Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer

Rating:
Summary: An engrossing, informative work on the subject
Review: This is one of the most informative books on the Eigth Air Force's role in WWII. The author's research for this book is made into a tight book with the addition of the comments and diary entries from the men that where there. It's hard for me to understand what these men(boys really) went through during this time frame. To face the odds that they faced and to do it time and again is a true sign of the courage that was shown during WWII. I was thoroughly engrossed in the action and I could feel the rumbling of the 4 engines as I read along. This is a must read for anyone interested in history particularly World War II and aviation history.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but...
Review: Very detailed report of the Air War in Europe. However, I missed
the certain information in details. It would have been most interesting to see the following data: on American side: claimed kills and the real losses in German records. And the same figures on German side. Now the author seems to accept the US claims as valid kills and it seems to be that on both sides the claims have been vastly exaggerated. The granted kills have always been (not on purpose) higher compared to facts. This happened frequently with B-17s since there were hundreds of gunners in the combat box shooting the same fighters. The author could have checked all those figures. Impossible? Not at all. Take a look at the remarkable novel "JG26" by Donald L. Caldwell. He has done his homework and the results are a bit of shock... on both sides of course, but interesting to reader.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic.
Review: Whether this is your introduction to daylight bomber operations over Europe, or you've read hundreds of accounts, Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer will not disappoint. What really sets this book apart from a typical account, is that O'Neill has managed to get the entire crew's recollections mission by mission. Each individual's perspective is different, and taken as a whole provides a remarkably complete picture of life on a B-17 crew during the most intense period of air combat in the ETO. You will be hard pressed to find a better book on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic.
Review: Whether this is your introduction to daylight bomber operations over Europe, or you've read hundreds of accounts, Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer will not disappoint. What really sets this book apart from a typical account, is that O'Neill has managed to get the entire crew's recollections mission by mission. Each individual's perspective is different, and taken as a whole provides a remarkably complete picture of life on a B-17 crew during the most intense period of air combat in the ETO. You will be hard pressed to find a better book on the subject.