The Mercenaries

Name: The Mercenaries
Rating: 4.05 (1135 reviews)

by Max Hennessy Book 2 in the Flying Ace Thrillers series.

First published 1969

Amazon

4.1(1,135)

A new conflict looms, at the very edge of the world. For World War One flying ace Ira Penaluna, peace brings frustration and disillusionment. Desperate to continue flying, he accepts an offer to go to China as a commander of the ramshackle air-force of General Tsu, a local warlord. With him he takes a bizarre trio of misfits: Pat, the boozy, bragging Irishman, more interested in bar hopping than flying, Sammy, the mechanical genius, and Ellie, a tough former stunt-pilot. But before long this joyride becomes a desperate flight for life. After centuries of poverty and exploitation, China is rising against brutal, corrupt rulers like General Tsu, and Ira's band of adventurers are branded mercenaries. A thrilling adventure in aviation, The Mercenaries is a triumph,

The novel is set within the warlord era, when fragmented military governments competed across Republican China and imported aircraft and foreign specialists. Ira’s employment exposes the uncertain status of pilots whose technical skills could be used by unstable and coercive regimes.