Above the Reich: Deadly Dogfights, Blistering Bombing Raids, and Other War Stories from the Greatest American Air Heroes of World War II, in Their Own Words

by Colin D. Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis

"Sensational eyewitness accounts from the most heroic and legendary American aviators of World War II, never before published as a book"--

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Aviation, World War II, Military Fiction, Biography

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2021

About the author

Former soldier and Marine scout-sniper, former history professor, military historian, consultant to historians, TV and film, and author.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. Heaton gives you the real, raw words of the men he interviewed and he doesn't filter them. LeMay was fun to read--that man had no lack of confidence. Neither did Robin Olds. The LeMay and Olds chapters added interesting information to the books I had read about them (Lemay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis Lemay and Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs Of Legendary Ace Robin Olds) The Doolittle and Haydon sections were ok while the lead off account by Robert Johnson had some of the best flying stories. Johnson’s second meet-up with Mayer is one of the best air-to-air fights I have ever read. Truly unbelievable. Original sources for the air battles in WWII (and Vietnam for Olds), my favorite kind of reading. Easy 5 Stars

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following along the lines of their two books of interviews with German aces, authors Heaton and Lewis have given us another gem, but this time containing interviews with Americans who fought the German Luftwaffe. Five men were interviewed: Robert S. Johnson, James Doolittle, Robin Olds, Ed Haydon and Curtis LeMay, and each one had some good stories to tell. Having read autobiographies by Johnson and Doolittle in the past, their chapters were sort of refresher courses for what I already knew. I honestly hadn't heard of Ed Haydon, and his chapter is the shortest of all five, but he gets a seat at the table due to an encounter with one of the Luftwaffe's greatest aces. The chapters on Olds and LeMay are by far the most extensive and the most entertaining. Neither one has a filter and they give you an honest, unvarnished opinion of quite a few men and moments from the air war over Europe, Japan and then Vietnam.

Now, this book contains some pretty salty language, and definitely some colorful phrases, so you have been warned if you can't stomach profanity in print. I really enjoyed the thoughts that Doolittle, Olds and LeMay had on leadership since all three achieved the rank of General and both lead and commanded men in combat.

Overall, a fantastic book that you won't want to put down, and which will make you want to read the next batch of interviews Heaton and Lewis publish.

[Cassie’s Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a personal eye opening experience. From the moment I opened the first page I knew I was reading such an important part of history. The author explains that many soldiers from World War Two are no longer with us and it’s so important to never forget them and what they had gone through. This book began in the 1970’s when five veterans who were airmen sat down to be interviewed, they open up and discuss their lives, starting from their childhood and leading to their time in war. I felt like I was sitting across from them and hearing first hand what they had gone through at times they even broke down while discussing parts of what they witnessed their strength and integrity poured off the pages, I wish I could thank them for their service.
Ed Haydon discusses how he fought with the deadly German aces and how he was forced to the ground.
Robert Johnson had 27 kills under his belt with his P-47 Thunderbolt and nearly lost his life.
Curtis LeMay was an Air Corps General who was behind the plans that attacked Germany’s war machines and he did so much more.
Robin Olds a graduate of West Point who is a respected and aggressive fighter pilots and even went to fought in Vietnam.
Jimmy Doolittle is an American airman and he may just be the most celebrated of all time, he led the raid to bomb Tokyo.
These stories are told in their own word filled with emotion and bravery. I will treasure this book and I highly recommend. I could not put this book down and I learned so much I will reading. Such an important part of history that we should never forget five stars!

[Ionia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books like this one add so much to histories that could have been entirely lost were it not for conscientious recorders. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to read this book. Some of the interviews done in this book I have not seen anywhere else, and even for the more well-known popular figures like Doolittle, there were things that were new to me.

Reading this book is like looking through a window into the past. Hearing the men tell their story and recount the harrowing experiences they lived through was amazing. This would be a great book for anyone wanting to get a closer look at what combat in WWII was really like. I think students of history could definitely benefit from reading this.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Michael Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are exquisite eyewitness accounts from birds' eyes, both literally and figuratively, spoken by five aviators in World War II, deeply personal accounts that are granular in their detail, yet also provide deep emotional texture. Some of the voices reminded me of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. A terrific dive into a history otherwise at the risk of being forgotten!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five WWII Fighter Pilots Tell Their Story

WWII is now a long time ago and many of the major actors are no longer with us. The desire to get some of the stories before the men died led the author in the seventies to interview five WWII pilots who were famous for their exploits

The pilots include Jimmy Doolittle who led the raid on Tokyo that showed the island was vulnerable, Ed Haydon who dueled famous German fighter pilots, Robin Olds a West Pointer who became celebrated in the European theater, Robert Johnson famous for his 27 kills, and my favorite, Curtis LeMay who was responsible for the air tactics pummeling of Germany.

This is a must read book if you’re interested in aviation during WWII. The history is told in other places but the interviews being immediacy to the historical actions. I particularly liked that the author followed the men’s careers beyond WWII. I enjoyed Curtis LeMay’s reactions to senior officials including President Johnson and Secretary of War, McNamara during the Vietnam War.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) This was a good oral history of some of the key men who flew in the air war in World War II in Europe. Additionally, some of these men, mainly Olds and LeMay, went on to greater impact on American Air Power during the Cold War and Vietnam. The interviews that Heaton and Lewis procured and put into this book are as entertaining as informative. The language is blunt, especially with Olds and LeMay, but the point is well-taken, and you can see how the work of these men did so much to not only win WWII, but set the stage for the US Air Force to evolve into the dominate Air Force in the present day. Imagine if you could get an audio recording of these interviews. A good read, especially for any air-power enthusiast.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories of five military air heroes of WWII. The authors have done a great job of presenting these men just as they are and it feels like you are sitting down talking to them yourself. I really enjoyed each man's perspective on what they were experiencing and dealing with at the time. Sadly the amount of bureaucracy and politics in commanders trying to do their job. Most of this from people who have never set foot on a battlefield or had a loved one in a war fighting for our freedom. This book is an easy flowing great read. I learned so much from it. I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the fights in the skies over Europe during WWII. Not just the bombing runs that everyone has heard or read about but here are stories told by men who were in them. I know people say we forget about the Pacific but really we read about their dog fights quite a bit, but not so much about the ones in Europe. Since my father fought in Europe during WWII these stories by these men which we are slowly losing we need to hold on to and I feel honored to have read this book and wish my father would have told me of his fighting before he passed. A very good book which I was glad that I read now more than once. I received this book from Netgalley.com

[Ayla Fant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors of this book were very good at getting the interviews. The interviews were taken over many different years, and it added more personal memories to the story I believe. I felt a little left behind on some of the aircraft talk, since the accounts were from fluent pilots and leaders, but I enjoyed reading and imagining what the moment looked like none the less.

[Pat Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book jacket promised the inside scoop stories of 5 of our major WW II hero pilots, on their various missions. Unfortunately, that was exactly that; being their matter of fact reports of each mission, essentially like the next morning reports filed with their superiors. Very factual, I am sure, but meh for this reader. Definitely a bland non-fiction book.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this amazing book that keeps the memories and heroics of these WWII soldiers alive. The experiences that they went through are unbelievable. I will admit learning about their childhood slowed down the narrative a bit but otherwise a very eye-opening book.

[David Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best first person narratives I’ve read. Narratives cover careers from WW2, Korea to Vietnam. You’ll find the common gripe is piss poor decision making from the top. Can’t wait for a 2nd book with the Gabreski interview.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed hearing about America's role in the air battles of WWII directly from the men who were there. Their personalities really came through in these accounts. I'm glad their stories were recorded before they passed away.

[Mary Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son-in-law loves reading these books.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some were interesting, humbler and powerful, and some of the interviewees were jingoistic and their stories could be described as hubris.