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Mustang: A Novel of World War II
Climb into the cockpit with Dust Bowl farm boy Lance Roark as he arrives in England commanding a B-17 Flying Fortress at the height of World War II. A prologue, 2017's Will Rogers Medallion Gold Medal winner, Shortgrass, set the stage for young Lance as he made the crucial decision following the bombing of Pearl Harbor to depart from the pacifist doctrine of his Mennonite upbringing and go to war. Now, still cheerful and pious, he and his best friend, famed Oklahoma Sooner Waddy Young, tackle a new opponent--history's most fearsome air armada, the German Luftwaffe , which has bested every other force that has dared confront them. Audacious, cool under fire, and a born aviator, Lance piles up the missions and decorations and somehow survives to complete his tour of duty--barely. Even as he gains renown as a relentless air warrior, though, his lifelong faith is shaken as the body count of those around him mounts. Driven by a desire for vengeance against his enemies, he turns down service back Stateside to return to battle in one of America's sensational new P-51 Mustang fighter planes. As the greatest aerial war in history rages in the skies over bleeding Europe, Lance hits a low-point in his life just as a terrifying new adversary appears to challenge him. Pushed to the breaking point, he will need every bit of skill and experience he can muster in an unforgettable showdown over Dresden in the war's most legendary air raid.
303 pages, Hardcover
Published May 23, 2019
9 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
John J. Dwyer
13 books20 followersJohn J. Dwyer is a popular author and speaker and is Adjunct Professor of History at both Southern Nazarene University and Oklahoma City Community College. He is former history chair at a classical college preparatory school, newspaper publisher, and radio host. His books include the new novel When the Bluebonnets Come and the non-fiction historical narrative The War Between the States: America's Uncivil War, both from Bluebonnet Press; the historical novels Stonewall and Robert E. Lee from Broadman & Holman Publishers; and the upcoming historical narrative The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 6, 2019
In January, I read and reviewed Shortgrass by John J. Dwyer. This is a novel set in Oklahoma during the late 1930s and early 1940s. It is the story of a young man named Lance Roark and his life struggles, ranging from religious convictions to romance to facing the oncoming war that conflicts with his pacifist religious background. From the moment I finished that book, I was chomping at the bit to read the sequel.
That sequel, Mustang, came out a few months ago, but I saved it for just the right occasion. That occasion turned out to be mid-to-late July. I read the book by starting slowly, but as often happens, I found myself more and more drawn in to Lance’s life and struggles. Consequently, I read increasing numbers of pages until I felt the relief of having finished the book along with the sadness that it was over.
To review a novel is not easy because of the problem of spoilers, so I will focus on some of the themes of these books, with an emphasis on Mustang.
World War II was a great war in terms of the number of places where it took place, the number of countries it involved, the cost in lives and material, and much more. The bibliography on WWII is simply overwhelming, but one could do no better than to read Victor Davis Hanson’s The Second World Wars. It was a war dominated to a large degree by the still evolving air power. Debates still rage over the effectiveness and the morality of the air war.
Lance Roark falls in love with flying before the war. After Pearl Harbor, he is a shoe in for the Army Air Corps. (The Air Force as a separate branch of the military did not exist then.) He then becomes the lead pilot for a B-17 Flying Fortress. The array of planes used by the different sides in World War II is amazing, and from a distance, the air war seems to have a certain glamour and panache. The actual story, from inside the cockpit and from the experiences of the pilots and crews, was anything but glamorous. The air war was horrible for both those in the sky and on the ground.
Flak, unbearable cold, enemy fighter planes, and fear were among the factors that made bombing raids so terrible. I would be curious to know some of Dwyer’s sources for details because the story was unbearably gruesome reading. That can all be seen as the cost of warfare, but the other factors have to do with the effectiveness or lack of it in the bombing raids. We would like to think that the Americans bombed military targets with only occasional civilian losses, but that is far from true.
Concerning World War I, J. R. R. Tolkien said, ” By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.” Same just about happened to Lance Roark, and that is not poetic license on the part of the author.
But this is a novel and not a war documentary, so there is an intense human element to the story. Lance is a Mennonite from his upbringing. Being such, he and his ancestors and church community had been against fighting. Although like many who were influenced by pacifism, he choose to go into the service, he never completely gets over his convictions. Before the war, he had been a friend to and a supporter of Charles Lindberg. Lindberg’s life went from hero to villain in a short time because of his opposition to the U. S. entering into World War II (prior to Pearl Harbor). Often forgotten is Lindberg’s service to his country after the war became a fact.
Intertwined in the story are many threads related to the political actions that got us into the war. Add to that the atrocities that Americans, who were far less brutal than the Nazis, Japanese, or Russians, committed. War, even when most justified and necessary, is fraught with many evils.
Lance goes through a series of crises with his faith. You will have to read the books to learn the details, but he was the proverbial “red-blooded American male,” the type that the British described as “over sexed, over paid, and over here.” Lance ain’t no Elsie Densmore, nor is he Natty Bumpo.
In so many ways, I find myself envious of Lance Roark. He is a football hero; he is apparantly a heart-throb to many girls; he is brave, faithful, loving, strong; and yet he is a real and believable character. And he is a Southern, by way of Oklahoma, who in true Southern fashion loves his momma. He is also like Forrest Gump, in that he meets and knows so many people who either are famous or who become famous. Besides, Lindberg, Lance crosses paths with President Roosevelt, Walter Cronkite, John F. Kennedy, and others.
But I don’t envy what Lance goes through. I am currently reading a massive book called Sand and Steel: The D-Day Invasion and the Liberation of France by Peter Caddick-Adams. It reinforces and elaborates on many of the details that are found in Mustang.
When I look at World War II, whether it is in an historical study or in fiction, I simply shake my head in unbelief that mere mortals like me did the amazing, brave, horrible, and incredible things that people did.
When (not if) you read Mustang, you may either want to brush up on your knowledge of the war or have your electronic devices handy so that you can distinguish between Messerschmidts and Mustangs. And buckle on your flak jacket and helmet. You are in for a ride.
That sequel, Mustang, came out a few months ago, but I saved it for just the right occasion. That occasion turned out to be mid-to-late July. I read the book by starting slowly, but as often happens, I found myself more and more drawn in to Lance’s life and struggles. Consequently, I read increasing numbers of pages until I felt the relief of having finished the book along with the sadness that it was over.
To review a novel is not easy because of the problem of spoilers, so I will focus on some of the themes of these books, with an emphasis on Mustang.
World War II was a great war in terms of the number of places where it took place, the number of countries it involved, the cost in lives and material, and much more. The bibliography on WWII is simply overwhelming, but one could do no better than to read Victor Davis Hanson’s The Second World Wars. It was a war dominated to a large degree by the still evolving air power. Debates still rage over the effectiveness and the morality of the air war.
Lance Roark falls in love with flying before the war. After Pearl Harbor, he is a shoe in for the Army Air Corps. (The Air Force as a separate branch of the military did not exist then.) He then becomes the lead pilot for a B-17 Flying Fortress. The array of planes used by the different sides in World War II is amazing, and from a distance, the air war seems to have a certain glamour and panache. The actual story, from inside the cockpit and from the experiences of the pilots and crews, was anything but glamorous. The air war was horrible for both those in the sky and on the ground.
Flak, unbearable cold, enemy fighter planes, and fear were among the factors that made bombing raids so terrible. I would be curious to know some of Dwyer’s sources for details because the story was unbearably gruesome reading. That can all be seen as the cost of warfare, but the other factors have to do with the effectiveness or lack of it in the bombing raids. We would like to think that the Americans bombed military targets with only occasional civilian losses, but that is far from true.
Concerning World War I, J. R. R. Tolkien said, ” By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.” Same just about happened to Lance Roark, and that is not poetic license on the part of the author.
But this is a novel and not a war documentary, so there is an intense human element to the story. Lance is a Mennonite from his upbringing. Being such, he and his ancestors and church community had been against fighting. Although like many who were influenced by pacifism, he choose to go into the service, he never completely gets over his convictions. Before the war, he had been a friend to and a supporter of Charles Lindberg. Lindberg’s life went from hero to villain in a short time because of his opposition to the U. S. entering into World War II (prior to Pearl Harbor). Often forgotten is Lindberg’s service to his country after the war became a fact.
Intertwined in the story are many threads related to the political actions that got us into the war. Add to that the atrocities that Americans, who were far less brutal than the Nazis, Japanese, or Russians, committed. War, even when most justified and necessary, is fraught with many evils.
Lance goes through a series of crises with his faith. You will have to read the books to learn the details, but he was the proverbial “red-blooded American male,” the type that the British described as “over sexed, over paid, and over here.” Lance ain’t no Elsie Densmore, nor is he Natty Bumpo.
In so many ways, I find myself envious of Lance Roark. He is a football hero; he is apparantly a heart-throb to many girls; he is brave, faithful, loving, strong; and yet he is a real and believable character. And he is a Southern, by way of Oklahoma, who in true Southern fashion loves his momma. He is also like Forrest Gump, in that he meets and knows so many people who either are famous or who become famous. Besides, Lindberg, Lance crosses paths with President Roosevelt, Walter Cronkite, John F. Kennedy, and others.
But I don’t envy what Lance goes through. I am currently reading a massive book called Sand and Steel: The D-Day Invasion and the Liberation of France by Peter Caddick-Adams. It reinforces and elaborates on many of the details that are found in Mustang.
When I look at World War II, whether it is in an historical study or in fiction, I simply shake my head in unbelief that mere mortals like me did the amazing, brave, horrible, and incredible things that people did.
When (not if) you read Mustang, you may either want to brush up on your knowledge of the war or have your electronic devices handy so that you can distinguish between Messerschmidts and Mustangs. And buckle on your flak jacket and helmet. You are in for a ride.
June 17, 2019
The sequel to Shortgrass finds Lance a Commissioned Pilot stationed
in England at the beginning of World War II. Historian John J. Dwyer
gives us a chilling account of the air raids over Germany with the
German pilots. The accuracy of the brutal fight and the emotions
of the pilots and casualties are heartbreaking. Lance must endure
the atrocities he has witnessed and find God again. When he returns
to Oklahoma again he is a broken man but God always prevails and
with help of friends and his grandfather Lance begins to become whole
again. You really need to real this wonderful book to learn just how much
Lance endured.
in England at the beginning of World War II. Historian John J. Dwyer
gives us a chilling account of the air raids over Germany with the
German pilots. The accuracy of the brutal fight and the emotions
of the pilots and casualties are heartbreaking. Lance must endure
the atrocities he has witnessed and find God again. When he returns
to Oklahoma again he is a broken man but God always prevails and
with help of friends and his grandfather Lance begins to become whole
again. You really need to real this wonderful book to learn just how much
Lance endured.
Read
July 17, 2019A great read. Great description of a young man’s struggles with life, love and spirituality as he deals with all 3 while serving his country in World War II.
August 31, 2021
An award winning novel of World War Two air combat and the toll it takes on airmen. Dwyer paints a vivid word picture of war's aftermath when warriors can't leave the horror behind them.
Read
November 7, 2019This book is part two, with Shortgrass being the first part of the story. Do you need to read Shortgrass before reading this? No, not at all, this stands on it's own just fine. SHOULD you read Shortgrass first? If possible, I highly suggest it. In Shortgrass we build the character traits of our main hero Lance. In this volume, we experience Lance in a different way. Both stories stand alone fine, but as one of those who did read them both, they provide a much more well rounded story, and I feel that the conclusion of Mustang is much more satisfying having already known the starting point and history of Shortgrass in more detail.
As for Mustang in general, I come away with this comparison of the two pieces of this story. Shortgrass feels somewhat like a romantic comedy in comparison to Mustang, which increasingly feels like a horror story. You see, Mustang is all about Lance's war experiences in WWII air combat and military life. At times, these experiences are gruesome, but sadly are based on true to life experiences. And the way Dwyer writes about them, they come to life and captivate your thoughts and heart. While some of the characters and pieces of the story-line are fictitious, the foundational story, scenery, scenarios and details are accurate history of the times, making this historical fiction novel an amazing piece of work in many ways.
As with it's predecessor, Mustang does have brief moments of comedic relief and romance for our boy Lance, but the greater portion of this book is dealing with high energy and intense battle sequences, as well as personal losses and struggles with faith and humanity. Real gritty war issues and gruesome sights are exposed, bringing to life the war experiences these men went through. Knowing these experiences, and the ugly issues of war, it is no wonder combat veterans return from these duties forever changed. I came away from these books changed in many ways myself.
I laughed, I cried, I cringed, an I came away a different person. What more can you ask for in a book? An incredible journey for sure, and highly recommended reading.
As for Mustang in general, I come away with this comparison of the two pieces of this story. Shortgrass feels somewhat like a romantic comedy in comparison to Mustang, which increasingly feels like a horror story. You see, Mustang is all about Lance's war experiences in WWII air combat and military life. At times, these experiences are gruesome, but sadly are based on true to life experiences. And the way Dwyer writes about them, they come to life and captivate your thoughts and heart. While some of the characters and pieces of the story-line are fictitious, the foundational story, scenery, scenarios and details are accurate history of the times, making this historical fiction novel an amazing piece of work in many ways.
As with it's predecessor, Mustang does have brief moments of comedic relief and romance for our boy Lance, but the greater portion of this book is dealing with high energy and intense battle sequences, as well as personal losses and struggles with faith and humanity. Real gritty war issues and gruesome sights are exposed, bringing to life the war experiences these men went through. Knowing these experiences, and the ugly issues of war, it is no wonder combat veterans return from these duties forever changed. I came away from these books changed in many ways myself.
I laughed, I cried, I cringed, an I came away a different person. What more can you ask for in a book? An incredible journey for sure, and highly recommended reading.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews