Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II

by Philip Ardery

" Winner of the Best Aeronautical Book Award from the Reserve Officers Association of the United States "The sky was full of dying airplanes" as American Liberator bombers struggled to return to North Africa after their daring low-level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti. They lost 446 airmen and 53 planes, but Philip Ardery's plane came home. This pilot was to take part in many more raids on Hitler's Europe, including air cover for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. This vivid firsthand account, available now for the first time in paper, records one man's experience of World War II air warfare. Throughout, Ardery testifies to the horror of world war as he describes his fear, his longing for home, and his grief for fallen comrades. Bomber Pilot is a moving contribution to American history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, World War II, Audiobook, Aviation, Military History

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Spad53 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more I read of these books about strategic bomber operations in WW2, the more skeptical I get. At the same time these operations did succeed in decimating the Luftwaffe, and end the war in Japan, so I'd better leave the question to those more qualified than me. The awful losses still make me sad, and the unfairness of it all, those who survived were often lucky enough to be in a well led crew/squadron/wing/group. Philip Ardery managed that by doing the leading himself. In this book he explains how. It was very interesting, decently written and quite exciting; it was also rather boring in places. What I missed was more about aircraft, he flew most of the famous US aircraft of WW2 and even the F-86, but only flying the B-24 was described well. On my old rating system I'd give this a four, but now somewhere between three and four.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent personal account of WW2, written by a friend of mine.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this while browsing the stacks at my local library, and I am truly glad that I did. This is a well written personal account of the air war in WWII. The descriptions of his feelings and observations were easy to read and engaging. His thoughts and feelings as he recounts how lucky he was to survive, along with his remembrances of his friends and colleagues who did not, are very moving.

[George Rilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

High and Mighty

I have read quite a few war memoirs but few of the bomber pilots over Europe. This book not only describes the actions but also the mindset of those who faced so much danger and flew on to get the job done.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written account of this pilot's experiences, both personal and as a warrior. The narrative has a constraint that makes the story ring true without exploiting the drama of that horrific time.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by a Kentucky lawyer and war hero.

[Bob Liggett]

The story of a command pilot

He had seen a lot of action from the summer of 43 to the summer of 44. He tells the story as a squadron leader and command pilot.