{"product_id":"9780760342503","title":"Swashbucklers and Black Sheep: A Pictorial History of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II","description":"\u003cp\u003e“A stunning portrait of incredibly courageous men and their awesome flying machines.”\u003cbr\u003e—Alex Kershaw, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Few\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214 is the world’s most famous fighter squadron. Its second wartime squadron commander was the legendary Greg “Pappy” Boyington. Boyington and the squadron were the loose inspiration for the late-seventies NBC television series \u003ci\u003eBaa Baa Black Sheep\u003c\/i\u003e, which was later syndicated under the name \u003ci\u003eBlack Sheep Squadron\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSwashbucklers and Black Sheep\u003c\/i\u003e is a comprehensive illustrated history of the squadron from its formation and first two combat tours on Guadalcanal as the Swashbucklers, which included their transition to the iconic gull-winged Corsair, to the arrival of their second commander, Pappy Boyington, after which they became the Black Sheep. The squadron’s combat over Bougainville and Rabaul and the story of Boyington being shot down are covered, as are the squadron’s exploits in the latter part of the war (while Boyington was a POW), which culminated in the heavy losses suffered aboard the carrier USS \u003ci\u003eFranklin.\u003c\/i\u003e The squadron’s service in Korea, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror complete the storied history of VMF 214.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition to a rich collection of historical photography, \u003ci\u003eSwashbucklers and Black Sheep\u003c\/i\u003e features combat aviation artwork from four of America’s top aviation artists: John Shaw, Jim Laurier, Craig Kodera, and Bob Rasmussen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zenith Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47028707033328,"sku":"9780760342503","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780760342503_p0.jpg?v=1763638681","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780760342503","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}