MiG Alley: The US Air Force in Korea, 1950-53

This book is...distasteful.The author does a pretty good job of putting the air war in the larger context of the conflict, and mostly avoids sounding like he's regurgitating dry after-action reports.But his obvious political biases keep pushing their way to the front. You wish that he could shut up about them and just relate the history, but he simply can't stop telling you how awful Republicans are. I'm not even a Republican and I had to put this aside.This guy is too woke for his own good.

Good recap of some actions, but the author's anti-American views keeps seeping thru the cracks. Examples: America's participation (sanctioned by the UN) is somehow seen as interventionist and aggressive. Little space is dedicated the insertion of Russian and Chinese "volunteers" to support North Korea's aggression. Cleaver seems reluctant to dwell on the sanctuary given Russian and Chinese pilots north of the Yalu, or their overwhelming numbers. Or the fact that most Russian claims were against inferior a/c like the F-80, F-84, B-29, and British Meteor. He also does his best to denigrate the accomplishments of U.S. aces operating under extreme conditions and fighting with sub-standard F-86 models until 1952. Cleaver also readily accepts post-1992 Russian records carte blanch as gospel, while continuously questioning U.S. Air Force records. Going after Migs across the Yalu border is deemed "incredulously provocative action", and "egregious violation of the border." His tacit agreement in punishing American pilots for their aggression is the clearest indication of his bias and poor understanding of fighter pilots. No credit is given to American pilots for their aggressive action against a deadly enemy hiding behind mythical borders, the political restrictions a shameful foretaste of what the military would face in Vietnam. Such bureaucratic decisions cost thousands of American lives. All in all, a mediocre read spoiled by another typical revisionist writer.

This book is an useful addition to Korean War libraries for its comprehensive and negative assessment of the effectiveness of the United States Air Force's operations over Korea during the Korean War. It is well-written editorially and has a number of good photographs and maps. It has a very useful bibliography for additional reading depending on the reader's interest. It does, however, have three(3) omissions, one of which is significant. The most important omission is the lack of footnotes considering the bibliography. Thus it cannot be considered a scholarly book but a popular history for the general military history/aviation enthusiasts. The other two omissions are the lack of coverage of two(2) United States Military Academy (USMA) graduates who were hip-deep in the actions. The first omission is that of then-MAJ Frederick C. "Boots" Blesse (USMA Class of 1945) who was a 10-MIG kill ace and isn't mentioned. MG Blesse retired from the airforce following the Viet Nam War and was the author of two books on aerial combat: Check Six, and No Guts no Glory. The second omission is that of then-CAPT Jacksel "Jack" Broughton (USMA Class of 1945) who flew close-air support missions in a F-84. Of personal note, some of those missions were in support of the United States Army's 2nd U.S. Infantry Division (Indianheads) with its 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment (MANCHUs) .. my late father: then-CAPT Rolfe L Hillman, Jr (USMA Class of 1945) was the company commander of the 9th Infantry's Heavy Mortar Company from July 1950 until March 1951 surviving the major operations of the Pusan Perimeter, the drive north into North Korea, and the retreat back south after the Chinese Communist November 1950 invasion.All this aside, this book is an useful history.

Perhaps I could use this headline for nearly any more or less accurate story of combat; it was certainly true of Korea even in the air. I'm an ex-USAF pilot and a Vietnam era AF Academy graduate, an airplane modeler. I was in grade school in nearby Lubbock, TX, when Lt. Col George Davis was the leading Sabre ace - and when he died. For 75+ years, I've read most things I could find on the Korean Air War, esp. Sabres v. :Migs; as it happens I'm building a couple of F-86 models (one more for me, another for a friend) at the moment. The book is good motivation for my hobbywork. It is simply the best single volume on the young USAF in Korea, the whole air war, not just the aces, I've yet read. It includes enough of the war's political/military background to be helpful in setting the stage for the war. Make sure you and your friends read the Intro; it's worth the price of the book in making you think about the present. Cleaver, a successful screenwriter, can indeed write. The book is a good read, (but not reading lite). To the degree of my knowledge, it's accurate, and it has a decent couple of photo sections (but it's not at all a photo book). I will read this again soon, as well as Cleaver's other (several) air war books. This book's a painless way to learn a history we NEED to know, and don't. I salute you, Mr. Cleaver. Thank you for your service - and for your service in writing this book. So. at the risk of sounding like the years ago military officer (and airplane nut) that I am, I'll close by saying "Buy it. Read it."

Mr Cleaver brought all of his tools to the table in writing this book - a combination of engineering accuracy, clear thinking, and deep historical knowledge. In addition, the book simply reads well - Mr Cleaver's writing style is concise, yet also colorful. Lastly, the text was obviously proof-read carefully, and so the book is free of the grammatical and typographical errors that can be a plague. Thus a clear understanding of the aircraft, the era, and the history is conveyed, and the book never bogs down. Outstanding!

I bought this book because this period in time, the Cold War, and specifically The Korean War, interested me, plus my interest in the F-86 Sabre, an aircraft I was personally involved with around this time also. This is a very well produced and well written book. It commences with a background to the events of that time and then goes on to relate the air battles and combat over Korea. Especially interesting to me was the comparison made between the effectiveness of the Sabre compared with the Russian built Mig-15. Highly recommended .

The Korean Air War was never as onesided as we were led to believe. The "Russians" moved whole squadrons in or out, in contrast to the USAF. And until the new pilots were up to speed the Americans had an advantage. Very interesting.

Having just been published in 2019, this book represents a very good updated history of the air war during the Korean War 1950-53.

A great read. It clears up a muddied picture of what was thought to be the historical record. This book has made me want to buy more of his work.Definitely worth it