Into the Cold Blue: My World War II Journeys with the Mighty Eighth Air Force

by John Homan, Jared Frederick

One of the last great memoirs of World War II, Into the Cold Blue is a riveting account of the air war over Europe, when hell was four miles above the earth. A born daredevil, John Homan joined the Army Air Forces after the Pearl Harbor attack. By 1944, he was co-piloting a B-24 Liberator over Nazi Germany, raining death and destruction on the enemy. This first-person account of his harrowing missions—chronicling deadly flights through skies of red-hot flak bursts and airmen bailing out with parachutes aflame—will leave readers staggered by the determination and grit of World War II aviators. Fighting a fierce enemy in the air seemed the perfect way for Homan to channel his restless, energetic spirit in wartime, but he could never have imagined the horrors that awaited him. During a vast operation over Nazi-occupied Holland in September 1944, his plane was punched full of holes, its left tail shot away, and a tire blown to bits. Homan wondered how he could possibly survive. The young lieutenant and his exhausted crewmates braced for a nearly hopeless emergency landing. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, waited the sweetheart he thought he’d never see again. With wit, warmth, and astonishing clarity, John Homan conveys the skill and heroism of the “Mighty Eighth” Air Force in the most perilous theater of history’s greatest air war.

Genres: World War II, History

384 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something quite staggering of having the benefit of words of wisdom about our current American society from a man who flew B-24s over Europe. And may they be words we enshrine in our hearts.

I will forever be grateful for everything Jared Frederick does and has done to keep this history alive.

[Elizabeth Theiss Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Greatest Generation went to war and those who came home were profoundly changed by it. John Homan’s account of his service as a copilot in the Eighth Army Air Corps flying bombing missions during World War II is bracing and revealing.

Get ready for some un-put-down-able passages as Lieutenant Homan describes the experience of being awakened after midnight to be briefed on the latest factory, fuel plant, or airfield that was the night’s target. Once in the air, flak was a constant problem, as Germany tried (and in many cases succeeded) to down the squadrons of B24 Liberators as they flew to the Continent. One unfortunate colleague suffered a face full of plexiglass not once, but three times.

Homan is especially good at explaining the psychological price that bomber pilots paid. Targeting was imperfect, so civilian casualties were inevitable. “Collateral damage” was difficult to even contemplate.In the fog of war and the literal fog, Allied planes occasionally shot down friendly aircraft. Casualties were exceedingly high. Homan describes witnessing a fellow pilot killed in the air. He is no glorifier of war and dedicates the book to his grandson in hopes that it will serve as a lesson for future generations.

I have spent a fair amount of time trying to understand World War II, which was my father’s war. He returned with psychological, hearing, and nerve damage and was arguably never the same again. Into the Clear Blue showed me new scenes from the War and deepened my understanding. It’s also an excellent read. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to understand World War II.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

How could you not read the memoir of a pilot who flew bombers during WWII while having a fear of heights? Homan’s story is compelling and often gripping, yet the book’s strength comes from a fascinating look at what combat was like inside a B-24 bomber. If you don’t know much about WWII bombers, this book does a wonderful job of explaining just what those pilots experienced. Homan puts you inside the plane, feeling what he feels, watching the enemy planes attack, hearing the gunfire approaching, you name it. Into the Cold Blue also contains the tragedy of war, but also moments of humor and humanity.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

My love for airplanes led me to read this very interesting book. "Into the Cold Blue: My World War II Journeys with the Mighty Eighth Air Force" is a memoir by John Homan, a WWII aviator, co-authored with Jared Frederick, that offers a first-person account of Homan's experiences flying B-24 Liberators over Nazi-occupied Europe. Published in 2024 John Homan recently celebrated his 100 birthday. His account of his time flying this plane in WWII is enough details without sensationalism to take you into the air, through the flack and over the target.

I am always looking to read books that give you first account of what it was like to fly one of the hardest planes in WWII. He puts you right in the cockpit as he explains how he handled flying this hugh plane. The B-24 was nose-heavy due to its design and heavy bomb load capacity. This required careful management of trim and control inputs, making it challenging for pilots, especially during takeoff and landing phases especially when carrying 8000 lb. bombs. Not only that but he vividly describes the terror faced by aircrewman and depicts the horror of combat in the air flying this plane.

Having read countless books on WWII I find a lot of them get you bogged down with technical details that makes the book dry but that is not the case with this book. I feel like I’m actually with Mr. Homan in the cockpit of his B-24 and traveling the journey of his life. Awesome read.

[Robb Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the many memoirs to come out of the last three decades by WWII vets, this is a particularly good one. Author John Homan flew B-24 Liberator bombers as a co-pilot during the latter phases of the European air war. He completed the required 34 missions and faced death and the loss of friends several times, but fortunately returned to civilian life and his memories, which he has preserved in great detail after 80 plus years. The Author, who has past the century mark and is still alive as of 2025, recently published this with the aid of family, other records from former colleagues in his bomb group, and a professional historian. My father flew B-17s, also with the 8th Air Force, was shot down over Berlin, and spent the remainder of the War in Europe as a POW. He died in the 80’s, never spoke much about his experiences, and never sat for interviews or preserved his records as well as John Homan. Nonetheless, I have written several articles detailing his experience by researching official records and finding other crew members to interview or review their records. Accordingly, I can appreciate Homan and his co-author’s thorough work, as well as the heart and sympathy that motivated the memoir. It’s not as raw and literary as some of the contemporary or older accounts, but it stands as an important contribution and a “good read” for anyone who enjoyed the Masters of the Air book or series.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a remarkable story. Not a book I would normally choose, but glad I did. John Homan is 100 years old. He kept astonishing records of his life and military service in WW2. He flew 34 missions as co-pilot of a B-24 Bomber....he records each one with detail...into France and Germany in 1944. He describes the horror of war without sensationalizing the experience. He is intentional about never glorifying war. He did his duty and went home to his high school sweetheart. They were married for 72 years. His epilogue expresses his fear of the rise of autocracy and the polarization in America. He tells us to never forget the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021 and to choose democracy by voting to hold leaders accountable. "Remember that the Pledge of Allegiance is to the Republic and not a single individual yearning for power." Good read.

[Matthew Taggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite a remarkable book.
Very much a page turner. Humbling, and inspiring. A good warning and reminder to the world the horrors of war. A masterful job of recognizing heroes, while not glorifying war itself.
Definitely recommend!

[Ursula Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much history in this book of a n aviator. What they had to endure and see. Give it a read its well worth it .

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story about a WWII Pilot flying a B-24 Bomber.

[John Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

War stories are not typically among the genres on my reading list. Yet this one didn't just catch my attention; I found it difficult to put down. Author John Homan and historian co-author Jared Frederick tell a fascinating story that will make you laugh, cry, and ponder the folly of war and the bravery and resourcefulness of those thrust into it. Homan flew 34 bombing missions in Europe during World War II (actually more if you count the aborted flights) in a B-24 Liberator. Unlike many of his comrades, he lived to tell the tale. Recently celebrating his 100th birthday, Homan recalls - in amazing detail - his younger days, the training and the war experience from his own journals and the writings of several of his crew. Frederick fills in some additional historic details, resulting in a book which makes you feel like your're having a conversation with Homan of the long-ago tales, triumphs and traumas.
But it is not just a war story, it is about living through that quarter century book-ended by the the Great Depression and the Second World War. A well-told first-hand account of the good and bad of the era is a treasure.
Still proud of his service and appreciative of the experience he believes made him a better person, he also makes it clear that war is horrible by any measure or standard. Homan often calls himself lucky to have made it, but as you'll see, sometimes we make our own good fortune. His stories are poignant and his reflections profound. Everyone, but particularly those who glorify war or downplay the horror of battle, should read it.