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Wild Blue: 741 Squadron: On A Wing And A Prayer Over Occupied Europe
In the bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, Stephen E. Ambrose portrayed in vivid detail the experiences of soldiers who fought on the bloody battlegrounds of World War II. THE WILD BLUE brings to life another extraordinary band of brothers - the men who volunteered to join the American Air Force and undertook some of the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. Focusing on the men of the 741st Bomb Squadron and, in particular, the crew of the DAKOTA QUEEN, these are the boys turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators and gunners of the B24s, who suffered 50 per cent casualties during conflict. With his extraordinary talent for bringing alive the action and tension of combat, Ambrose sweeps us along in the B24s as their crews fought to the death to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
567 people are currently reading
6446 people want to read
About the author
Stephen E. Ambrose
136 books2,398 followersStephen Edward Ambrose was an American historian and biographer of U.S. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon. He received his Ph.D. in 1960 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his final years he faced charges of plagiarism for his books, with subsequent concerns about his research emerging after his death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
July 16, 2015
Slow down with that zipping and zooming about, whipper-snapper! This is a far tamer tale. Like the planes Stephen E. Ambrose is describing herein, his prose plods along at a steady, satisfying pace. These are not jet fighters, these are workhorses carrying out a task.
The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 is just as much the story of George McGovern as it is of the pilots and crews of those famous World War II bombers. McGovern is most famously known as the Democratic candidate who lost to Nixon in the 1972 election, the year the Democratic National Headquarters was raided by Republican operatives in the dead of night during a little incident you may have heard of called Watergate. Prior to that, he piloted one of these finicky, taxing aerial beasts.
Ambrose wisely uses McGovern's wartime experience as a template and as the narrative thread for his treatise on the B-24, infusing a dull, non-fiction text with a human element, a technique in vogue with popular, modern day historians. The people like a good story. McGovern's life is perfectly entertaining in this context, but Ambrose heightens his book's readability by adding in the stories of other pilots and those of McGovern's flight crew. All of which turns a book about a plane into something much more humanistic. The reader can't help but develop an attachment to these courageous men.
The Wild Blue is a solid niche book for those familiar with WWII, but who want to have a deeper understanding of this specific facet of the war.
The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 is just as much the story of George McGovern as it is of the pilots and crews of those famous World War II bombers. McGovern is most famously known as the Democratic candidate who lost to Nixon in the 1972 election, the year the Democratic National Headquarters was raided by Republican operatives in the dead of night during a little incident you may have heard of called Watergate. Prior to that, he piloted one of these finicky, taxing aerial beasts.
Ambrose wisely uses McGovern's wartime experience as a template and as the narrative thread for his treatise on the B-24, infusing a dull, non-fiction text with a human element, a technique in vogue with popular, modern day historians. The people like a good story. McGovern's life is perfectly entertaining in this context, but Ambrose heightens his book's readability by adding in the stories of other pilots and those of McGovern's flight crew. All of which turns a book about a plane into something much more humanistic. The reader can't help but develop an attachment to these courageous men.
The Wild Blue is a solid niche book for those familiar with WWII, but who want to have a deeper understanding of this specific facet of the war.
March 4, 2022
Before I begin, it is important for everyone to know that I am a retired USAF Lt Col. So,. This was the story of those who came before me in air power.
It was written in an extremely personal fashion, giving behind the scenes information about our heroes. Sharing the terror of flying through flack; giving parts of their rations to the exceptionally poor Italian civilians and the pain of losing a mate were all part of the story.
May God continue to bless the remaining heroes from WWII.
It was written in an extremely personal fashion, giving behind the scenes information about our heroes. Sharing the terror of flying through flack; giving parts of their rations to the exceptionally poor Italian civilians and the pain of losing a mate were all part of the story.
May God continue to bless the remaining heroes from WWII.
May 12, 2012
From the back cover I thought I would be getting the story of the 741 Squadron and, in particular, the crew of the Dakota Queen. What you actually get is the story of George McGovern from early days through his training and onto the end of the Second World War. Very little time is spent with any of the other crewmen or the wider 741 Squadron. This is very much the war as experienced by McGovern and the reader joins the squadron when McGovern does in September 1944, at the tail end of the war. If you skip the author’s note, as I did, then it’s a long way into the book before we discover why the focus is on McGovern. It turns out that he ran for President in 1972 on the Democrat ticket losing in a landslide to Nixon. I was two at the time and given I live in Ireland I’m not up on my US political history. What this meant was the book was very badly imbalanced and somewhat misleading. I wanted to know the wider history of the 741 Squadron and the diverse lives and experiences of people who flew with it. What I got was McGovern and some general context. And it’s hardly non-biased stuff. As Ambrose says in the author’s note: ‘I have been a friend and supporter of George McGovern for nearly three decades’. If you want to know about McGovern’s early life then this is your book; if you want a more rounded biographical history of the air war over Europe then look elsewhere.
July 15, 2022
This is an very well documented and well-written book about being a bomber pilot during the Second World War. George McGovern's embarrassing defeat running against Nixon gets brought up a lot, but Ambrose makes it clear that while McGovern may not have been the choice for president, he was a good pilot and soldier. Also, the description of the B-24's strengths and weaknesses I personally found interesting, as the plane is one of my favorites. Overall, very well-written and worth the time.
September 30, 2010
Note that I wrote this review before the plagarism controversy. See my review of Wings Over Morning
Ambrose became a widely popular popularizer of World War II history and he has managed to churn out several in the past few years that focus on the common soldier experience. Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22 and himself a bombardier on B-24s, told Ambrose, " never had a bad officer." Ambrose was startled to hear this from the creator of Major Major Major, Colonel Cathcart, and General Dreedle, but Heller, when queried by Ambrose, simply replied they were all invention. How they became so good is part of Ambrose' story. The Army Air Corps grew from 26,000 men at the beginning of the war to 2, 400,000 by 1944. American airmen had 360 hours of flight training before entering combat compared with only 110 for the Germans. It was a hazardous business ( four planes went down during a formation flying exercise killing everyone on board, McGovern reported) as the B-24s were very difficult to fly, requiring considerable brute muscle power. Most of the men were still in their teens with only a few officers over twenty-two. Ambrose focuses on the career of George McGovern, a pilot in the 741st Bomb Squadron, based in Cerignola, Italy, who survived flying 35 missions, won several DFCs and was considered a terrific pilot by his crew. Coming from a South Dakota parsonage where airplanes were rarely seen let along flown in, McGovern had extraordinary depth perception that helped him to become such a competent pilot. The plane itself was noisy, unheated, and thin-skinned. By the time he reached Italy, German fighters were not much of a problem as the Germans were running out of fuel and P-51s, flown by the famous African-American Tuskegee squadrons, prevented German fighters from being much of a threat. Flak was another problem. Over the targets the sky would be virtually black except where the shells explosions caused red flashes. The bombers had no choice but to fly right into it, unable to shoot back, make adjustments, or react independently. On one mission, his plane returned with 160 holes, one destroyed engine, no hydraulics — consequently no flaps or brakes — and required every ounce of skill for McGovern to make a safe landing (they tied parachutes to the struts, threw them out the open waist gunner windows, and pulled the ripcords on McGovern' command to slow the plane down after touching the ground). McGovern was 22. The B-24 was manufactured by a consortium of companies that included Ford Motor and Douglas Aircraft. It was called the Liberator and was designed to drop high explosives on enemy positions well behind the front lines — and especially on Berlin. In fact, the B-24 carried a largely payload than the more well-known B-17. The Liberator earned a reputation as an difficuolt beast quite fairly, as Amborses' following description of conditions in the plane attests. "Steering the four-engined airplane was difficult and exhausting, as there was no power except the pilot's muscles. It had no windshield wipers, so the pilot had to stick his head out the side window to see during a rain...there was no heat, despite temperatures that at 20,000 feet and higher got as low as 40 or 50 degrees below zero...the seats were not padded, could not be reclined, and were cramped into so small a space that a man had almost no chance to stretch and none whatsoever to relax. Absolutely nothing was done to make it comfortable for the pilot, co-pilot, or the other eight men in the crew..."
Taking off was always an adventure as even a slight drop in one of the four engine' efficiency might cause a crash since the planes were always overloaded way beyond design capacity. The planes were dangerous places to be — only 50 percent of their crews survived to the war's end. The B-24 Liberator performed better than the B-17 Flying Fortress, but it was less ergonomic and more susceptible to battle damage. They operated out of improvised fields, usually without hangars and formal barracks, surrounded by a civilian population amid ruins and on the edge of starvation There were more B-24's built than any other US airplane and Ambrose says "it would be an exaggeration to say that the B-24 won the war for the Allies. But don't ask how they could have won the war without it."
Ambrose became a widely popular popularizer of World War II history and he has managed to churn out several in the past few years that focus on the common soldier experience. Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22 and himself a bombardier on B-24s, told Ambrose, " never had a bad officer." Ambrose was startled to hear this from the creator of Major Major Major, Colonel Cathcart, and General Dreedle, but Heller, when queried by Ambrose, simply replied they were all invention. How they became so good is part of Ambrose' story. The Army Air Corps grew from 26,000 men at the beginning of the war to 2, 400,000 by 1944. American airmen had 360 hours of flight training before entering combat compared with only 110 for the Germans. It was a hazardous business ( four planes went down during a formation flying exercise killing everyone on board, McGovern reported) as the B-24s were very difficult to fly, requiring considerable brute muscle power. Most of the men were still in their teens with only a few officers over twenty-two. Ambrose focuses on the career of George McGovern, a pilot in the 741st Bomb Squadron, based in Cerignola, Italy, who survived flying 35 missions, won several DFCs and was considered a terrific pilot by his crew. Coming from a South Dakota parsonage where airplanes were rarely seen let along flown in, McGovern had extraordinary depth perception that helped him to become such a competent pilot. The plane itself was noisy, unheated, and thin-skinned. By the time he reached Italy, German fighters were not much of a problem as the Germans were running out of fuel and P-51s, flown by the famous African-American Tuskegee squadrons, prevented German fighters from being much of a threat. Flak was another problem. Over the targets the sky would be virtually black except where the shells explosions caused red flashes. The bombers had no choice but to fly right into it, unable to shoot back, make adjustments, or react independently. On one mission, his plane returned with 160 holes, one destroyed engine, no hydraulics — consequently no flaps or brakes — and required every ounce of skill for McGovern to make a safe landing (they tied parachutes to the struts, threw them out the open waist gunner windows, and pulled the ripcords on McGovern' command to slow the plane down after touching the ground). McGovern was 22. The B-24 was manufactured by a consortium of companies that included Ford Motor and Douglas Aircraft. It was called the Liberator and was designed to drop high explosives on enemy positions well behind the front lines — and especially on Berlin. In fact, the B-24 carried a largely payload than the more well-known B-17. The Liberator earned a reputation as an difficuolt beast quite fairly, as Amborses' following description of conditions in the plane attests. "Steering the four-engined airplane was difficult and exhausting, as there was no power except the pilot's muscles. It had no windshield wipers, so the pilot had to stick his head out the side window to see during a rain...there was no heat, despite temperatures that at 20,000 feet and higher got as low as 40 or 50 degrees below zero...the seats were not padded, could not be reclined, and were cramped into so small a space that a man had almost no chance to stretch and none whatsoever to relax. Absolutely nothing was done to make it comfortable for the pilot, co-pilot, or the other eight men in the crew..."
Taking off was always an adventure as even a slight drop in one of the four engine' efficiency might cause a crash since the planes were always overloaded way beyond design capacity. The planes were dangerous places to be — only 50 percent of their crews survived to the war's end. The B-24 Liberator performed better than the B-17 Flying Fortress, but it was less ergonomic and more susceptible to battle damage. They operated out of improvised fields, usually without hangars and formal barracks, surrounded by a civilian population amid ruins and on the edge of starvation There were more B-24's built than any other US airplane and Ambrose says "it would be an exaggeration to say that the B-24 won the war for the Allies. But don't ask how they could have won the war without it."
June 4, 2016
While the title and cover would lead one to believe The Wild Blue is about B-24s, it is more a biography about George McGovern, U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate.
It was incredibly interesting to learn details about the B-24s and the conditions that the men stationed in Italy lived in during World War II. For those interested in learning more about George McGovern there was a good deal of detail about his training for and time spent as a B-24 pilot during WWII.
It was incredibly interesting to learn details about the B-24s and the conditions that the men stationed in Italy lived in during World War II. For those interested in learning more about George McGovern there was a good deal of detail about his training for and time spent as a B-24 pilot during WWII.
February 15, 2019
This is the second Ambrose's book I've read since Band of Brothers. It tells about the experiences of B-24 bomber crews in World War II; 741st Squadron, 455th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, to be exact. The stories are from the beginning, i.e. the crews’ background, their vigorous training (the high requirements resulted in many “washouts”), the first mission, until when the war’s over.
Thus, it’s quite an extensive piece that offers lots of interesting details. If you love aircrafts (and aerial warfare), you’ll consider this book as a classic.
Ambrose fulfilled my expectation as a war historian, the story just flows with such a flair that makes you feel like want to be in that plane. B-24, or Liberator, is one of the five bombers utilized by the US Army during the war. It requires nine crew members: pilot, co-pilot, navigator/bombardier, flight engineer, radio operator, gunners (nose, waist, tail and ball turret). One can only imagine how heavy and cramped that bomber was. Over 18,000 B-24s were built, more than any other US planes. But they destroyed German refineries, marshalling yards, factories, air fields, thus destroying German’s ability to make war.
The first impression I’ve got after finishing this book is that the airmen in World War II suffered less than the infantry soldiers. Yes, the plane is too cramped, they faced those devastating flaks, penetrating cold in 20,000 feet height, but still, they got to sleep in tents with real beds, not in foxholes, helplessly waiting for enemy’s shells and mortars to blast them to oblivion. The Army Air Force also applied a not-so-strict segregation between officers and enlisted men, as well as behaviors. No chickenshits (army term for jack-ass officers) in combats either; a different case with the infantry. Last but not least, as bomber crews they did not have to see the faces of enemy and civilians they killed.
My favorite part of the book is the chapter telling about the P-51 (Mustang) black fighter pilots from the 99th Fighter Squadron, or known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The US Army in World War II still practiced discrimination, but those pilots did not discriminate, as admitted by the bomber crews. The P-51 pilots are honored for their bravery, discipline and dedication in their main role to protect the bombers.
One must not forget that airplane is the most destructive tool in this war. Not only hundreds of thousands people (including civilians) were killed, but hundreds of historical buildings, residences, infrastructures were destroyed. However, one must not also forget that aerial warfare saved the Western civilization. We can only hope that the currently-used smart bombs can improve their accuracy.
Thus, it’s quite an extensive piece that offers lots of interesting details. If you love aircrafts (and aerial warfare), you’ll consider this book as a classic.
Ambrose fulfilled my expectation as a war historian, the story just flows with such a flair that makes you feel like want to be in that plane. B-24, or Liberator, is one of the five bombers utilized by the US Army during the war. It requires nine crew members: pilot, co-pilot, navigator/bombardier, flight engineer, radio operator, gunners (nose, waist, tail and ball turret). One can only imagine how heavy and cramped that bomber was. Over 18,000 B-24s were built, more than any other US planes. But they destroyed German refineries, marshalling yards, factories, air fields, thus destroying German’s ability to make war.
The first impression I’ve got after finishing this book is that the airmen in World War II suffered less than the infantry soldiers. Yes, the plane is too cramped, they faced those devastating flaks, penetrating cold in 20,000 feet height, but still, they got to sleep in tents with real beds, not in foxholes, helplessly waiting for enemy’s shells and mortars to blast them to oblivion. The Army Air Force also applied a not-so-strict segregation between officers and enlisted men, as well as behaviors. No chickenshits (army term for jack-ass officers) in combats either; a different case with the infantry. Last but not least, as bomber crews they did not have to see the faces of enemy and civilians they killed.
My favorite part of the book is the chapter telling about the P-51 (Mustang) black fighter pilots from the 99th Fighter Squadron, or known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The US Army in World War II still practiced discrimination, but those pilots did not discriminate, as admitted by the bomber crews. The P-51 pilots are honored for their bravery, discipline and dedication in their main role to protect the bombers.
One must not forget that airplane is the most destructive tool in this war. Not only hundreds of thousands people (including civilians) were killed, but hundreds of historical buildings, residences, infrastructures were destroyed. However, one must not also forget that aerial warfare saved the Western civilization. We can only hope that the currently-used smart bombs can improve their accuracy.
June 23, 2017
My father was a plane mechanic working on B-24's in the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Stephen Ambrose's The Wild Blue is probably (at least for now) the closest I can get to reading about my father's wartime experiences, even though the book focuses on the "forgotten war" the Fifteenth Air Force waged out of Italy, rather than the Eighth's operations in England that my father was a part of. In the main The Wild Blue is the story of one particular B-24 pilot, George McGovern, a personal friend of Ambrose's and the 1972 Democratic Presidential nominee. However Ambrose weaves the stories of a lot of servicemen into the tapestry of this book. Ambrose is one of my go-to authors when it comes to history. He was a dedicated researcher who knew how to write so he scores very highly on the readability scale. He neither skimps on facts not does he inundate you with them, and he is not afraid to throw in the occasional bizarre tidbit. (I now know why Cheerio's cereal is called Cheerio's, for instance.) I highly recommend anything you can find by this author-so far everything I have read by him has proven interesting and informative.
April 21, 2018
I really loved this book because my father flew as a radio operator in a B24 out of Italy...15 th Air Force, 485th Bomb Group, 830th Squadron. My oldest son had to interview him for AP English ( thank goodness!) in 1998, or I would have never heard all his stories which are very similar to this book. My son not only transcribed the interview, but put it on tape. He told him stories that he never shared with us, but was at a point that he could. He even took us to Birmingham to see the only B24 still flying. His adventures were similar to many of the stories in The Wild Blue...crash landing on the Isle of Vis...bailing out over Yugoslavia and being rescued by Tito's men, visiting the Isle of Capri, being hit by flak and almost dying because the pilot's oxygen hose was cut. He is no longer with us, but we treasure these brave stories of the Greatest Generation.
November 4, 2017
I read this book many years ago and enjoyed. This time I listened to the audiobook version.
Stephen Ambrose always told a good story and this one is just as good as any of his fine books.
The main character in the story is George McGovern who most people recognize as the South Dakota senator who ran for president against Nixon.
Whatever your politics you have to respect McGovern for the skill and dedication he brought to serving as a B-24 pilot.
Stephen Ambrose always told a good story and this one is just as good as any of his fine books.
The main character in the story is George McGovern who most people recognize as the South Dakota senator who ran for president against Nixon.
Whatever your politics you have to respect McGovern for the skill and dedication he brought to serving as a B-24 pilot.
April 7, 2025
After being on my shelf for years I finally read this, part biography of George McGovern and part story of the "men" who flew the B-24s during WWII. Sen. McGovern was one of the pilots. I said "men" because they were all 18-24 years old, not much more than boys. But they grew up fast.
McGovern's crew trust him their lives and it appears he felt the responsibility every time they went up in the air. Eisenhower apparently built in mini vacations for them as a respite from their stressful jobs and every now and again they would get a trip to Rome or the Isle of Capri for a few days, possibly up to 10 days. Time enough to decompress.
I always enjoy reading a Stephen Ambrose book. I still have a few left to go.
McGovern's crew trust him their lives and it appears he felt the responsibility every time they went up in the air. Eisenhower apparently built in mini vacations for them as a respite from their stressful jobs and every now and again they would get a trip to Rome or the Isle of Capri for a few days, possibly up to 10 days. Time enough to decompress.
I always enjoy reading a Stephen Ambrose book. I still have a few left to go.
June 1, 2025
Good not great. Quite interesting. Light read.
December 27, 2009
This book by Stephen Ambrose offers the reader an opportunity to learn about some of the men who flew the B-24 Liberator during WW2 from Italy. Most books cover the more glamorous B17 Flying Fortress flying missions against occupied Europe from bases in England. I confess that I have a love for the B-17 but always felt that I should try and find something about the B-24 which was still one of the mainstay bombers of the USAAF.
This book fits the bill and provides a decent overall snapshot of the B-24, the training of the crews who flew it and their missions from bases in Italy during 1944-45. I would have liked more about the B-24’s combat missions earlier in the war against a highly active Luftwaffe however the focus of this book is on one crew, piloted by George McGovern who started missions with the 741st Squadron, 455th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, after the decline of the Luftwaffe, leaving German flak and weather as their greatest dangers.
Overall this is still a very good account of what it takes for young men to fly highly dangerous missions against occupied Europe during WW2. The book is easy to read and utilises numerous first-hand accounts and interviews with veterans to high-light the dangers, the camaraderie, the missions and the results of combat flying on these young men, aged between 18 and 25. Well done to the author and well done to those brave men who climbed into their aircraft day-after-day during the Second World War.
This book fits the bill and provides a decent overall snapshot of the B-24, the training of the crews who flew it and their missions from bases in Italy during 1944-45. I would have liked more about the B-24’s combat missions earlier in the war against a highly active Luftwaffe however the focus of this book is on one crew, piloted by George McGovern who started missions with the 741st Squadron, 455th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, after the decline of the Luftwaffe, leaving German flak and weather as their greatest dangers.
Overall this is still a very good account of what it takes for young men to fly highly dangerous missions against occupied Europe during WW2. The book is easy to read and utilises numerous first-hand accounts and interviews with veterans to high-light the dangers, the camaraderie, the missions and the results of combat flying on these young men, aged between 18 and 25. Well done to the author and well done to those brave men who climbed into their aircraft day-after-day during the Second World War.
March 19, 2018
I really love this book!
Very interesting. It was more so the history of the B-24 'Liberator', and the build and layout of it, than anything else. Which was fine, by me. But, it was also a book on George McGovern and his crew. I think having a non-fiction historical book focus on one group of people or one person helps me to understand the story and everything a bit better.
I really don't get where people come from when they say that Stephen E. Ambrose put too much detail into his works. I don't think it's too detailed, at all. And I think I would know because I HATE when a book has too much unnecessary detail.
I don't know who else would get much enjoyment out of this book other than history teachers and WWII buffs. But I recommend it to anyone who devours every little bit of information they can on WWII, like myself, haha.
Very interesting. It was more so the history of the B-24 'Liberator', and the build and layout of it, than anything else. Which was fine, by me. But, it was also a book on George McGovern and his crew. I think having a non-fiction historical book focus on one group of people or one person helps me to understand the story and everything a bit better.
I really don't get where people come from when they say that Stephen E. Ambrose put too much detail into his works. I don't think it's too detailed, at all. And I think I would know because I HATE when a book has too much unnecessary detail.
I don't know who else would get much enjoyment out of this book other than history teachers and WWII buffs. But I recommend it to anyone who devours every little bit of information they can on WWII, like myself, haha.
Read
March 5, 2025Good. Not Ambrose's best but still good. It was nice to read about a Midwest boy who did service for his country.
July 17, 2024
Great book, but it does feel pretty broken at parts. To be fair I think it was meant to be more of a collection of memoirs than a single coherent story, but either way I enjoyed it. The conditions that those ww2 bomber crews experienced are still unfathomable to me.
January 2, 2018
This book is good enough to overcome Stephen Ambrose's usual faults. There's a little of the the "breathlessness" that often overwhelms his works, but he manages to keep his style out of the way of the material.
Or maybe I was just fine with it, as I have met a few of the men who flew the B-24 Liberators over Europe, and found them to be the soft-spoken heroes that Ambrose portrays. My father was a PTO vet, and one of his business partners was a huge fellow who had flown with the 8th Air Force over Northern Europe, a brilliant gentle giant. A treasured roommate from College had a dad who had flown over Southern Europe with the 15th. So when Ambrose goes on his frothy rants about how great these guys were, in this case, I feel strong agreement. And this time he's less frothy, and more on point.
The main protagonist we follow is George McGovern, of all people. I had no idea the "Peace Candidate" of the 60s had been a B-24 Pilot. But he was - and clearly a good one. He completed the 35 combat missions of a full tour, no mean feat. We see all the training an entire crew had to complete, as we meet a myriad of characters and stories along the way in the typical Ambrose style. Tons of anecdotes and a lot of tales of supremely costly mistakes. One is really impressed with the idea of the depth of this training. As personally a very informed reader of the WWII Air war, I did come to appreciate how much more complete and deep this scheme was compared to both enemies and allies.
Then its on to Europe and a riveting account of Missions, Accidents and the various ways to land. Crews mainly come home alive, but there are stories of parachutes, POW Camps, Partizans, and random deaths associated with jettisoning bombs. Random death is everywhere, along with rational destruction. War.
But there are also trips around Italy for culture. The high sexual energy of a young person's war is glimpsed. How the black market and popular culture bloomed. How the war fit in to the American and European social history gets some play. By comingling dozens of memories, Ambrose gives one a strong insight into the American Experience. His style recedes a little and the story comes to the fore, right where it should be. The fact that we know our hero will come home does help one amid the mayhem.
For the Omnivore reader, the highlight of the whole thing might be Joseph Heller , the creator of Catch-22, saying "I had no Bad Officers". But there is plenty here to chew on. A junior reader will be well rewarded for the effort to read this book although the themes are quite adult. For the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Modeller, this is great on both background and for Scenario/Diorama development. The stories of Cerrignola, the base in Italy that McGovern flew from will spawn a myriad of dioramas alone.
Or maybe I was just fine with it, as I have met a few of the men who flew the B-24 Liberators over Europe, and found them to be the soft-spoken heroes that Ambrose portrays. My father was a PTO vet, and one of his business partners was a huge fellow who had flown with the 8th Air Force over Northern Europe, a brilliant gentle giant. A treasured roommate from College had a dad who had flown over Southern Europe with the 15th. So when Ambrose goes on his frothy rants about how great these guys were, in this case, I feel strong agreement. And this time he's less frothy, and more on point.
The main protagonist we follow is George McGovern, of all people. I had no idea the "Peace Candidate" of the 60s had been a B-24 Pilot. But he was - and clearly a good one. He completed the 35 combat missions of a full tour, no mean feat. We see all the training an entire crew had to complete, as we meet a myriad of characters and stories along the way in the typical Ambrose style. Tons of anecdotes and a lot of tales of supremely costly mistakes. One is really impressed with the idea of the depth of this training. As personally a very informed reader of the WWII Air war, I did come to appreciate how much more complete and deep this scheme was compared to both enemies and allies.
Then its on to Europe and a riveting account of Missions, Accidents and the various ways to land. Crews mainly come home alive, but there are stories of parachutes, POW Camps, Partizans, and random deaths associated with jettisoning bombs. Random death is everywhere, along with rational destruction. War.
But there are also trips around Italy for culture. The high sexual energy of a young person's war is glimpsed. How the black market and popular culture bloomed. How the war fit in to the American and European social history gets some play. By comingling dozens of memories, Ambrose gives one a strong insight into the American Experience. His style recedes a little and the story comes to the fore, right where it should be. The fact that we know our hero will come home does help one amid the mayhem.
For the Omnivore reader, the highlight of the whole thing might be Joseph Heller , the creator of Catch-22, saying "I had no Bad Officers". But there is plenty here to chew on. A junior reader will be well rewarded for the effort to read this book although the themes are quite adult. For the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Modeller, this is great on both background and for Scenario/Diorama development. The stories of Cerrignola, the base in Italy that McGovern flew from will spawn a myriad of dioramas alone.
June 11, 2018
A few months ago I read The Rising Tide, an account on the North African campaign of WWII by Jeff Shaara. That was really the first historical novel that I have read. Obviously textbooks are informative, but I have learned so much more through these novels. I have always loved learning about the World Wars, so I decided to continue with WWII novels. I first discovered Steven Ambrose through his book D-Day. I was amazed with how much information he was able to pull together about just a single day. After finishing D-Day, I decided to look for other books by Ambrose and I found The Wild Blue.
The Wild Blue primarily follows the military career of George McGovern, starting with his enlistment in the Army Air Force to the end of WWII. Ambrose goes in depth on what it takes to become a pilot, from intense training at home, to practice runs over enemy territory. George McGovern was not just a pilot during World War II, he was the pilot of a B-24 Liberator, a four engine long distance bomber used by the AAF. More B-24s were produced during the war than any other bomber— in large part because of the heavy losses they suffered. But McGovern was not the only one who made the B-24s so successful. Their fame is credited to all crew members, including pilots, navigators, bombardiers, engineers, and gunners. They flew almost suicidal missions over intense German anti-air defenses and occasionally were confronted by German fighter jets. But regardless of the danger, they still flew and McGovern was only one of tens of thousands of brave men who did the same.
I am always impressed with how much detail goes into all of Ambrose’s books. He pulls together hundreds of eye-witness accounts to give the reader the full story with many different perspectives. I loved how he describes the training process for pilots, as well as other crew members. That was an aspect of the war that I have never thought to read about, but it is really interesting to learn what is involved in preparing soldiers for combat.
I have read other reviews on this book and I see that some people are commenting that there was almost false advertisement with the title because it is mostly a biography on George McGovern. I have to agree with this, but I will also fight back. Yes, the book is pretty much a biography, but how else can you get so many details on two years of war? You have to start somewhere and I think that Ambrose did a great job getting the whole story from McGovern and then adding accounts from other pilots and crew members.
The Wild Blue primarily follows the military career of George McGovern, starting with his enlistment in the Army Air Force to the end of WWII. Ambrose goes in depth on what it takes to become a pilot, from intense training at home, to practice runs over enemy territory. George McGovern was not just a pilot during World War II, he was the pilot of a B-24 Liberator, a four engine long distance bomber used by the AAF. More B-24s were produced during the war than any other bomber— in large part because of the heavy losses they suffered. But McGovern was not the only one who made the B-24s so successful. Their fame is credited to all crew members, including pilots, navigators, bombardiers, engineers, and gunners. They flew almost suicidal missions over intense German anti-air defenses and occasionally were confronted by German fighter jets. But regardless of the danger, they still flew and McGovern was only one of tens of thousands of brave men who did the same.
I am always impressed with how much detail goes into all of Ambrose’s books. He pulls together hundreds of eye-witness accounts to give the reader the full story with many different perspectives. I loved how he describes the training process for pilots, as well as other crew members. That was an aspect of the war that I have never thought to read about, but it is really interesting to learn what is involved in preparing soldiers for combat.
I have read other reviews on this book and I see that some people are commenting that there was almost false advertisement with the title because it is mostly a biography on George McGovern. I have to agree with this, but I will also fight back. Yes, the book is pretty much a biography, but how else can you get so many details on two years of war? You have to start somewhere and I think that Ambrose did a great job getting the whole story from McGovern and then adding accounts from other pilots and crew members.
August 11, 2022
This book had been sitting on my to read shelf for quite a while, I got it at a book sales years ago because I like Stephen Ambrose's book on the Transcontinental Railroad, but WWII is not my favorite history topic.. I think it's just too scary and there's too much out there on it for my taste.
Had I know it was focused on George McGovern, it would have been a lot higher on my list...I met Senator McGovern at a book signing back in my bookstore days, and he was the nicest 'celebrity' I encountered. Instead of a short greeting, and perhaps a thank you for selling the book (more often I'd be treated like an adding machine 'hi, how many did you sell?') Senator McGovern sat next to me to sign books, and hung out with me until the end of the conference.. it was great. We chatted much more about politics than his service, but he did mention a story to me that appears in the book, about borrowing a few books for a base library and never returning them (the library shut down during his training and actually sent him a letter gifting him the books officially). It was one of my favorite moments in the 15 ish years at that job.
The book itself does assume you know about World War II, which most do, and instead focuses on anecdotes about McGovern and a myriad of others that flew B-24s out of Italy towards the end of the war. The book was very much about how these boys were trained, and their daily life on the front as bomber crew, which was really interesting. Ambrose balances enough details to let you know you're hearing about real people without giving you too much detail that bogs down such books in many cases.
He briefly goes into whether the bombing campaign and philosphy was a good idea (he seems to think so) and the last couple chapters deal with that, including some material from the defeated Germans on how effect they thought it was. It put me in mind of the various little resource management video games I enjoy...I can't imagine the heavy responsibility of making such decisions in real life.
My verdict on it was that it feels alot like Grant winning the Civil War.. it may have been overkill, but we had the resources, and had to make sure we won, so we did it. It definitely makes you appreciate those who served quite a bit.
Had I know it was focused on George McGovern, it would have been a lot higher on my list...I met Senator McGovern at a book signing back in my bookstore days, and he was the nicest 'celebrity' I encountered. Instead of a short greeting, and perhaps a thank you for selling the book (more often I'd be treated like an adding machine 'hi, how many did you sell?') Senator McGovern sat next to me to sign books, and hung out with me until the end of the conference.. it was great. We chatted much more about politics than his service, but he did mention a story to me that appears in the book, about borrowing a few books for a base library and never returning them (the library shut down during his training and actually sent him a letter gifting him the books officially). It was one of my favorite moments in the 15 ish years at that job.
The book itself does assume you know about World War II, which most do, and instead focuses on anecdotes about McGovern and a myriad of others that flew B-24s out of Italy towards the end of the war. The book was very much about how these boys were trained, and their daily life on the front as bomber crew, which was really interesting. Ambrose balances enough details to let you know you're hearing about real people without giving you too much detail that bogs down such books in many cases.
He briefly goes into whether the bombing campaign and philosphy was a good idea (he seems to think so) and the last couple chapters deal with that, including some material from the defeated Germans on how effect they thought it was. It put me in mind of the various little resource management video games I enjoy...I can't imagine the heavy responsibility of making such decisions in real life.
My verdict on it was that it feels alot like Grant winning the Civil War.. it may have been overkill, but we had the resources, and had to make sure we won, so we did it. It definitely makes you appreciate those who served quite a bit.
August 12, 2019
Ambrose had a wonderful ability to take what would seem like an almost-unmanageably large chunk of history and distill it into a tiny sliver that clarified the history and made the events more personal and vivid. That talent shines through in this book. A lesser writer would have tried to write about the entire B-24 flying experience, and you might have gotten at least a taste of what it was like. But by funneling the experience into a single crew, Ambrose is able to zoom in on the experience and make it less daunting and impersonal than it might have been had someone else attempted the history.
Ambrose chose to focus on George McGovern, a 1972 presidential candidate, and his flight crew. You learn how McGovern became the pilot of the Dakota Queen, and you learn of the respect he garnered from his crew. In a highly readable way, you’ll learn about each function of the members of the crew and the training each one experienced to do that job. This book also explores the horrors of things like bombing accidents. McGovern recalled to the author decades later a situation in which he inadvertently bombed a farmhouse at noon. Having grown up on a farm, McGovern could only imagine that the noon meal was one in which the family would participate in full if possible. They would have thought themselves to be relatively safe in a quiet rural place. The accident and the knowledge that the bomb likely killed the entire family horrified him.
While the book is sympathetic to McGovern, it is not a biography. It is, as it claims to be, an account of the B-24 flight crews and how they qualified for their jobs.
Ambrose chose to focus on George McGovern, a 1972 presidential candidate, and his flight crew. You learn how McGovern became the pilot of the Dakota Queen, and you learn of the respect he garnered from his crew. In a highly readable way, you’ll learn about each function of the members of the crew and the training each one experienced to do that job. This book also explores the horrors of things like bombing accidents. McGovern recalled to the author decades later a situation in which he inadvertently bombed a farmhouse at noon. Having grown up on a farm, McGovern could only imagine that the noon meal was one in which the family would participate in full if possible. They would have thought themselves to be relatively safe in a quiet rural place. The accident and the knowledge that the bomb likely killed the entire family horrified him.
While the book is sympathetic to McGovern, it is not a biography. It is, as it claims to be, an account of the B-24 flight crews and how they qualified for their jobs.
August 8, 2025
"They were kittens in play but lions in battle." - Clemenceau.
WARNING: The author, a respected historical author, was accused of plagiarism in writing this bookThis is another ode to man's inhumanity to man, cloaked in the tatters of WW2.
It is the story of Democratic Senator and Presidential contender George McGovern's service in WW2
I dedicate this review to my high school buddy, Duane Wilcox, who died in a plane crash while serving in the USAF on a F-4 training flight. RIP, 1952-1969.
America was not ready for wartime immediately after December 7th. The war effort required more men and equipment than was available. This is why MacArthur had to evacuate the Philippines early on, leaving thousands behind to an almost certain death. The stories in this book tell the almost forgotten tale of the ramp up to full wartime strength in the early years of WW2. The AAF (U.S. Air Force) lost over 3,000 men to death just in primary flight schools and basic training schools just preparing to fight in WW2.
Until mid-1943, no U.S. soldiers had fired a rifle at German soldiers, except in North Africa. In July and September, 1943, the Allies invaded Sicily and Italy, supported by the Air Force.
The sheer cost of war in terms of humanity destroyed is beyond reckoning. The fascist dictator, Mussolini, had wrecked Italy by commandeering all the able young men for military service, leaving behind just old men, kids and women. As one AAF officer wrote. "The only music to be heard was the sound of a passing funeral, and that band had a full-time job;" the Nazis had raped the country of everything else on their way out.
This book is not as bloody as the earlier book I reviewed, "Ghost Soldiers."' But the numbers are staggering, and every participant in war has lost some of their soul. How bad was it? "Have you any idea of what it's like to vomit in an oxygen mask? These bomber guys had seen the inside of hell."
WARNING: The author, a respected historical author, was accused of plagiarism in writing this bookThis is another ode to man's inhumanity to man, cloaked in the tatters of WW2.
It is the story of Democratic Senator and Presidential contender George McGovern's service in WW2
I dedicate this review to my high school buddy, Duane Wilcox, who died in a plane crash while serving in the USAF on a F-4 training flight. RIP, 1952-1969.
America was not ready for wartime immediately after December 7th. The war effort required more men and equipment than was available. This is why MacArthur had to evacuate the Philippines early on, leaving thousands behind to an almost certain death. The stories in this book tell the almost forgotten tale of the ramp up to full wartime strength in the early years of WW2. The AAF (U.S. Air Force) lost over 3,000 men to death just in primary flight schools and basic training schools just preparing to fight in WW2.
Until mid-1943, no U.S. soldiers had fired a rifle at German soldiers, except in North Africa. In July and September, 1943, the Allies invaded Sicily and Italy, supported by the Air Force.
The sheer cost of war in terms of humanity destroyed is beyond reckoning. The fascist dictator, Mussolini, had wrecked Italy by commandeering all the able young men for military service, leaving behind just old men, kids and women. As one AAF officer wrote. "The only music to be heard was the sound of a passing funeral, and that band had a full-time job;" the Nazis had raped the country of everything else on their way out.
This book is not as bloody as the earlier book I reviewed, "Ghost Soldiers."' But the numbers are staggering, and every participant in war has lost some of their soul. How bad was it? "Have you any idea of what it's like to vomit in an oxygen mask? These bomber guys had seen the inside of hell."
January 5, 2024
The Extraordinary Young Men who Put Their Lives at Risk in a WW II Bomber
While the pilots and air crew who flew World War II bombers were still alive in the 1990s, the late Stephen Ambrose interviewed his friend, Senator George McGovern, about his experiences as a pilot of a B-24 — flying 35 missions over Nazi-occupied territory in 1944 and 1945. This led to the opportunity to interview those on McGovern’s crew, who went through training with him, or fought alongside as pilots and crew themselves.
This is not a book about the strategy of the bombing campaigns, the technical details of flying the B-24 aircraft, or of bombing accuracy and achievements and failures.
Instead it is a very personal story about how the war swept up a generation in their late teens or early 20s beginning in 1942 and trained them for war, as pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and other crew members of what was then one of the most complex aircraft ever built. The vast majority had never been up in the air and some had never even seen an aircraft. McGovern, born in 1922, was a freshman in a small Methodist college in South Dakota and there in 1940 enrolled in a newly-established Civilian Pilot Training Program. The government realized it would need pilots in an impending war.
Although many in the book flew with McGovern or had a personal connection in combat at the time, Ambrose and his son Hugh completed interviews or reviewed memoirs, collections of letters, diaries and photographs from more than 500 men who flew B-24s from bases in Italy or elsewhere.
For those destined to fly, the danger began in training and extended into a high rate of loss in combat. Of the 17 original crews that began training with McGovern, only six finished the war. The danger increased as crews began flying combat missions. Only one in four crews that arrived in Italy with McGovern in July, 1944, survived through April, 1945. McGovern was lucky to fly in the latter part of the war in Europe, when the German Luftwaffe fighters had largely been decimated or grounded for lack of fuel. Still, the anti-aircraft artillery had become more lethal as the war progressed and most of the bombers were brought down by flak.
McGovern, by all accounts, was a very skilled pilot but luck also paid a part in completing 35 combat missions. Those in his crew who Ambrose was able to interview felt they had one of the best pilots in the bomb group. He apparently possessed extraordinary vision and depth perception, and he endeared himself to his crew by being unpretentious but also very serious and thorough abut his job — essential qualities to survival. His leadership skills were greatly admired.
The book is arranged chronologically beginning with the fact that these young men came from all over the country and, by our standards today, were “unsophisticated.” They had rarely strayed from their place of birth. Many were farm kids. Most grew up in various levels of deprivation brought on by the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Ambrose uses McGovern’s experience to describe early flight training in single engine aircraft, moving eventually to the complexity of the B-24, one of the most difficult and unforgiving four engine bombers to fly. Ultimately, it was another great challenge to learn to fly in combat. Five chapters are devoted to the period of just under a year when McGovern, based in Italy, flew his 35 missions. McGovern and others interviewed by the author also describe life at a primitive air base in Italy, the poverty of the local Italian population suffering from the war, and the sharing of letters from home.
The men of this extraordinary generation are no longer with us. We owe them a lot, and Ambrose has done a service by recording their memories and achievements before they passed.
While the pilots and air crew who flew World War II bombers were still alive in the 1990s, the late Stephen Ambrose interviewed his friend, Senator George McGovern, about his experiences as a pilot of a B-24 — flying 35 missions over Nazi-occupied territory in 1944 and 1945. This led to the opportunity to interview those on McGovern’s crew, who went through training with him, or fought alongside as pilots and crew themselves.
This is not a book about the strategy of the bombing campaigns, the technical details of flying the B-24 aircraft, or of bombing accuracy and achievements and failures.
Instead it is a very personal story about how the war swept up a generation in their late teens or early 20s beginning in 1942 and trained them for war, as pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and other crew members of what was then one of the most complex aircraft ever built. The vast majority had never been up in the air and some had never even seen an aircraft. McGovern, born in 1922, was a freshman in a small Methodist college in South Dakota and there in 1940 enrolled in a newly-established Civilian Pilot Training Program. The government realized it would need pilots in an impending war.
Although many in the book flew with McGovern or had a personal connection in combat at the time, Ambrose and his son Hugh completed interviews or reviewed memoirs, collections of letters, diaries and photographs from more than 500 men who flew B-24s from bases in Italy or elsewhere.
For those destined to fly, the danger began in training and extended into a high rate of loss in combat. Of the 17 original crews that began training with McGovern, only six finished the war. The danger increased as crews began flying combat missions. Only one in four crews that arrived in Italy with McGovern in July, 1944, survived through April, 1945. McGovern was lucky to fly in the latter part of the war in Europe, when the German Luftwaffe fighters had largely been decimated or grounded for lack of fuel. Still, the anti-aircraft artillery had become more lethal as the war progressed and most of the bombers were brought down by flak.
McGovern, by all accounts, was a very skilled pilot but luck also paid a part in completing 35 combat missions. Those in his crew who Ambrose was able to interview felt they had one of the best pilots in the bomb group. He apparently possessed extraordinary vision and depth perception, and he endeared himself to his crew by being unpretentious but also very serious and thorough abut his job — essential qualities to survival. His leadership skills were greatly admired.
The book is arranged chronologically beginning with the fact that these young men came from all over the country and, by our standards today, were “unsophisticated.” They had rarely strayed from their place of birth. Many were farm kids. Most grew up in various levels of deprivation brought on by the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Ambrose uses McGovern’s experience to describe early flight training in single engine aircraft, moving eventually to the complexity of the B-24, one of the most difficult and unforgiving four engine bombers to fly. Ultimately, it was another great challenge to learn to fly in combat. Five chapters are devoted to the period of just under a year when McGovern, based in Italy, flew his 35 missions. McGovern and others interviewed by the author also describe life at a primitive air base in Italy, the poverty of the local Italian population suffering from the war, and the sharing of letters from home.
The men of this extraordinary generation are no longer with us. We owe them a lot, and Ambrose has done a service by recording their memories and achievements before they passed.
January 8, 2022
Band of Brothers in the skies with less immediacy. A fine little WWII book.
Ambrose's "Wild Blue" follows the same basic formula of Band of Brothers in that he follows a single unit (here, former senator and presidential candidate George McGovern's B-24 bomber crew) throughout their wartime experience. To that end, we get mini biographies of all the crewmen and good insight into their feelings and conflicts (petty and otherwise) as they had to fly through west must have been truly terrifying anti aircraft fire and flak.
I say "must have been truly terrifying" because for some reason "Wild Blue" never really conveys the terror of those bombing runs. It's hard to say why, but maybe it's Ambrose's style of relying on interviews decades after the fact and his own somewhat muted prose, but the reader is never *there* in the same way they are with Easy Company.
Additionally, while the book styles itself as the story of those who flew bombing runs over Germany, the majority of McGovern's time was spent in other parts of the European theater. So, we don't get the visceral pleasure of taking the Eagle's Nest at the end of the war as in BoB.
Ambrose says in the intro that McGovern was a longtime friend, and this feels more like a desire to tell of his friend's wartime experiences rather than a representative look at the air war in WWII. As an example in the former, it's excellent, if limited.
Ambrose's "Wild Blue" follows the same basic formula of Band of Brothers in that he follows a single unit (here, former senator and presidential candidate George McGovern's B-24 bomber crew) throughout their wartime experience. To that end, we get mini biographies of all the crewmen and good insight into their feelings and conflicts (petty and otherwise) as they had to fly through west must have been truly terrifying anti aircraft fire and flak.
I say "must have been truly terrifying" because for some reason "Wild Blue" never really conveys the terror of those bombing runs. It's hard to say why, but maybe it's Ambrose's style of relying on interviews decades after the fact and his own somewhat muted prose, but the reader is never *there* in the same way they are with Easy Company.
Additionally, while the book styles itself as the story of those who flew bombing runs over Germany, the majority of McGovern's time was spent in other parts of the European theater. So, we don't get the visceral pleasure of taking the Eagle's Nest at the end of the war as in BoB.
Ambrose says in the intro that McGovern was a longtime friend, and this feels more like a desire to tell of his friend's wartime experiences rather than a representative look at the air war in WWII. As an example in the former, it's excellent, if limited.
June 15, 2021
A magnificent account of the brave lads who flew B-24s against Nazi Germany during the last few months of World War II. I love Stephen Ambrose as a historian of World War II. He gets you very close to the participants, and this book is not an exception. I didn't feel it was as compelling as Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest or Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany, but it was an excellent read nevertheless.
May 20, 2019
Every time I read a book about a new aspect of WWII I am amazed at how much I didn't know. This time: European bomber crews. I had no idea how exposed bombers were - they just flew straight into whatever German fighter formations / anti-aircraft fire was there, and they held their breath that they'd make it. Their losses (percentage-wise) were far greater than any other armed serviceman.
The title and subtitle of the book do not mention the fact that it is focused on Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern. When I read that in the preface I was kind of turned off by it; I wanted to learn the story of the "average joe" who flew B-24s, not somebody that ended up rising to political prominence later. But I will say that the book still read like a general history and not a trumped-up biography, and for that I am grateful. The book was extremely informative and enjoyable.
The title and subtitle of the book do not mention the fact that it is focused on Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern. When I read that in the preface I was kind of turned off by it; I wanted to learn the story of the "average joe" who flew B-24s, not somebody that ended up rising to political prominence later. But I will say that the book still read like a general history and not a trumped-up biography, and for that I am grateful. The book was extremely informative and enjoyable.
February 20, 2022
Story of WW2 B24 bombers. This book focused on a base in Italy and the squadron based there that would go on bombing raids over Europe in an effort to defeat Nazi Germany. It focuses on George McGovern, who was a pilot and later ran for president of the US. Many men were killed in training accidents and missions during the war but the B24 and other bombers were integral in the effort for the Allied victory. May 7 1945.
I read this one not only because I am a history and WW2 buff, but because our dad William Sr was a navigator in a B24. But the war ended before he had gone on any missions. Perhaps fortunately for his future 7 children with Bette, of whom I am one.
I read this one not only because I am a history and WW2 buff, but because our dad William Sr was a navigator in a B24. But the war ended before he had gone on any missions. Perhaps fortunately for his future 7 children with Bette, of whom I am one.
September 1, 2022
Wow! An Ambrose book NOT connected to Band of Brothers. This is about the Army Air Force in Italy. Yes the 8th does get the publicity (Memphis Belle etc.) BTW the RAF gets a very small mention indeed. Not bad. Anyone out there think three stars is cruel?
August 15, 2017
Damn good book. Always expect good things from Stephen Ambrose.
October 12, 2020
When I bought this book, I thought it was about B 24 operation in WW2. But it turns out it's touch on George McGovern and some of his crew experience from their childhood, their training and their experience in the tail end of Ww2.
While the book is well written and skill of the author help you get through till the end of the book, I will not read it again.
While the book is well written and skill of the author help you get through till the end of the book, I will not read it again.
June 8, 2021
An interesting read!
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