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Silver Wings, Iron Cross
Now in paperback from air combat veteran and acclaimed military thriller author Tom Young, a thrillingly tense, blisteringly authentic, and emotionally powerful saga of two enemy combatants--an American pilot and German U-boat officer--united by fate in an epic fight for survival.
Lieutenant Karl Hagan earned his wings the hard way. But when his plane is shot down behind enemy lines, he's forced to make the hardest decision of his trusting the enemy.
Oberleutnant Wilhelm Albrecht wore his Iron Cross with pride. But when his U-boat is attacked in a devastating air raid, he abandons ship and finds an unlikely the pilot who bombed him .
It is November of 1944. The tides of war have turned. Allies have taken back France, and German troops have retreated. But for Karl and Wilhelm, the war is far from over. Each must be prepared to lie for the other, fight for the other, or die with the other. But their short-lived alliance won't truly be put to the test until they reach the end of the line--inside a POW camp...
Lieutenant Karl Hagan earned his wings the hard way. But when his plane is shot down behind enemy lines, he's forced to make the hardest decision of his trusting the enemy.
Oberleutnant Wilhelm Albrecht wore his Iron Cross with pride. But when his U-boat is attacked in a devastating air raid, he abandons ship and finds an unlikely the pilot who bombed him .
It is November of 1944. The tides of war have turned. Allies have taken back France, and German troops have retreated. But for Karl and Wilhelm, the war is far from over. Each must be prepared to lie for the other, fight for the other, or die with the other. But their short-lived alliance won't truly be put to the test until they reach the end of the line--inside a POW camp...
528 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 26, 2020
93 people are currently reading
1363 people want to read
About the author
Tom Young
12 books109 followersTom Young served in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Air National Guard. He has also also flown combat missions to Bosnia and Kosovo, and additional missions to Latin America, the horn of Africa, and the Far East. In all, Young has logged nearly five thousand hours as a flight engineer on the C-5 Galaxy and the C-130 Hercules, while flying to almost forty countries. Military honors include three Air Medals, three Aerial Achievement Medals, and the Air Force Combat Action Medal.
Young is the author of SILVER WINGS, IRON CROSS; THE HUNTERS; SAND AND FIRE; THE RENEGADES; SILENT ENEMY; and THE MULLAH'S STORM.
His nonfiction publications include THE SPEED OF HEAT: AN AIRLIFT WING AT WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. His narrative, "Night Flight to Baghdad," appeared in the anthology OPERATION HOMECOMING: IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND THE HOME FRONT IN THE WORDS OF U.S. TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Young is the author of SILVER WINGS, IRON CROSS; THE HUNTERS; SAND AND FIRE; THE RENEGADES; SILENT ENEMY; and THE MULLAH'S STORM.
His nonfiction publications include THE SPEED OF HEAT: AN AIRLIFT WING AT WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. His narrative, "Night Flight to Baghdad," appeared in the anthology OPERATION HOMECOMING: IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND THE HOME FRONT IN THE WORDS OF U.S. TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 2, 2023
A decent WWII adventure. Karl, a B-17 pilot of German heritage is shot down over Germany. He meets Will, a deserting U-boat officer and they form an uneasy alliance, both trying to reach the American lines and avoid searching SS, army, home guard, and Gestapo. We switch viewpoints between the two officers as they stumble into trouble, extricate themselves, then repeat. The characters' thoughts are realistically troubled, though not particularly engaging since things seem to always work out and both men carry on resolutely, expressing no lack of confidence in their eventual success. For me, the obstacles they overcome acquire a routineness--oh, look, whatever will we do now? Oh, you know how to make a camouflaged shelter and the pursuers walked right by. The first part of the setup, that Karl is shot down and tries to evade capture makes perfect sense. The second part, that an experienced U-boat officer deserts does not. The author uses an order, actually issued to U-boats ordered to attack the allied D-Day landings, that the U-boat was to destroy one more target by ramming it once their torpedoes were exhausted. Accepting that some idiot actually issued the order, believing it was more effective to lose a U-boat for one more enemy ship, there is no reason to believe such an order would stand. Commanders at every level would be outraged and appeal higher in the chain of command. Ultimately Admiral Doenitz would have rescinded the order and punished whoever issued it. But our character Will chooses to desert, lamely claiming he's doing it for his crew, who can't sail without him. Really? A commander issues a suicide order but won't let the intended victims put to sea, short one man? Ridiculous. Not to consider a little practical lawyering by sub commanders: 'I'm saving my last torpedo for the Queen Mary or the Duke of York. And as long as I have a torpedo, there won't be any suicidal collision.' Well, the author needed a device to put an honorable, war-weary German officer on the run and in need of the help of a downed American flyer, so there it is. Still a pretty good adventure.
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April 11, 2020Excerpt from SILVER WINGS, IRON CROSS:
In the distance, the fighters began to turn. As they banked, Karl recognized them as Focke-Wulf 190s. That angle revealed the Balkenkreuz markings—the black crosses on the fuselages and wings. The 190s also bore swastikas on their vertical stabilizers. Each fighter carried a pair of machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, along with twenty-millimeter cannons mounted in the wings. According to Eighth Air Force intel reports, German pilots nicknamed the Fw 190 the “Butcher Bird.”
“Anybody see any friendlies?” Adrian asked.
“Negative,” Fairburn called from the top turret.
“Wait,” Anders responded from the tail gun. “I got four Mustangs coming down from five o’clock high.”
“How far out are they?” Karl asked.
“I don’t know,” Anders said. “Maybe four miles.”
The 190s were closer, and they continued to turn. In a few seconds, the attack would begin. Karl could almost sense his gunners watching the Butcher Birds through their sights. He prayed the Mustangs would intercept the enemy planes in time.
Karl’s oxygen regulator blinked black and white faster and faster as he breathed more rapidly. Flying Fortresses had a reputation for being hard to shoot down, so the Germans tended to concentrate their fire toward the flight deck. Though Karl had always considered himself a strong man, at the moment he felt frail and squishy. In the cockpits of those 190s, drawing closer by the second, sat highly skilled and motivated young men determined to put sharp, hot metal through Karl’s body.
The Butcher Birds banked more steeply, maneuvering in front of the B-17s.
“They’re at twelve o’clock and closing,” Karl said. Tried to keep his voice as even as possible.
From above Hellstorm, the Mustangs appeared in Karl’s field of view. They dived and turned to meet the 190s. Tracers began spitting from their wings. Some of the Butcher Birds turned to engage the Mustangs. But others held course and pressed their attack.
The oncoming Butcher Birds grew larger in the windscreen. Some aircraft veered to hit other bombers in the scattered formation, but one bored directly at Hellstorm. Flashes began to blink on the leading edges of its wings: cannon fire.
Karl banked to begin an evasive turn, but it was a token effort. The Fort could never outmaneuver a fighter. With a mere flick of its ailerons, the German aircraft stayed on Hellstorm and closed fast.
In the distance, the fighters began to turn. As they banked, Karl recognized them as Focke-Wulf 190s. That angle revealed the Balkenkreuz markings—the black crosses on the fuselages and wings. The 190s also bore swastikas on their vertical stabilizers. Each fighter carried a pair of machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, along with twenty-millimeter cannons mounted in the wings. According to Eighth Air Force intel reports, German pilots nicknamed the Fw 190 the “Butcher Bird.”
“Anybody see any friendlies?” Adrian asked.
“Negative,” Fairburn called from the top turret.
“Wait,” Anders responded from the tail gun. “I got four Mustangs coming down from five o’clock high.”
“How far out are they?” Karl asked.
“I don’t know,” Anders said. “Maybe four miles.”
The 190s were closer, and they continued to turn. In a few seconds, the attack would begin. Karl could almost sense his gunners watching the Butcher Birds through their sights. He prayed the Mustangs would intercept the enemy planes in time.
Karl’s oxygen regulator blinked black and white faster and faster as he breathed more rapidly. Flying Fortresses had a reputation for being hard to shoot down, so the Germans tended to concentrate their fire toward the flight deck. Though Karl had always considered himself a strong man, at the moment he felt frail and squishy. In the cockpits of those 190s, drawing closer by the second, sat highly skilled and motivated young men determined to put sharp, hot metal through Karl’s body.
The Butcher Birds banked more steeply, maneuvering in front of the B-17s.
“They’re at twelve o’clock and closing,” Karl said. Tried to keep his voice as even as possible.
From above Hellstorm, the Mustangs appeared in Karl’s field of view. They dived and turned to meet the 190s. Tracers began spitting from their wings. Some of the Butcher Birds turned to engage the Mustangs. But others held course and pressed their attack.
The oncoming Butcher Birds grew larger in the windscreen. Some aircraft veered to hit other bombers in the scattered formation, but one bored directly at Hellstorm. Flashes began to blink on the leading edges of its wings: cannon fire.
Karl banked to begin an evasive turn, but it was a token effort. The Fort could never outmaneuver a fighter. With a mere flick of its ailerons, the German aircraft stayed on Hellstorm and closed fast.
June 7, 2020
If you’re looking for a completely different kind of “war” novel, I strongly suggest you try Tom Young’s newest, SILVER WINGS, IRON CROSS. It’s a clear five-star effort in which an American B-17 pilot and a German U-boat officer form a tenuous alliance near the end of WWII.
The pilot has been shot down after a bombing run over Bremen—exquisitely described by Young, I might add—and stumbles onto the German submariner who has decided to “desert.”
The German is not a quitter or a coward, however, but has become totally disillusioned with the war. By abdicating his duties as a sub’s XO, he believes he can prevent the boat and his fellow seamen from being sent on a “kamikaze” mission.
Both officers want to avoid being captured, of course, so set out on a dangerous journey together through a war-torn land in an attempt to reach Allied forces. Not an easy challenge when neither trusts the other completely, the SS and Gestapo are after both of them, and they aren’t even sure where they are.
It’s a great story about how their relationship evolves and about the unexpected twists and turns their odyssey brings . . . even after they believe they’ve reached safety.
The closer you get to the conclusion, the faster you’ll turn the pages.
The pilot has been shot down after a bombing run over Bremen—exquisitely described by Young, I might add—and stumbles onto the German submariner who has decided to “desert.”
The German is not a quitter or a coward, however, but has become totally disillusioned with the war. By abdicating his duties as a sub’s XO, he believes he can prevent the boat and his fellow seamen from being sent on a “kamikaze” mission.
Both officers want to avoid being captured, of course, so set out on a dangerous journey together through a war-torn land in an attempt to reach Allied forces. Not an easy challenge when neither trusts the other completely, the SS and Gestapo are after both of them, and they aren’t even sure where they are.
It’s a great story about how their relationship evolves and about the unexpected twists and turns their odyssey brings . . . even after they believe they’ve reached safety.
The closer you get to the conclusion, the faster you’ll turn the pages.
February 24, 2021
The title tells you all you need to know. An American bomber is shot down. The executive officer from a U-boat is defecting. They meet in Bremen and begin their long trek to freedom.
It is an interesting read, but it became monotonous with the trust issue between the men. They both were dependent on each other’s survival but they were constantly questioning each other’s loyalties. It became old fast no matter how many close calls they had.
Three stars
It is an interesting read, but it became monotonous with the trust issue between the men. They both were dependent on each other’s survival but they were constantly questioning each other’s loyalties. It became old fast no matter how many close calls they had.
Three stars
September 15, 2020
Silver Wings; Iron Cross is a World War II story of how a downed American pilot and a German u-boat officer meet and make their way through German territory to the safety of American lines. The author, Tom Young, has a way of putting the reader smack-dab in the middle of each scene. The reader is there, plummeting down and crashing into the earth when the pilot's plane is hit by enemy fire. The reader is there, feeling the coldness, not only of biting wind and snow, but of the mistrust that exists between the two men. .This reader not only held her breath as the pilot and u-boat officer played a losing game of hide-and-seek with the Nazi SS, but emotionally collapsed in despair when they were captured and taken to a POW camp. Neither man can survive without the other. This story not only resurrects the horror of war, but ignites a tiny flame of hope as two men, deeply entrenched in opposing ideologies uncover their shared basic human drive to survive; a need that can only be accomplished by discarding invalid beliefs and embracing a deeper understanding of what we must do in order to live in peaceful co-existence with each other.
June 4, 2022
Entertaining and a unique plot filled with lots of action. Tom Young’s skills as a writer never cease to amaze me. He puts plenty of thought into his characters and plot.
June 23, 2020
Silver Wings, Iron Cross begins in the late fall of 1944, D-Day has been successfully pulled off in June, and the Allied Armies are fighting their way across Europe. Large parts of France as well as Belgium and the Low Countries have been liberated. From England, the U.S. Eighth Air Force is bombing the industrial heart of Germany during daylight hours, while the British Royal Air Force bombs most every night in a relentless attack aimed at breaking Hitler’s ability and will to continue the fight.
Southern England is where US Army Air Force 1st Lieutenant Karl Hagen and his crew are about to take off on their 35th, and final run in a B-17 bomber nicknamed Hellstorm. After the mission is done they’ll become members of an exclusive club and be assigned stateside duties back home. Trouble is, the pilot, Karl Hagen, is a second generation German-American . . . and although he hasn’t told anyone . . . he has relatives living in Bremen, which is their target for this final mission.
Meanwhile, at sea, Oberleutnant Wilhelm Albrecht, the XO, or executive Officer and second in command of German attack submarine U-351, is doing his best to honor his nation and Kriegsmarine oath by sinking as much Allied Shipping as possible. But, like Karl Hagen, Wilhelm Albrecht is also conflicted. Poorly supplied and badly equipped, the U-boats are being chased down and sunk by Allied sub hunters in the air and on the sea using new technologies that weren’t available earlier in the war, when U-boats, hunting in wolf packs were the terror of all Merchant Mariners.
Now, after a long, exhausting sea patrol and with heavy battle damage, U-351 is trying to limp home to the submarine base at Bremen. There, it’ll be patched back together as best they can with makeshift repairs, rearmed and sent back on patrol . . . where they’re ordered to Sink as many enemy ships as possible, followed by what amounts to a suicide command. The order causes the submarine warrior to desert, as he tries to save his crew from going back out to sea and certain death.
In the skies over the burning city of Bremen, relentless fighter plane and artillery attacks are decimating the air armada. One of the causalities is the Hellstorm, and Karl Hagen is the last man to bailout of the doomed B-17.
Both men are now alone, on the run and hunted by the authorities. They meet in a chance encounter when both of them take refuge in the same burned out building. Running for their lives, the two young officers are at first hostile and suspicious enemies. Later, they become reluctant allies as life on the run forces them to help each other avoid capture and stay alive. In the end, they forge a deep bond of friendship when an act of courage by one of them saves many lives in the face of certain death in this complex, action-filled and well-written WWII drama that will turn every reader into a fan.
Tom Young has crafted a twisty, kinetic and battle-laden war story that, at the same time, lays open the hearts and minds of the courageous and incredibly young persons who went to war as kids and emerged as the men and women we honor today as The Greatest Generation.
Southern England is where US Army Air Force 1st Lieutenant Karl Hagen and his crew are about to take off on their 35th, and final run in a B-17 bomber nicknamed Hellstorm. After the mission is done they’ll become members of an exclusive club and be assigned stateside duties back home. Trouble is, the pilot, Karl Hagen, is a second generation German-American . . . and although he hasn’t told anyone . . . he has relatives living in Bremen, which is their target for this final mission.
Meanwhile, at sea, Oberleutnant Wilhelm Albrecht, the XO, or executive Officer and second in command of German attack submarine U-351, is doing his best to honor his nation and Kriegsmarine oath by sinking as much Allied Shipping as possible. But, like Karl Hagen, Wilhelm Albrecht is also conflicted. Poorly supplied and badly equipped, the U-boats are being chased down and sunk by Allied sub hunters in the air and on the sea using new technologies that weren’t available earlier in the war, when U-boats, hunting in wolf packs were the terror of all Merchant Mariners.
Now, after a long, exhausting sea patrol and with heavy battle damage, U-351 is trying to limp home to the submarine base at Bremen. There, it’ll be patched back together as best they can with makeshift repairs, rearmed and sent back on patrol . . . where they’re ordered to Sink as many enemy ships as possible, followed by what amounts to a suicide command. The order causes the submarine warrior to desert, as he tries to save his crew from going back out to sea and certain death.
In the skies over the burning city of Bremen, relentless fighter plane and artillery attacks are decimating the air armada. One of the causalities is the Hellstorm, and Karl Hagen is the last man to bailout of the doomed B-17.
Both men are now alone, on the run and hunted by the authorities. They meet in a chance encounter when both of them take refuge in the same burned out building. Running for their lives, the two young officers are at first hostile and suspicious enemies. Later, they become reluctant allies as life on the run forces them to help each other avoid capture and stay alive. In the end, they forge a deep bond of friendship when an act of courage by one of them saves many lives in the face of certain death in this complex, action-filled and well-written WWII drama that will turn every reader into a fan.
Tom Young has crafted a twisty, kinetic and battle-laden war story that, at the same time, lays open the hearts and minds of the courageous and incredibly young persons who went to war as kids and emerged as the men and women we honor today as The Greatest Generation.
April 20, 2020
I am familiar with T. Young's more contemporary suspense/military action series (M. Parsons & S. Gold) & really like it. I like his books, & the fact that he always offers some educational aspect to the story, maybe telling some reality of the situation.......so I looked forward to seeing how he treated a WWII tale. True to his earlier form, Young's novel offers a vivid window into that era/time period. He does a great job of describing the actual machinery (planes, subs, tanks, guns) used during that time, & also the human aspects too. He tells a great story that compels you to read on & find out where this will end, & you don't have to be a military history buff to enjoy & understand it. As with his other books, this one too....the Author's Note, Historical Notes & Acknowledgments at the end offer a lot of great information, & are well worth reading!
I received an e-ARC of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley, after offering to read it & post my own honest & fair review.
I received an e-ARC of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley, after offering to read it & post my own honest & fair review.
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July 2, 2020Through the heartless machinations of fate, an American Air Force bomber pilot and German U-boat commander in the waning days of World War II end up on the ground — in enemy territory for both of them, no longer predators, but prey.
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/05/an-unthi...
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/05/an-unthi...
July 3, 2020
Super adventure story. As a pilot, Tom Young knows flying, so the 8th Air Force sections are first-rate. Excellent renditions of the U-boat world as well. Characters are engaging, and the plot moves along with assured swiftness. Not your usual WW2 story, this one challenges the assumptions of the protagonists and throws problems at them previously unimaginable.
July 9, 2020
Exciting, poignant and gritty fiction based on a compendium of actual events. The characters feel real and hold true in an unusual tale of war, friendship, hardship and bravery. Enjoyable but for the author's note at the end, which imagines an epilogue that would ave been best left to the reader's imagination.
July 7, 2020
Great Book - very authentic.
Loved as I did the other Tom Young books. Great story line and very believable. Especially enjoyed the air action parts.
Loved as I did the other Tom Young books. Great story line and very believable. Especially enjoyed the air action parts.
July 15, 2020
3.75 - physical book
January 8, 2021
In the twilight days of WWII in the autumn of 1944, two men from German families, Karl Hagan and Wilhelm Albrecht, are really tired from the war. Karl is a pilot in the US Air Force, based in UK and bombing Germany across the Channel -- his family fled Germany post WWI. Wilhelm is the executive officer on one of the German U-boats which terrorized the Atlantic throughout the war.
When the novel opens, Karl is about to fly his last mission before he is sent back home for good (after 35 missions, you get to go home and away from danger) and Wilhelm is dealing with his crippled submarine - by that time the U-boats are not as invincible as earlier in the war, partially because of their communication being compromised and partially because they are getting old and tired. Both men end up in Bremen - the planes target the city, the submarine finally crawls back home after its disaster. Unfortunately for Wilhelm, the two things happen at the same time. And just to make things worse, the submarine crew gets a suicide order - once they are repaired so they can leave, they are to destroy a ship by ramming it - thus destroying themselves. So when the bombs start falling, Wilhelm deserts - they would not send the boat out with no XO so he even convinces himself it is for his crew. Before long Karl is also on the ground after his plane get shot down - and the real story can begin.
The two men cannot be more different on the surface but when they meet, they realize that they can help each other - and off they go, trying to leave Germany behind and reach the Allied forces. And in a somewhat ironic way, the German is actually in more danger than the US pilot - Goering had ordered all downed airmen to be sent to camps and left alive; deserters are getting killed almost instantly. So while the two men walk through the country side, seeing the devastation brought by the war, they come up with a plan - the German will pretend to be Karl's navigator. And the plan actually works - both end up in a camp for captured airmen.
Young leaves the end almost incomplete - both men are going home but we never see them getting home - he decides against an epilogue but he adds an author note about he would like to think happens next which is basically the same thing.
The description of the devastated Germany and the camp (nowhere as horrific as the other camps but still not a summer camp) are well done. So are all the technical details (as usual). The pacing of the novel never falters but it also is too ordered - Wilhelm leaves the German Navy and sees both a killed deserter and Jewish prisoners within hours for the first time (there is probably a way to read this either as a commentary on how bad the things were going thus making both common things or as him seeing for the first time things that had always been there and ignored). It almost feels like adding too much detail where just a note would have been enough. It is part of allowing the German to change and turn into the man at the end of the novel but too many good things do not make a great thing.
It is a competent novel - it does not have the sparkle of Young's thrillers even if his distinctive and very technical style is suited to it - he is a retired flight engineer and he knows his planes. He alternates the point of view between his two characters but even then there is a bit too much dumping of information in places. It adds to the novel but I wish he had found a better way to incorporate the memories...
I am glad that I read it but I hope he decides to go back to thrillers in the now and here.
On a separate note: despite the seriousness of the novel, the parts in the camp made me think of the British comedic series 'Allo 'Allo! (and the episodes in the airmen camp in it) - some of the descriptions matched enough so despite the differences, my mind kept going there. Not because anything was funny in the story - but things were just lining up way too perfectly. Once that connection was made up in my mind, dissociating it was impossible...
When the novel opens, Karl is about to fly his last mission before he is sent back home for good (after 35 missions, you get to go home and away from danger) and Wilhelm is dealing with his crippled submarine - by that time the U-boats are not as invincible as earlier in the war, partially because of their communication being compromised and partially because they are getting old and tired. Both men end up in Bremen - the planes target the city, the submarine finally crawls back home after its disaster. Unfortunately for Wilhelm, the two things happen at the same time. And just to make things worse, the submarine crew gets a suicide order - once they are repaired so they can leave, they are to destroy a ship by ramming it - thus destroying themselves. So when the bombs start falling, Wilhelm deserts - they would not send the boat out with no XO so he even convinces himself it is for his crew. Before long Karl is also on the ground after his plane get shot down - and the real story can begin.
The two men cannot be more different on the surface but when they meet, they realize that they can help each other - and off they go, trying to leave Germany behind and reach the Allied forces. And in a somewhat ironic way, the German is actually in more danger than the US pilot - Goering had ordered all downed airmen to be sent to camps and left alive; deserters are getting killed almost instantly. So while the two men walk through the country side, seeing the devastation brought by the war, they come up with a plan - the German will pretend to be Karl's navigator. And the plan actually works - both end up in a camp for captured airmen.
Young leaves the end almost incomplete - both men are going home but we never see them getting home - he decides against an epilogue but he adds an author note about he would like to think happens next which is basically the same thing.
The description of the devastated Germany and the camp (nowhere as horrific as the other camps but still not a summer camp) are well done. So are all the technical details (as usual). The pacing of the novel never falters but it also is too ordered - Wilhelm leaves the German Navy and sees both a killed deserter and Jewish prisoners within hours for the first time (there is probably a way to read this either as a commentary on how bad the things were going thus making both common things or as him seeing for the first time things that had always been there and ignored). It almost feels like adding too much detail where just a note would have been enough. It is part of allowing the German to change and turn into the man at the end of the novel but too many good things do not make a great thing.
It is a competent novel - it does not have the sparkle of Young's thrillers even if his distinctive and very technical style is suited to it - he is a retired flight engineer and he knows his planes. He alternates the point of view between his two characters but even then there is a bit too much dumping of information in places. It adds to the novel but I wish he had found a better way to incorporate the memories...
I am glad that I read it but I hope he decides to go back to thrillers in the now and here.
On a separate note: despite the seriousness of the novel, the parts in the camp made me think of the British comedic series 'Allo 'Allo! (and the episodes in the airmen camp in it) - some of the descriptions matched enough so despite the differences, my mind kept going there. Not because anything was funny in the story - but things were just lining up way too perfectly. Once that connection was made up in my mind, dissociating it was impossible...
May 26, 2025
Millions fought in World War II. Thousands were taken prisoner. Thousands of works of fiction have been written.
Silver Wings, Iron Cross by Tom Young thus becomes plausible amid the sheer numbers of the conflagration. If such a story never happened, perhaps it should have.
In the waning days of the war, Hitler was growing desperate. The Allies had retaken France and were converging on the Third Reich.
Lieutenant Karl Hagan is an American bomber pilot. Oberlieutnant Wilhelm Albrecht is the executive officer of a German U-boat docked in Bremen for repairs. Hagan’s B-17 bombs Albrecht’s submarine. It is then shot down. Albrecht is then assigned a suicide mission by his country’s high command, which orders his U-boat to ram Allied shipping.
Both men are torn. Hagan is the son of German immigrants whose latest mission has rained weapons of destruction on a city where his relatives live and work. A decorated sailor, Albrecht cannot knowingly send his colleagues to a sure death.
Not knowing the fate of fellow crewmen, Hagan parachutes out of his bomber at the last possible moment. Albrecht deserts, knowing that his capture by the Gestapo means his immediate execution. They happen upon each other in a bombed-out Bremen factory.
Survival means that enemies must learn to fight for each other, and lie for each other, or else they will die for each other.
The German speaks English. The American speaks German. For two thirds of the tale, they are desperately on the run. Inevitably, they are captured and confined in a stalag, where Albrecht’s task of impersonating an American airman becomes even more difficult.
Silver Wings, Iron Cross by Tom Young thus becomes plausible amid the sheer numbers of the conflagration. If such a story never happened, perhaps it should have.
In the waning days of the war, Hitler was growing desperate. The Allies had retaken France and were converging on the Third Reich.
Lieutenant Karl Hagan is an American bomber pilot. Oberlieutnant Wilhelm Albrecht is the executive officer of a German U-boat docked in Bremen for repairs. Hagan’s B-17 bombs Albrecht’s submarine. It is then shot down. Albrecht is then assigned a suicide mission by his country’s high command, which orders his U-boat to ram Allied shipping.
Both men are torn. Hagan is the son of German immigrants whose latest mission has rained weapons of destruction on a city where his relatives live and work. A decorated sailor, Albrecht cannot knowingly send his colleagues to a sure death.
Not knowing the fate of fellow crewmen, Hagan parachutes out of his bomber at the last possible moment. Albrecht deserts, knowing that his capture by the Gestapo means his immediate execution. They happen upon each other in a bombed-out Bremen factory.
Survival means that enemies must learn to fight for each other, and lie for each other, or else they will die for each other.
The German speaks English. The American speaks German. For two thirds of the tale, they are desperately on the run. Inevitably, they are captured and confined in a stalag, where Albrecht’s task of impersonating an American airman becomes even more difficult.
November 1, 2022
This was likely another one of the many books that I received as part of the multitude of monthly promotions that have found their way to my email box, as a result of having added my name to a mailing list (or three) that I stumbled onto since I started reading and editing books on my tablet.
This novel by Tom Young is about the inadvertent meeting between the captain of a B-17 bomber, shot down over Germany, and a U-Boat captain who, disillusioned with his latest orders from the Kriegsmarine as the war nears its conclusion, has decided to desert the navy. As they make their way across Germany , their reluctant partnership turns into a comradeship as they are eventually captured and imprisoned in a Stalag. They are kept there towards the end of the war, even detailing the forced marches from city to city attempting to stay ahead of the Allied forces.
This book read well (with the exception of a few chapters where sentences sometimes seemed to end abruptly) and would be a favourite of fans of TV serials like Hogan's Heroes and those readers of military historical fiction.
That being said, I would easily rate this book a solid three and three quarter stars out of five.
As with all of my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth.
This novel by Tom Young is about the inadvertent meeting between the captain of a B-17 bomber, shot down over Germany, and a U-Boat captain who, disillusioned with his latest orders from the Kriegsmarine as the war nears its conclusion, has decided to desert the navy. As they make their way across Germany , their reluctant partnership turns into a comradeship as they are eventually captured and imprisoned in a Stalag. They are kept there towards the end of the war, even detailing the forced marches from city to city attempting to stay ahead of the Allied forces.
This book read well (with the exception of a few chapters where sentences sometimes seemed to end abruptly) and would be a favourite of fans of TV serials like Hogan's Heroes and those readers of military historical fiction.
That being said, I would easily rate this book a solid three and three quarter stars out of five.
As with all of my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth.
June 5, 2024
READ THIS BOOK! Finished this entire book in 2 days because I just couldent put it down. The first part I WASENT quite sure if I liked it and the beginning was really slow but the end it just picks up quickly and o was glued to each page! I would say I love this book and haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it.. it has NO fandom or anything anywhere. As you can tell by my reveiw being the only one at the time that I post this.
Why you should read this book!
Dare I say this is a homoerotic enemies to lovers story? Bittersweet/open ending ? Slow burn? Trust guys it’s actually really cutie patotie and amazing!
Spoilers ahead!
Karl and Wilhelm are so in love guys! They should totally kiss on the mouth or soemthjng haha smiles giggles love this book a lot. The real ending is when Wilhelm is allowed to stay as an American with Karl and they are in love and stuff TRSUT guys!
Why you should read this book!
Dare I say this is a homoerotic enemies to lovers story? Bittersweet/open ending ? Slow burn? Trust guys it’s actually really cutie patotie and amazing!
Spoilers ahead!
Karl and Wilhelm are so in love guys! They should totally kiss on the mouth or soemthjng haha smiles giggles love this book a lot. The real ending is when Wilhelm is allowed to stay as an American with Karl and they are in love and stuff TRSUT guys!
August 11, 2022
Not only is this the best book in Tom Young's collection, but it is probably the best book I have ever read! I'm a sucker for WWII fiction (and non-fiction!), so this had pulled on my heartstrings from the first page. But it's incredible because it takes a downed American pilot and an absentee German U-boat captain and collides their worlds, so their only hope for survival is to work together, TRUST each other and stay focused. It is such an amazing, incredible story. They fight, they make up, they yell, they hug. It's just full of emotion, and by the end, when you think you know what will happen, Tom takes it in another direction, not a bad one, just different, and leaves you thinking about the characters and how the rest of their lives played out. Just an amazing read. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a week!
July 13, 2022
From the start it seemed to me that this book, set in the latter part of World War 2, was created with a possible view to making a movie from it. It was though, an interesting read with amazing technical detail regarding the B-17 bombers used by the USAAF flying out of England, as well the amazing detail regarding the German U-boat submarines.
There were a few too many coincidences for my liking, but the story evolved incorporating almost every aspect of POW camps, the behaviour of guards and the SS troops, as well as the close relationships of the captured American aircrew.
This was all tempered by my belief that a movie was the ultimate aim.
There were a few too many coincidences for my liking, but the story evolved incorporating almost every aspect of POW camps, the behaviour of guards and the SS troops, as well as the close relationships of the captured American aircrew.
This was all tempered by my belief that a movie was the ultimate aim.
January 25, 2025
This is my favorite book of all time. This is movie material. As a lover of WWII history, especially aviation history, this book really resonated with me. It was full of adventure, friendship, rivalry, compassion and wisdom all rolled into one beautiful, timeless story. I was hooked from the first page, and was sad when I finished it. I became personally invested in the two main characters and genuinely worried for their survival, which is what makes a great author. This book was hands down the most well-written historical fiction novel I have ever read! Well done
July 6, 2024
I give it a 3.7 out of 5. The intro was longer than expected but very good. The middle was a little slow but it was ok. I wish there was more action. The ending was great. I liked how we got to see the friendships develop from complete strangers and enemies to become brotherly like best friends. I almost cried in the last 2 chapters. Overall pretty good. This book would make an AMAZING movie. Just saying
August 29, 2023
Generally, I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. This is most definitely not that. It is, however, very good. It's a good, creative, interesting, tight thriller. Young keeps the action moving and the emotions high. If you are into WWII stories that would make excellent edge-of-your-seat movies, this is well worth your time to check out.
March 10, 2021
A different point of view.
Great read. I'm not one who usually reads books like this but I went to school with the author. It has a great story line and you definitely have to find out what happens to the main characters. Great book Tom.
Great read. I'm not one who usually reads books like this but I went to school with the author. It has a great story line and you definitely have to find out what happens to the main characters. Great book Tom.
May 14, 2021
Well written, well researched novel set in the waning days of World War II. And, yes, it is fiction but no more incredible than some articles one finds in Military History magazine. This book was so visual it would be easy to translate to film. Excellent.
May 24, 2022
very interesting book
This book is interesting and informative while weaving a fictional tale about WWII and its combatants. The things described actually did happen many times over to real men. Gives a different perspective on a very familiar story. Highly recommend.
This book is interesting and informative while weaving a fictional tale about WWII and its combatants. The things described actually did happen many times over to real men. Gives a different perspective on a very familiar story. Highly recommend.
August 17, 2022
Outstanding story of unique circumstances, clever blending
Lots of details which lead to credibility. The blending of both sides at war molding into comrodship was an interesting experience. I recommend the book.
Lots of details which lead to credibility. The blending of both sides at war molding into comrodship was an interesting experience. I recommend the book.
March 16, 2024
I give the book a solid 3.5 out of 5. It seems like a good amount of attention was given to the details of the proper equipment, language of the time, and the conditions. Good enough of a read I might check out other books by the author.
April 12, 2024
This was an excellent story about enemies who, through circumstances, become allies and then friends.
As you read, you become entwined in the lives and challenges of our two protagonists, feeling their pain, confusion and true heart
As you read, you become entwined in the lives and challenges of our two protagonists, feeling their pain, confusion and true heart
July 18, 2020
Fiction , it didn’t say that until the end
I thought it was a true life story, it sucked me in and at every page I was hoping it would get better, waste of time and money
I thought it was a true life story, it sucked me in and at every page I was hoping it would get better, waste of time and money
July 24, 2020
Have read all of tom young books all of them were very good reads apart from silver wings iron cross which was a bit of a disaster was generous giving it 2 stars
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