalizing events thru dialog, descriptions of the crude living conditions, references to the time delays in getting information. There is something old-fashioned about the language used, or perhaps it is a vaguely journalistic style. The approach seems even-handed, not favoring either culture. While some of the story is told from the point of view of the white family, there are later sections told by a traveling salesman. I get the impression that the original account may have been written down by this peddler.
The brief epilogue gives us facts and dates from the boys later life. There is no author biography to indicate his interest in this story or what research was done, tho he is locally famous with the Portage County Historical Society of Wisconsin and worked as a journalist.… (mehr)