What do you think?
Rate this book
The Navigator's Letter: The True Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman Who Bound Them Together
One of the riskiest air raids of World War II occurred on August 1, 1943, over the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania—Nazi Germany’s primary fuel source. The Allies believed that the destruction of Hitler’s oil refineries would shorten the war. Using an untested strategy, it was worth the gamble, but the mission did not go according to plan—with 53 aircraft and 532 crewmen lost, it was the costliest US air raid of the war.
A true story, The Navigator’s Letter is a tale of uncanny two friends from the same small Illinois town; both joined the Air Corps; both became navigators; both were assigned to B-24 Liberators; both flew missions over Europe; both of their planes were forced down over Ploesti; and both went missing-in-action.
Intertwined with events of WWII, the story follows the two B-24 navigators coursing through wartime, both with ties to the same woman. Their lives unfurl with the Air Force’s darkest day, Operation Tidal Wave, the first-ever zero-altitude air raid, which lead to Operation Reunion, the largest evacuation by air in history repatriating 1,162 POWs from Romania back to American air bases in Italy.
A true story, The Navigator’s Letter is a tale of uncanny two friends from the same small Illinois town; both joined the Air Corps; both became navigators; both were assigned to B-24 Liberators; both flew missions over Europe; both of their planes were forced down over Ploesti; and both went missing-in-action.
Intertwined with events of WWII, the story follows the two B-24 navigators coursing through wartime, both with ties to the same woman. Their lives unfurl with the Air Force’s darkest day, Operation Tidal Wave, the first-ever zero-altitude air raid, which lead to Operation Reunion, the largest evacuation by air in history repatriating 1,162 POWs from Romania back to American air bases in Italy.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published February 10, 2026
12 people are currently reading
4316 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 16, 2026
A true story, this read like a cross between a history book and a war drama that follows two airmen on their dangerous missions in German-occupied Europe during WWII.
The main characters were navigators on bomber planes before GPS technology, where they had to learn the names and positions of stars (celestial navigation), landmarks and make calculations during the flight. Insane!
Despite the heavy content at times, I enjoyed the camaraderie and importance of each 10 man crew. The descriptions were vivid, bringing to life the family letters, journals, and newspaper clippings that depict the realities of the time.
The Navigator’s Letter is a must-read for history lovers and fans of The Bloody Hundredth documentary and Masters of the Air.
The main characters were navigators on bomber planes before GPS technology, where they had to learn the names and positions of stars (celestial navigation), landmarks and make calculations during the flight. Insane!
Despite the heavy content at times, I enjoyed the camaraderie and importance of each 10 man crew. The descriptions were vivid, bringing to life the family letters, journals, and newspaper clippings that depict the realities of the time.
The Navigator’s Letter is a must-read for history lovers and fans of The Bloody Hundredth documentary and Masters of the Air.
February 21, 2022
Probably the best written family history about WWII fliers I've read -- I've read more than two dozen. Jan Dondi has done an amazing job of synthesizing letters, diaries, and historical records of her parents and her uncle into a smooth, cogent account that is so well crafted as to read like a novel even though the events are based on records available from her family's collection. After finding a trunk full of letters and memorabilia, Jan undertakes to tell the story for herself, her family and all of us. The three main characters were involved in some of the most important events during WWII including the multiple air attacks on the oil refineries of Ploesti, Romania. There is suspense and drama as she paces the revelation of facts to heighten reader interest. I highly recommend this late entry into the memoirs and histories category of the air war in Europe. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is an extraordinary story and book.
Meticulosity researched and beautifully written I was enthralled from the opening and immersed throughout. Jan Cress Dondi's writing is on the level of brilliant historian authors such as Candice Millard and one of my all-time favorite authors, Erik Larsen.
Yes, this book is THAT good.
The book vividly captures the scope and feel of the war. The author does an amazing job bringing the era to life through the men who flew into unimaginable danger and the families who carried burden of uncertainty at home. The narrative moves seamlessly between the cockpit and the kitchen table, between the tension of combat and the quiet endurance of loved ones waiting for news that might never come. This gives the book depth that’s emotional and historically grounded.
One particularly haunting part describes the aftermath of missing airmen: empty tents, personal effects gathered and sanitized, footlockers shipped home, and spaces quickly reassigned to replacements.
“They were tested in ways we can’t understand”. I could not agree more. This is another example of the fortitude and integrity of the Greatest Generation.
In addition to the incredible storyline itself, I learned so many new aspects of World War 2 as well. Just one example, I had no idea that German U Boats hunted ships just off the Florida coast and in the Spring of 1942 sunk a tanker just a few miles from Jacksonville. The doomed tanker had a somewhat ironic name too… The Gulf America. Oceanic related naming convention aside, this is just one of so many examples of insights and revelations about WW2 for me.
Even the afterword of this book stands out as its own poignant short story involving a B-24 Liberator in present day.
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of The Navigator's Letter: The True Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman Who Bound Them Together and read the book over the 2025 holiday season. It was a great Christmas present to myself spending time engrossed in this fantastic historic novel which as earned its place as the 35th addition to my Goodreads list of all-time favorite books.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough - a wonderful read.
Meticulosity researched and beautifully written I was enthralled from the opening and immersed throughout. Jan Cress Dondi's writing is on the level of brilliant historian authors such as Candice Millard and one of my all-time favorite authors, Erik Larsen.
Yes, this book is THAT good.
The book vividly captures the scope and feel of the war. The author does an amazing job bringing the era to life through the men who flew into unimaginable danger and the families who carried burden of uncertainty at home. The narrative moves seamlessly between the cockpit and the kitchen table, between the tension of combat and the quiet endurance of loved ones waiting for news that might never come. This gives the book depth that’s emotional and historically grounded.
One particularly haunting part describes the aftermath of missing airmen: empty tents, personal effects gathered and sanitized, footlockers shipped home, and spaces quickly reassigned to replacements.
“They were tested in ways we can’t understand”. I could not agree more. This is another example of the fortitude and integrity of the Greatest Generation.
In addition to the incredible storyline itself, I learned so many new aspects of World War 2 as well. Just one example, I had no idea that German U Boats hunted ships just off the Florida coast and in the Spring of 1942 sunk a tanker just a few miles from Jacksonville. The doomed tanker had a somewhat ironic name too… The Gulf America. Oceanic related naming convention aside, this is just one of so many examples of insights and revelations about WW2 for me.
Even the afterword of this book stands out as its own poignant short story involving a B-24 Liberator in present day.
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of The Navigator's Letter: The True Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman Who Bound Them Together and read the book over the 2025 holiday season. It was a great Christmas present to myself spending time engrossed in this fantastic historic novel which as earned its place as the 35th addition to my Goodreads list of all-time favorite books.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough - a wonderful read.
February 11, 2026
The Navigator’s Letter by Jan Cress Dondi is a compelling and deeply researched account of two young B-24 navigators from a small Illinois town who endured harrowing World War II missions, including the perilous Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti. Drawing from hundreds of authentic letters, wartime records, and personal memoirs, Dondi crafts an intimate narrative of courage, friendship, and sacrifice. The extensive use of primary sources lends vivid immediacy and emotional depth, immersing me in the dangers of aerial combat and its toll on loved ones at home. This a must read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an excellent read about two different air navigators in WWII who are connected by the sister of one of the men. It follows their journeys through the military and learning to become the best navigators they can be. Strangely enough, they both get shot down over Romania trying to take out a major refinery at Ploesti, although on different dates and are both missing.
February 21, 2026
This book has me on the seat of my chair, staying up to read more and more!! You can tell the author has done her research and taken painstaking efforts to get all the details correct and make the story an unbelievable tale of adventure in the midst of WWII. I can't wait to get back to it! Great job, Jan Cress Dondi!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I learned so much from this book! It is extremely well written and although it is factual, it has the flow and interest of a novel. The author has succeeded in preserving this important part of our history that is packed with adventure for future generations. A must read!
January 17, 2026
This book is so well written love the way it brings World War II to life and gave such vivid descriptions of the battles and military action. It is a must read !
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews