"In his new book The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch , airpower historian and acclaimed author Dr. Brian D. Laslie has crafted a thrilling narrative of the Navy's Carrier Air Group 11 during the brutal fight for the Pacific in World War II. Using a kaleidoscope of voices and sources, including a wealth of diaries, after-action reports, and oral histories, Laslie takes readers from the skies over Guadalcanal through the Philippines, Hong Kong, and French Indochina. More than just a top-notch history, this is one helluva great read!"-- James M. Scott , Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Black Snow, Rampage, and Target Tokyo "In a field crowded with books on top-scoring units and major battles, The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch is a breath of fresh air. Dr. Laslie deftly moves between operational and unit history, keeping the memories of Air Group 11's officers and enlisted men at the center of the narrative in fitting tribute to their service and sacrifice.

This is an insider's look at life on dusty shores, aboard pitching vessels, and in thrilling air combat."-- Mike Fink , author of Intrepid's Fighting Squadron 18 "Is there more to the naval air war in the Pacific than the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and the Philippine Sea? Brian Laslie's new book, The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch , answers in the affirmative, using Carrier Air Group Eleven as a lens to sharpen our focus on that conflict. Although CAG-11 and the carrier Hornet missed the "big" engagements, its men responded when called upon in the Solomons, the Philippines, and Formosa. Laslie provides a compelling story of ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things during the greatest naval war in history."-- William F. Trimble, Professor Emeritus at Auburn University, is author of Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Air Power "Brian Laslie has filled a huge gap in the historiography of the air war in the Pacific during WWII. By focusing on the experiences and careers of the men assigned to Carrier Air Group 11, Laslie provides new insights into how one highly qualified group of naval aviators trained, lived, and fought.

Aviation enthusiasts will find it a compelling read."-- Thomas Wildenberg, author of Destined for Glory: Dive Bombing, Midway, and the Evolution of Carrier Airpower and The Origins of Aegis "Unit histories are popular with readers of military subjects, and this one nicely fills a niche in the story of U.S naval aviation in World War II. Carrier Air Group 11, formed in 1943, deployed to the war on board USS Hornet (CV 12) with squadrons VB-11, VF-11 (the famous "Sundowners"), VT-11, and -- for a short time -- VS-11. The air group fought in campaigns in the Solomons, Central Pacific, Philippines, French Indochina and Okinawa, accruing 103 aerial victories, destroying 142 aircraft on the ground and sinking more than 100,000 tons of shipping. VF-11 ended the war with four aces and lost no bombers under its protection to Japanese aircraft. The author used interviews of group veterans to produce a comprehensive account, supplemented by rosters of the personnel, including the 103 who were lost."-- Sea Power.