Midway Magic: An Oral History of America's Legendary Aircraft Carrier.

McGaugh, Scott. Midway Magic: An Oral History of America's Legendary Aircraft Carrier. CDS, 425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017. 2004. 256 pp. Ill. $24.95.

This book covers a dramatic subject and the writing is good, particularly when the author describes the experiences of the people involved. But his technical knowledge is lacking, and when he gets into the lingo of Naval Aviation he has trouble and could have used an editor who knew the subject. However, he does have the subject at heart as he writes about the crew's experiences. The narrative is unusual in the depth to which it delves into Midway (CVB/CVA/CV 41) sailors' individual personalities, making the book not so much a history of the ship as of her many crewmen.

The story becomes a listing of problems belying the "Midway Magic" sobriquet. The narrative describes Midway's participation in post-World War II rocket testing, including launching a captured German V-2, which resulted in a damaged flight deck. The middle portion of the book is dedicated to the ship's eventful 1972-1973 cruise which, after an action-filled 1965 combat cruise and a lengthy overhaul, was the carrier's only other Vietnam deployment. As the war intensified, Midway sent crews against North Vietnamese targets and MiGs, losing aircraft and men.

There is a brief description of the 1975 cruise and the fall of Saigon, including the hurried evacuation of South Vietnam's capital and the major role Midway played in rescuing the desperate refugees. It's one of the better sections, understandably crammed with emotion as the last group of South Vietnamese comes across the carrier's flight deck. Post-Vietnam sections describe late Cold War confrontations with the Soviet Union, some of which are quite dramatic.

Pursuits ashore, especially in the Philippines, will bring back smiles, shudders and nods from many veterans. The author addresses Midway's fabled "rock and roll" propensity, which reached major concern in the late 1980s with the installation of large bow blisters that exacerbated rather than reduced the problem. As the carrier rode out a typhoon in 1989, she rolled so drastically that each side of the flight deck was engulfed by the turbulent seas. Final analysis indicated the roll had been 24 degrees. The description of Midway's role in the first Gulf War is rather brief and gives little of the air wing's experience or individual crews' missions.

The best military books balance the human aspects with those concerning the hardware, which is, after all, operated by the people. This author does not strike this balance, an omission which gives an uneven text and consistently displays his lack of subject knowledge. He often resorts to cutesy phrasing that hampers the narrative's flow, for example, stating that "air wings were grounded about seven-eighths of the time." What a strange fraction.

Unfortunately, the mistakes which abound in this book hindered my enjoyment. The ship is occasionally referred to as the Navy's 41st carrier, which it was not, and planes are often misidentified and terminology misused. Some odd style choices--not italicizing ship names; using the British form of squadron address; and seldom providing a person's rank--are disconcerting. One potentially embarrassing error is the labeling of "Air Officer Walter Albert Haas" as an "ace who once flew Hellcats." Haas is not listed in authoritative sources on Navy aces; perhaps McGaugh meant he was an experienced aviator, as in "ace pilot." These are just a few examples of mistakes that should have been caught during proofing or editing.

While having occasional appeal, Midway Magic leaves me very frustrated and still looking for a good book about one of the Navy's most colorful post-World War II carriers.