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Summary: Personal stories of terror at 12,000 feet
Review: A first-hand look at the war, from a warrior who saw a lot. At times a slow read due to diary tone of the work, "Wing" leaves a vivid impression of the details and daily turmoil of daylight bombing. So many things could go wrong, and that was before there was long-range fighter protection. Just surviving the trip to the target could be a miracle.Discipline and training matter. Commitment to the cause matters more. Courage helps, but it's not enough. This book understands the small, human parts that go into a large, heroic effort.
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Summary: You'll enjoy this...
Review: A great read! I you have an interest in WWII European aviation, this is a must. Most chapters are about individual missions of the 303rd bomb group. Covers the 1943 Stuttgart and Schweinfurt raids in detail. Enjoy.
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Summary: A must read for every American!
Review: A must read for EVERY american, in my humble opinion of course. Too much of history reading is about numbers and facts. This book takes you into the fears and details the sacrifice that a generation made for the future (Us!). This book is AWESOME and a must for anyone interested in WW2 aviation. Great history, illustrations, but the personal narratives of battles are riviting. Buy it now!
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Summary: The Most Informative Book Ive Read On This Subject.
Review: I have read about 6 books from Amazon on B-17's over Europe to date and this book is easily the most detailed. While reading this book I couldn't help but to be amazed by the amount of reasearch that went into the books writing. This is not to say, however, that this book is only factual and not emotional. While it is full of statistics, documents, and photos, one cannot help but to create an emotional bond with the crews who share their experieces, both from personal interviews, and from actual diaries kept during the events. This book is also a wonderful source of follow up information with its other publishings, and web sites listings in the back. If you are looking for a factual, educational, as well as emotional read, this book is for you. Again I say to all those who actually fought and flew, thank you! We can never even begin to understnad your sacrifices; yet every day we live what you gave us. Freedom!
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Summary: An Untold Story
Review: I want to publicly thank Brian O'Neill for the time he took in developing the "Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer". For my father, Sgt Edward Ruppel (my he rest in peace) this was very difficult for him to talk about the war. Over the years he would talk to me from time to time about some of the things that happened, but as a rule he wouldn't say very much about the war. Brian was able to get alot of the stories to print. I remember something my dad said to Brian," your asking me to bring back memories that has taken me almost 40 years of my life to forget" Maybe the true inner stories can never be told, but Brian you have shown at least the what really happened. May he truely rest in pease now that his story has been told.
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Summary: Understandable, Educational, Inspirational and Readable!
Review: In 1972, at the age of ten, I was first exposed to historic World War 2 aircraft in flight. In that moment, a lifelong fascination with the history represented by these planes was born. There were many planes present that day, bombers, fighters, transports and trainers; but for me, none of them captured my attention or my imagination like the majestic B-17 Flying Fortress. Since then, I have read books, watched movies and documentaries, spoken with veterans of the World War 2 air forces, walked through and even flown in a B-17. It's been almost like a desperate search to find some kind of comprehension or understanding of the magnitude of the commitment, dedication and sacrifice made by the men who fought in this unique theater of operations. Even though I know I can never truly relate to the experiences of these heroes, I keep trying. Half A Wing, Three Engines And A Prayer by Brian D. O'Neill, is an amazing book. Through apparently exhaustive research and cross-referencing of records, and veteran recollections, Mr. O'Neill has given us an experience of actually flying daylight bombing raids over Europe that is unparalleled in depth and in its' multi-dimensional nature, conveying the spatial relationships of activity within the bomber combat formations. While following one particular crew through a 25 mission (late '43-early '44) tour, with the 303rd Bomb Group, "Hell's Angels", he visits other crews, corroborating combat events from differing points of view in the bomber formation. While one man, in one plane, in one position in the formation might've been looking up and to his left, when he saw a particular bomber explode in the midst of a formation; the same explosion was seen by a tail-gunner in another plane, looking down and right. Yet another airman, a co-pilot, watched the same plane disappear in a blinding explosion right off his right wing. With this type of spatial cross-referencing and "story-triangulation", the complex flight formations suddenly become three-dimensional. Fully-fleshed out and given personality in the non-flying moments of the book, the pilots, crews and even the individual aircraft, are then glimpsed, from all sides, as they go about their grim task. I have spent the majority of my life, reading books on this one subject. I have, long since, had an organizational understanding of how "elements" are comprised of planes, "squadrons" are comprised of elements, "groups" are comprised of squadrons, "wings" are comprised of groups, and so on. For the first time, a book has given me some physical understanding of the movement of these huge numbers of combat aircraft through the European skies; as well as numerous harrowing, hair-raising, tragic and sometimes even humorous tales of the men manning those planes. From take-off, and assembly, over the IP (Initial Point) and target and through the agonizing, clock-dragging return home, this is one of the very best books ever written on this subject. Buy it.
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Summary: Personal Connection
Review: My grandfather, Colonel Ford J. Lauer, established the 303rd Bomb Group and served as its first commanding officer in 1942. He did not deploy overseas with the group however, rather he was transfered to establish another group. I have read countless histories of the air war and this is one of the best. It is impossible to publish too much about the sacrifices and valor of the men who fought in the skies of World War II. Those men flew before the cockpit was a video game. Colonel Lauer deployed overseas in March of 1943 with the 15th Air Force. He commanded the 99th Bomb Group throughout 1944. Colonel Lauer was one of the pioneer B-17 pilots at Langly Field in the late '30s.
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Summary: Excellent history of ETO aviation
Review: O'Neill has provided an excellent history of B-17 operations in the European Theatre of Operations during WWII. Admittedly, this books is a bit dry in the beginning, and many times I thought that the missions all sounded the same. But slowly, the book gripped me and I was soon caught up in the danger and courage the crews experienced. Detailed oral accounts from the actual combatants is what makes this book enjoyable. If you are looking for a book to give you a feel for what B-17 crews went through during WWII, this is it!
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Summary: Excellent history of ETO aviation
Review: O'Neill has provided an excellent history of B-17 operations in the European Theatre of Operations during WWII. Admittedly, this books is a bit dry in the beginning, and many times I thought that the missions all sounded the same. But slowly, the book gripped me and I was soon caught up in the danger and courage the crews experienced. Detailed oral accounts from the actual combatants is what makes this book enjoyable. If you are looking for a book to give you a feel for what B-17 crews went through during WWII, this is it!
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Summary: Great insight, if a little confusing.
Review: The author has done a great job of making us feel as if the reader is also in the freezing air over europe with these brave men. However the start of each chapter begins with a confusing array of sqaudron numbers and aircraft.
Although they provide the facts behind the stories of each mission, it is hard to feel a relation between them and the real people who fought and died on those planes. The personal stories of the suvivors and the incredible bravery of those who did not return makes up for this small problem.
The Photographs and artwork throughout provide faces to go with the names of the airmen. A very hard to put down book once you start a chapter (mission) with a crew. Sometimes as clinical and cold as a reference book, other times humorous, sad or frightening as any work of fiction.
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