Mersky, a retired Navy commander and illustrator, integrates first-person accounts from aviators and crewmen in this account of the history of the US Marine Corps' air arm. He describes early development and training, and combat deployments in WWI, Central America, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and the Balkans. This fourth edition is updated to reflect current events and scholarship over the past 10 years, and covers conflicts including Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. B&w historical and contemporary photos appear on every page. Mersky received the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation's 1999 award for excellence in naval aviation history and literature. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)