Flying Low: And Shot Down Twice During World War II in a Spotter Plane

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Summary: Flying Low
Review: Flying Low is a warm, personal account of the experiences of a young pilot from Texas who survived being shot down twice in his light aircraft while spotting for his artillery unit. Gordon mixes memories of his days in Europe toward the end of the war with glimpses from his youth, onto his flight training in the Army Air Corp and then the eventual assignment that almost cost him his life - twice.

I would highly recommend Flying Low to anyone interested in learning about some of the quiet, unheralded heroes of WW II. Can you imagine slowly drifting 1000 feet above a battlefield with artllery shells, anti-aircraft and small arms fire zipping past you? Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, just you, a pair of binoculars, a radio and a small plane with no protection.

Gordon tells his story - not from the point of being a brave pilot - but as someone who knew his duty and did it with honor and integrity. A great read - you won't be disappointed.

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Summary: Flying Low - January 2003
Review: Flying Low would generally be considered a man's book - and it is. However, Joseph Furbee Gordon's account of his days as an artillery spotter pilot is much more - it's a book for men, women, anyone who wants to learn more about the World War II era. Gordon's narrative gives one a sense of "being along for the ride." Although more than half a century has passed, his words manage to capture the elusive spirit of youth. Flying Low tells how it was for one young warrior during WW II, and reminds us how very young are the ones who defend us today. Read Flying Low - you'll be glad you did!

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Summary: another good yarn for Grasshopper buffs
Review: I liked this book, though if I were to buy only one Grasshopper memoir it would be Schultz's "Janey" from the same publisher, or Don Moore's self-published paperback, "Low and Slow". -- Dan Ford

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Summary: Flying Low: and shot down twice
Review: This is a straight-forward narrative by a young college boy from Louisiana, telling a gripping tale of flying the smallest airplane in the U. S. Army into the battle for Europe, flying over the battle as an artillery forward observer in WW II.
This frank memoir takes you all the way through training to fly right over the front lines, in fact so close that he was shot down twice.
Follow this seldom told story of how these few brave pilots in unarmed spotter planes helped win the war. It's time well spent.