Wings of Morning: The Story of the Last American Bomber Shot Down over Germany in World War II

Rating:
Summary: An exceptional book; insightful and moving...
Review: Having heard all of Dr. Childer's excellent audio courses available from the Teaching Company, I had very high expectations for this book. I was not disappointed; Wings of Morning is an exceptional book that details the war time experiences of a B-24 bomber crew from their initial induction and training, to their deployment to England as part of the 8th Air Force, through their fateful final mission in the closing days of Word War II. A final mission, incidentally, that the reader can not help but conclude should have never been flown.

Based on hundreds of crewmember letters home, Wings of Morning provides insights that go far beyond the usual combat narrative. The combat experience is here to be sure, but so is the training, off-duty hours, weekend leaves, camaraderie, devotion to duty, exhilaration, boredom, bravery, fear, hope for the future, and the families back home. This book, more than any I've ever read, gave me an appreciation for the near constant tension that these men must have felt. I repeatedly found myself asking what I would have done in similar situations and realizing anew why those who fought World War II are rightly called the "Greatest Generation".

Wings of Morning does not end with the loss of a B-24 crew over Regensburg, Germany, in April of 1945 nor with the War Department notifications to the families waiting at home. Professor Childer's uncle was a crew member on that tragic flight and the final chapters of this extraordinary book detail his quest to reconstruct the final mission of a B-24 known as the Black Cat.

I've read and own many good books about World War II but none has had the impact of Wings of Morning. Thank you, Dr. Childers, for this insightful and thought provoking work...

Rating:
Summary: An exceptional book; insightful and moving...
Review: Having heard all of Dr. Childer's excellent audio courses available from the Teaching Company, I had very high expectations for this book. I was not disappointed; Wings of Morning is an exceptional book that details the war time experiences of a B-24 bomber crew from their initial induction and training, to their deployment to England as part of the 8th Air Force, through their fateful final mission in the closing days of Word War II. A final mission, incidentally, that the reader can not help but conclude should have never been flown.

Based on hundreds of crewmember letters home, Wings of Morning provides insights that go far beyond the usual combat narrative. The combat experience is here to be sure, but so is the training, off-duty hours, weekend leaves, camaraderie, devotion to duty, exhilaration, boredom, bravery, fear, hope for the future, and the families back home. This book, more than any I've ever read, gave me an appreciation for the near constant tension that these men must have felt. I repeatedly found myself asking what I would have done in similar situations and realizing anew why those who fought World War II are rightly called the "Greatest Generation".

Wings of Morning does not end with the loss of a B-24 crew over Regensburg, Germany, in April of 1945 nor with the War Department notifications to the families waiting at home. Professor Childer's uncle was a crew member on that tragic flight and the final chapters of this extraordinary book detail his quest to reconstruct the final mission of a B-24 known as the Black Cat.

I've read and own many good books about World War II but none has had the impact of Wings of Morning. Thank you, Dr. Childers, for this insightful and thought provoking work...

Rating:
Summary: A very worthy tribute and a fine story
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The book was exciting to read from several points of view. First, one could understand Mr. Childer's heartfelt dedication to getting the story right. One could see his care and concern for all the families of the bomber crew. The story was told in such an amazing way that I could not put the book down. Laying the personal involvement aside, one could also enjoy the book from an historical perspective. Mr. Childers does such a great job of showing the trials, tribulations, and successes of a bomber crew. There was such heart and history in this book that I literally felt that I was there with the crew of the Black Cat and that these men were my family. Very Well done. I will share this story with my class. Also, if you loved this book, order Mr. Childers class on the military and social history of WWII. You can get it through a company called The Teaching Company. I highly recommend the book and the class.

Rating:
Summary: Mourning the Loss - Wings of Morning
Review: I would conservatively estimate that I have read 500 books on WWII, and this would rate in the top three. I cannot recall a book that more completely gripped me from start to finish. Childers' unique "first person" story telling breathes life into young men that have long passed from this world. Through dialogue that seems very easy to accept as real, he makes us love and respect these true American heroes, and then causes us to feel the loss (albeit a minute fraction) that their families and friends felt almost sixty years ago. I cannot recommend a book more highly, even if you are not a WWII scholar. If you are, it is a MUST read.

Rating:
Summary: Wings of Morning
Review: I'm obviously sticking my neck way out on this one because I am only halfway through the book! My father served with the 8th Air Force, so I've read many books on the subject; this is one of the best accounts--if not the best I've found.
If my opinion changes by the end of the book, I will edit the review, but so far, "Wings of Morning" is an excellent read!

Rating:
Summary: Poetically-Told True Story about a Bomber Crew
Review: In "Wings of Morning", author Thomas Childers writes a poignant account of his uncle's B-24 bomber crew's experiences in WWII in the air war over Europe. He traces their coming together as a crew, develops all the crewmen's personalities until the reader feels he or she knows each one, and then follows them on their final tragic mission. He then goes on to investigate the deaths of some of the crewmembers, to find out how they died. This gives the latter part of the book almost a mystery quality, and is well done. The irony and tragedy of this particular crew is that it was the last crew to be lost in the War, going down shortly before it was all over and they could have gone home. This book is very similar to the also-excellent "Goodbye Liberty Belle". If you enjoy this one you will enjoy that one as well. I highly recommend both.

Rating:
Summary: What it must of been like....
Review: The writing style of this author is as vivid as any. He reconstructs the life of not only his uncle Howard but also of the crewman of "The Black Cat". You will feel intimately close to all these men, and it can leave you with a sinking feeling as you know of the fate of this aircraft. This is not a Hollywood ending, nor is it exceptionally sad, it is just the realities of WWII, told in a frank and descriptive style that will allow the reader to fully grasp the camaraderie and cohesion that goes on among the crew of a B-24. Even this is not without difficulty as one crewmember becomes increasingly withdrawn and violent, eventually leading to his removal from the crew. A searing and unforgettable book that will allow you into world of a bomber crew based in England. This book goes far beyond the scope of just bombing missions over Germany, but explores the childhoods and recreation time of these soldiers before their fateful mission.

I sent this book to a pilot of 35 missions over Germany in WWII, and he told me via E-mail that the writing was great and the research excellent. From the voice of experience. A wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: Duty Calls
Review: This book is evidence of an America that will possibility never be again. An America where new immigrants and immigrants with a hundred years to their credit stood together in a life and death struggle. Where men from all sides of the track faced down the wickedness of a world gone.

This great book is a view of heroes who never expected to be and even today will not accept that designation -the only true character of a real hero.

Wings of Morning: The Story of the Last American Bomber Shot Down over Germany in World War II is one of the best-researched WWII stories to ever see print. But, what other than this could we expect from a historian of Dr. Childer's caliber? Well we did get more; much more, we were provided the opportunity to perceive a boy's love for an uncle he had never met and that is what puts heart into these pages. A warning here: on your reading your eyes may tear... but fear not the tears for there is no better eyewash.

There is not much more I can say without giving away the book, and I would never do that. What I will say is read Wings of Morning and you will soon be plunked down on the hardstand in the English countryside watching as Howard and his bothers-in-arms enter the Black Cat, looking back one last time as if to say "duty calls... see you later"...
[...]

Rating:
Summary: wings of morning
Review: This book was actually given to me by a navigator who flew with the 8th air force in WW II. I have read many of the historical works of that period, but this is in my opinion the best. It is an extremely well chronicled, emotionally gut wrenching account of the lives, relationships, and ultimate deaths of some extroadinary men. I am amazed that this book has not received more publicity.It should be included on any book group's list as well as the syllabus of any history course dealing with the war

Rating:
Summary: A book about reconciliation
Review: This is an extraordinary book about an American airman and about Germany 50 years later. My mother in law is native German and was a young woman during the war. I shared the book with her. It has had a healing effect, I believe, because it brings home the universality of our humanity, the tragedy of losing a single life, and the awesome toll of tragedy in war time that is beyond comprehension. Childers manages to bring this tragedy home, but also is able to make this tragedy a universal story of redemption, in the end. More than about airplanes and flyers. Much more.