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Summary: My father's untold stories
Review: Although fictionalized,Sam Halpern's book is a vivid account of what it must have been like to be a member of a B-17 bomber crew in 1943-44. The characters and their experiences seem very true to life. As the story unfolds one finds oneself altering opinions about various players in this extraordinary drama of bravery, fear, anger, craziness, cynicism, and fatalism. Most compelling is the main character's evolution as he seeks a way to deal with the randomness of death, the loss of close buddies, and his own survival. My father was a B-17 bomber pilot stationed at Bassingbourn during the same time period of the book and about the same age as Halpern's main character, although he stayed on to fly 52 missions and survive. He rarely talked about his war-time experiences, and after reading Halpern's book I can see why he would choose not to share such memories with his daughters. I recommend this book highly and thank its author for reminding us of the grueling constancy and extraordinary heroism of those brave young men whose wings signalled glamor, but whose experiences brought them daily terror.
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Summary: Thanks for telling it like it was
Review: Sam Halpert vividly describes the sheer terror faced by B-17 bomber crews flying over Germany during World War II. Indeed, dodging flak bursts and German fighter planes was only part of the horror. Flying in formations so tight that any given bomber was likely to crash and burn in each mission was another part. Mr. Halpert's striking account of such terror scared even me.Mr. Halpert also does a wonderful job of putting into words the thoughts and feelings of those who flew the missions. From the early morning wake-up calls, to crazy off-base antics, few books or movies have allowed me such an intimate glimpse of the life of a World War II soldier. One such book that I recommend is "Rendezvous in the Coral Sea," by Randolph Chitwood. And so I say thanks to Mr. Halpert for writing this story. Thanks for your sacrifice and for telling it like it was. And thanks to the men who didn't make it back.
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Summary: Thanks for telling it like it was
Review: Sam Halpert vividly describes the sheer terror faced by B-17 bomber crews flying over Germany during World War II. Indeed, dodging flak bursts and German fighter planes was only part of the horror. Flying in formations so tight that any given bomber was likely to crash and burn in each mission was another part. Mr. Halpert's striking account of such terror scared even me. Mr. Halpert also does a wonderful job of putting into words the thoughts and feelings of those who flew the missions. From the early morning wake-up calls, to crazy off-base antics, few books or movies have allowed me such an intimate glimpse of the life of a World War II soldier. One such book that I recommend is "Rendezvous in the Coral Sea," by Randolph Chitwood. And so I say thanks to Mr. Halpert for writing this story. Thanks for your sacrifice and for telling it like it was. And thanks to the men who didn't make it back.
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Summary: How did they get up and fly again?
Review: That's the question in my mind when I read this book. The descriptions of what it was like to fly B-17 combat missions will leave you wondering how they got up the next day and did it again. Thank God, guys like in this book, did. A great read grab this book today.
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Summary: A great read, great history
Review: This is not an easy book to put down! If you think you know a thing or two about the WWII allied air campaign, this book will take you there. Sam fleshes out the experience of being navigator aboard a B-17 bomber through 35 missions into enemy territory, with vivid descriptions of everything from the precarious logistics of assembling hundreds of bombers into tight formation, to the paralyzing, palpable fear brought on by German flack and Focke-Wulfs at 25000 ft, to the hi-jinks and motley characters that make up life on the ground. packed with episodes that are by turn hair-raising, humorous, and often too strange for fiction, this is an altogether great read.
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Summary: A great read, great history
Review: This is not an easy book to put down! If you think you know a thing or two about the WWII allied air campaign, this book will take you there. Sam fleshes out the experience of being navigator aboard a B-17 bomber through 35 missions into enemy territory, with vivid descriptions of everything from the precarious logistics of assembling hundreds of bombers into tight formation, to the paralyzing, palpable fear brought on by German flack and Focke-Wulfs at 25000 ft, to the hi-jinks and motley characters that make up life on the ground. packed with episodes that are by turn hair-raising, humorous, and often too strange for fiction, this is an altogether great read.
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Summary: A real good book
Review: This is one of the best WWII aviation books I have ever read. It focuses not only on the specifics of the missions, but gets deeply involved in the psycology of this navigator. Besides finishing it in two or three sittings (a record for myself), it is the first book that really scared me by revealing the true horrors of WWII aviation.
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Summary: Can't stop thinking about it!!!
Review: What an amazing account of a day in the life of a WWII B-17 soldier. The details are what make this book great. You really feel what the soldiers feel. It not only covers the missions but the day to day life and thought processes of the soldier. A truly amazing book!!! Can't wait for the movie :-)
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