In 1942, an outspoken Army Air Force general, overlooked for prestigious combat commands in Europe, was given a chance at redemption: General George Kenney was to go to the Pacific theatre and forge Douglas MacArthur's defeated air force into a brawny offensive unit that could pave the way for victory over Japan. When Kenney took the job, he was told not to expect reinforcements, supplies, or even spare parts. He spent his first days in command cowering in a mud-filled slit trench as Japanese planes rained bombs down on his New Guinea base, getting to know his pilots and tending to their shattered spirits. With the Nazis sweeping across Europe and the nation reeling from the carnage of Pearl Harbor, these fighters represented the fading hope of America's future and Kenney was stunned by their state. Race of Aces is the incredible story of how he and a handful of elite American pilots inspired the country to believe that we could defeat the most formidable enemy America had ever faced - and the inconceivable price they paid to do it. The race began with a bet. No one, wagered the deadliest fighter pilot - or