Rating: 
Summary: A Doutful Representation of B-24 Combat in WWII
Review: With due respect to the author(s), this book is a mediocre representation of the WWII Air War. To the generations that are curious about that Air War, this might be worth reading. But for those who were in the 8th AF, this book isn't worth the time. I was a ROG in a B-24 crew in the 8th Air Force. I found this book contradicts itself as well as my experiences in 15 missions over Nazi occupied Europe -- 2 missions over Berlin and one over Bordeaux about a week after the war ended.
We never flew combat with a bombadier. We took turns toggling the bombs, taking cue from the lead plane and using our outstretched leg to sight over our toes to where our bombs would hit. It was eerie to see the devastation the bombs wrought. In one chapter, this book claims that the B-24 had no enclosed plexiglass waist windows, and another chapter tells B-24s did indeed have enclosed windows. I never saw a B-24 without them. We flew combat missions every 3rd day, weather permitting, and we flew a few of the missions along with the 9th AF that were recorded in the book and experienced none of the extreme flak mentioned and only rare encounters with Me-262 jet fighters. Never on our combat missions was it necessary to open and close the bomb bay doors to keep them from freezing shut. Although the 8th AF formation flew well above the 9th's, our electric-heated union suits kept us comfortable in sub-zero temperatures. It's difficult for me to believe that the airmen in the book flew missions as frequently as recorded, almost day after day in freezing discomfort. I could sight a number more misrepresentations, but they may be due to the fact that when WWII airmen talk about the war, often their memories tend to stretch the truth. It's easier to recall the good and the bad rather than the boring times, and most days and missions were indeed boring. No doubt the 9th did not live in conditions as good as the 8th AF in England, where we spoke the same language and had decent food and quarters and the Brits treated us royally. Perhaps our B-24 crew was the last to leave Europe for home. We flew out in 2 old warbirds but had to turn back each time. In late July, 1945, we returned in a B-24J, a new one, never flown in combat, with the radio compartment over the bomb bays. This war bird was so cozy, I almost re-enlisted, almost, that is. Overall, I judge Senator McGovern would have been better served if this had been published as a magazine article rather than a so-so book which is badly edited. I'm disappointed in Ambrose as a historian in this shabby case.
Rating: 
Summary: Good subject - Bad writing . . .
Review: I was mightily disappointed in the quality of writing of this book. Is Ambrose one of our greatest historians? Or did he even write this book himself? It reads like a Junior High report. Every time an interesting idea is mentioned, it is left dangling and subsequently ruined by a quick left turn into a semi-related factoid. The only inference one can make is that the book became an ill-conceived training exercise for the author's son Hugh (mentioned in the introduction).
Rating:
Summary: Misleading title and subject
Review: As the son of a former 8th Air Force B24 pilot, I looked forward to reading Ambrose's treatment, but I was very disappointed. The dust cover promises that it is the story of "the men and boys who flew B24s", but more truthfully, it should have been described as George McGovern's wartime memoirs. McGovern entered the war shortly before DDay, and flew most of his missions after the Luftwaffe had been neutralized, so his story is atypical. One reason my father preferred the Liberator to the Flying Fortress -he flew both in combat- was never fully examined by Ambrose. While the Fort was capable of sustaining greater damage, the Liberator could out-dive just about everything the Luftwaffe put up, so when it was time to "get the hell out of there" the Liberator avoided battle damage rather than absorbing it. This book is clearly Ambrose's attempt to capitalize on his recent notoriety with the "Band of Brothers" miniseries on HBO--my advice is skip it, there are a lot better books on the subject out there.
Rating: 
Summary: Ignore the Naysayers--"Wild Blue" is a Worthy Read
Review: I will not echo the sentiments of many reviewers expressed on Amazon.com that this book is a poor effort and not worth reading. "Wild Blue" is a good book, very much worth a read. Stephen Ambrose is one of the best popular historians in the United States today, and has rightly earned his accolades with such outstanding works as "Undaunted Courage", "Citizen Soldiers" and "D-Day". He has a dedicated staff to help with research and he tells stories that deserve to be told. I would concede that the book is a notch below some of his earlier works. However, I will gladly read an Ambrose book that is a notch or two below the classic "Undaunted Courage", because Ambrose is a man who can write clearly and with the human touch, a writer with a passion for history, and who believes in honoring the sacrifices of our rapidly disappearing "Greatest Generation". I have read extensively about the air war over Europe, am currently working on my own book about it, and I can attest to the fact that Ambrose conveys well the overall experience of being a bomber crew member in B-24's (or for that matter, B-17's) in the European theater. I have always admired the way Ambrose can say, in a few well-chosen words, what most historians try to say in a long paragraph. His writing is succinct and cuts straight to the heart of the material. The respect and love he feels for the veterans of World War II is obvious in the way he lets the human qualities of his characters become part of the story. In this book, Ambrose has focused on the B-24 crews of the 15th Air Force, based in Italy. The 15th never received the recognition given to the Eighth Air Force. The Eighth was home to some of the more glamorous aviators of the war such as Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable. Because it was in England, it was more accessable to the media. For these reasons, according to Ambrose, it received the lion's share of the attention. Most of the planes of the 8th were the legendary B-17 'Flying Fortresses', while the 15th flew the 'Flying Shoebox', the B-24. He has focused on the crew of George McGovern from South Dakota, who at the time had just undergone a wartime transformation from young college student to young, married bomber pilot. Of course, McGovern would go on to have a distinguished career as a U.S. Senator from South Dakota and to run for President in 1972 against Richard Nixon. Much maligned for his pacifism in the Vietnam era, McGovern was himself a decorated veteran of 35 missions, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, and much respected by the men who flew with him. This is what makes this study of McGovern the warrior so fascinating. I was hoping as I read the book to find some intimation of how his war experiences influenced McGovern's personal and political philosophies. I was disappointed in this regard, for the question is never posed. One is given glimpses, such as McGovern's anguish over having bombed an Austrian farmhouse the very day his own first child is born, but the thread is not pursued. I found "Wild Blue" to be an entertaining book and one that gives the general reader an excellent feel for the conditions faced by the men who flew the heavy bombers. Ambrose captures the feelings of dread, anticipation, elation, and sheer horror shared by most flight crews. He also delves into the dynamics that bonded the eight to ten men who flew together into a close-knit brotherhood. These men might well be from all walks of life, from places as different as New York City or South Dakota, with widely varying backgrounds and aspirations. The men of each crew would never have met or become close in normal circumstances, but thrust together by fate and neccesity, the crews bonded for life. Many still consider the men on their crews to be their closest friends on earth fifty years later. I have found this to be absolutely true in my own research and Ambrose conveys it brilliantly. I recommend "Wild Blue" to anyone who wants to learn about the air combat experience in World War II and who enjoys the way Ambrose takes major turning points in the war and gives it a human face. It is also an interesting look into one particular flight crew, McGovern's. The vignettes taken from interviews with other 15th Air Force vets are interesting and show the reader that McGovern's crew's experiences were not always the norm and yet not too terribly different that most other crews. For those interested in reading more nonfiction about the bomber crew experience in World War II, I would recommend books by Roger Freeman or Ian Hawkins. There are also some excellent fictional accounts of the air war, written by veterans. One of these is "Serenade to the Big Bird" by Bert Stiles. Another is "Twelve O'Clock High". For those who are willing to go to the author's website... there is "Petals of Fire" an epic novel of the air war written by a former B-17 pilot and POW, Herb Alf, that certainly deserves the audience attracted by "Wild Blue". For movie buffs, there is only one great movie of the air war, and that is "Twelve O'Clock High". I applaud Dr. Ambrose for giving the limelight to the men who risked their lives in the cold skies over Europe. It is long overdue. But don't stop with "Wild Blue". Read more, learn more. It is a fascinating tale.
Rating: 
Summary: The WIld Blue
Review: Stephen Ambrose does another great book with this book, expertly telling the story of a squadron of B-24 pilots. While the book principally revolves around the wartime expereinces of George McGovern, the book does give a lot of information about B-24 pilots based in Italy during the latter part of World War II. If you enjoy the first-person, experiences style writing of Ambrose, you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for a title that gives lots of details about the strategic movements of the war, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: not great
Review: This book certainly reads well, however, at times it seems too quickly thrown together. Certain parts seem unnecessary. Often times it jumps around without saying anything. This said, it does provide a nice look into the life of a bomber pilot in WWII. However, if you want a great book on the subject, there is no better than Thomas Childers' Wings of Mourning.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: I feel mislead. Steve Ambrose may have "done one" for his friend George McGoven but in the act he lost a loyal reader. I will never again buy an Ambrose book simply because he is the author. This does not begin to do the subject justice. It's as though he threw it together from a few notes and a couple of phone interviews.
Rating:
Summary: A quick read about one B24 pilot and crew
Review: I have read all of Ambrose's books and read this one in 2 afternoons. I had noticed some of the reviews and was not planning on this book being based around the plane. Rather it is about one pilot (George McGovern) and his crew. It was well done, many detailed accounts of what it was like for these boys and men. I am a pilot and found the flying accounts very interesting, however for someone interested solely in air combat this book may not fill the bill.
Rating:
Summary: Not Ambrose's best, but still very informative
Review: I love Ambrose's work, and I especially love Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers. I read Wild Blue right after Band of Brothers and must say that I was a little disappointed in Wild Blue. I did not feel the kind of emotional bond with the "characters" in Wild Blue that I did with those in Band of Brothers. Despite that, I would still recommend reading the book. The book is a slow starter, but it picks up as soon as the crew moves to Europe - at which point the book is a serious page-turner. I found it very informative and the stories/personal-accounts very compelling. The ending in particular was the most human element of the book and I enjoyed it very much. Bottom Line: If you are interested in McGovern, the Air War in Europe then read this... if you need to choose betweem BoB and Wild Blue - choose Band of Brothers!
Rating:
Summary: poorly written and proofread
Review: I was not an english major but the number of fragmented sentences is unbelieveable.Also when McGovern leaves college in South Dakota for the airforce, it is written that the college president and a large number of the student went to Milwaukee to see him off on a train to Minneapolis.Anyone with any sense of geography would understand you do not go from North or South Dakota through Milwaukee to get to Minneapolis.It is also a long way for the student body to travel to say goodby. Did he get Milwaukee mixed up with Sioux Falls,Fargo or Bismark?
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