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Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival
An American fighter pilot doomed to die in Buchenwald but determined to survive.
On August 13, 1944, Joe Moser set off on his forty-fourth combat mission over occupied France. Soon, he would join almost 170 other Allied airmen as prisoners in Buchenwald, one of the most notorious and deadly of Nazi concentration camps. Tom Clavin's Lightning Down tells this largely untold and riveting true story.
Moser was just twenty-two years old, a farm boy from Washington State who fell in love with flying. During the War he realized his dream of piloting a P-38 Lightning, one of the most effective weapons the Army Air Corps had against the powerful German Luftwaffe. But on that hot August morning he had to bail out of his damaged, burning plane. Captured immediately, Moser’s journey into hell began.
Moser and his courageous comrades from England, Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere endured the most horrific conditions during their imprisonment... until the day the orders were issued by Hitler himself to execute them. Only a most desperate plan would save them.
The page-turning momentum of Lightning Down is like that of a thriller, but the stories of imprisoned and brutalized airmen are true and told in unforgettable detail, led by the distinctly American voice of Joe Moser, who prays every day to be reunited with his family.
Lightning Down is a can’t-put-it-down inspiring saga of brave men confronting great evil and great odds against survival.
On August 13, 1944, Joe Moser set off on his forty-fourth combat mission over occupied France. Soon, he would join almost 170 other Allied airmen as prisoners in Buchenwald, one of the most notorious and deadly of Nazi concentration camps. Tom Clavin's Lightning Down tells this largely untold and riveting true story.
Moser was just twenty-two years old, a farm boy from Washington State who fell in love with flying. During the War he realized his dream of piloting a P-38 Lightning, one of the most effective weapons the Army Air Corps had against the powerful German Luftwaffe. But on that hot August morning he had to bail out of his damaged, burning plane. Captured immediately, Moser’s journey into hell began.
Moser and his courageous comrades from England, Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere endured the most horrific conditions during their imprisonment... until the day the orders were issued by Hitler himself to execute them. Only a most desperate plan would save them.
The page-turning momentum of Lightning Down is like that of a thriller, but the stories of imprisoned and brutalized airmen are true and told in unforgettable detail, led by the distinctly American voice of Joe Moser, who prays every day to be reunited with his family.
Lightning Down is a can’t-put-it-down inspiring saga of brave men confronting great evil and great odds against survival.
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2021
666 people are currently reading
10047 people want to read
About the author
Tom Clavin
43 books500 followersTom Clavin is the author/coauthor of eleven books. His most recent is That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas.
His articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, Men's Journal, Parade, Reader's Digest, and others.
He was a contributing reporter for the New York Times for fifteen years.
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October 21, 2025
Lightning Down by Tom Clavin
During WWII, one hundred and sixty eight Allied airmen were imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Given the name the name "Terrorflieger" (terror flyers), these men had first survived the infamous Fresnes Prison outside Paris before they were shipped in cattle cars to Buchenwald. Rather than being treated as POWs, according the Geneva Convention, their existence was kept secret and they knew their only reason to be at this camp was to die.
This true story follows Joe Moser, an American pilot, who was shot down over occupied France, on August 13, 1944. After being captured and sent to Fresnes Prison, Joe and the other airmen were taken to Buchenwald. Thinking that at some point they would be treated as POWs and given food, water, and livable accommodations to sit out the war as prisoners, instead they are faced with the almost impossible trial of surviving the death camp.
Even though I've read a lot of historical fiction detailing the horrors of the concentration camps, this story further shocked me with some of the most gruesome accounts of the treatment of the occupants of the camps that I have ever read. It's impossible for the mind to wrap around what occurred to so many people, on a daily basis. For the airmen, this wasn't the end, there were more horrors in store for them, as the Nazis were determined to hide their existence from the world, while they tried to determine a way to exterminate the men without Germany suffering repercussions against German POW pilots.
We don't just follow Joe. The story details the heroic efforts of those who risked and gave their lives to save others throughout this war. It is thanks to the efforts of Pilot Officer Philip John Lamason, and other pilots, that this group of men held together as an organized single unit, despite the nightmare that had become their lives. For all but two of these men, Buchenwald was not their final destination, as the men were forced on brutal and deadly winter marches to other locations. Throughout all of this, Joe felt guilt for those who risked/lost their lives trying to help them but also thankfulness that he woke up each day, knowing that at anytime, he could be one of the thousands to not see another sunrise.
A story that started out seeming dry had me fighting back tears by the end. Even once these survivors were rescued, most of them didn't speak out about their ordeals because they found they weren't believed. It was only decades later that all the facts came out and the surviving men could finally speak about the horrors and heroics that befell them.
Pub Nov 2, 2021
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
During WWII, one hundred and sixty eight Allied airmen were imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Given the name the name "Terrorflieger" (terror flyers), these men had first survived the infamous Fresnes Prison outside Paris before they were shipped in cattle cars to Buchenwald. Rather than being treated as POWs, according the Geneva Convention, their existence was kept secret and they knew their only reason to be at this camp was to die.
This true story follows Joe Moser, an American pilot, who was shot down over occupied France, on August 13, 1944. After being captured and sent to Fresnes Prison, Joe and the other airmen were taken to Buchenwald. Thinking that at some point they would be treated as POWs and given food, water, and livable accommodations to sit out the war as prisoners, instead they are faced with the almost impossible trial of surviving the death camp.
Even though I've read a lot of historical fiction detailing the horrors of the concentration camps, this story further shocked me with some of the most gruesome accounts of the treatment of the occupants of the camps that I have ever read. It's impossible for the mind to wrap around what occurred to so many people, on a daily basis. For the airmen, this wasn't the end, there were more horrors in store for them, as the Nazis were determined to hide their existence from the world, while they tried to determine a way to exterminate the men without Germany suffering repercussions against German POW pilots.
We don't just follow Joe. The story details the heroic efforts of those who risked and gave their lives to save others throughout this war. It is thanks to the efforts of Pilot Officer Philip John Lamason, and other pilots, that this group of men held together as an organized single unit, despite the nightmare that had become their lives. For all but two of these men, Buchenwald was not their final destination, as the men were forced on brutal and deadly winter marches to other locations. Throughout all of this, Joe felt guilt for those who risked/lost their lives trying to help them but also thankfulness that he woke up each day, knowing that at anytime, he could be one of the thousands to not see another sunrise.
A story that started out seeming dry had me fighting back tears by the end. Even once these survivors were rescued, most of them didn't speak out about their ordeals because they found they weren't believed. It was only decades later that all the facts came out and the surviving men could finally speak about the horrors and heroics that befell them.
Pub Nov 2, 2021
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
June 23, 2022
"I've had a wonderful life. I would go through it again to keep our freedom. I know I could be angry for what I had to go through, but it made life worth living." -- U.S. Army Air Force / WWII veteran Joe Moser, in one of his final interviews before his passing in 2015
I tell ya, author Clavin makes it all look easy. Known for his historical / non-fiction works (he skillfully jumps back-and-forth the disparate subjects of the 'wild west' frontier, World War II, and U.S. sports figures with ease), he has now delivered my favorite book of his ever-expanding bibliography with Lightning Down. The text's protagonist is Joe Moser, a Swiss-American / devout Catholic man from a farming family in rural Washington state. A hard-working salt-of-the-earth type, as a teenager and young man during the Great Depression-era Moser yearned to take to the skies as a pilot. Although it seemed to be unlikely to happen at first, the U.S. entry into WWII suddenly made this pipe dream a reality for him, when folks chose to serve their county, and he became a USAAF flight lieutenant.
Over two years Moser flew 43 missions over Europe as the solo crewman in the P-38 'Lightning' fighter plane, an oddly-configured aircraft that was one of the workhorses (along with the P-51 'Mustang') of the American military. On his 44th mission Moser was shot down and became a prisoner of war . . . but, unusually, he and over 160 other captured Allied forces airmen were initially and more alarmingly forced into the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp instead of the expected Geneva Convention-mandated prisoner-of-war facilities. Lightning Down details on their collective experiences, and also focuses somewhat on two additional men who, if not exactly 'heroes' in the traditional sense, helped ensure the survival of the military prisoners. Colonel Phillip Lamason (a New Zealand native) of the U.K.'s RAF was the highest-ranking of said airmen, and thus became the ragtag group's senior officer and was responsible for maintaining their order and morale. The other - and even more unlikely - was respected ace fighter pilot Colonel Johannes Trautloft of the Luftwaffe, who discovered (during a routine camp inspection tour) these wrongly-incarcerated POWs and, at his own risk, spearheaded efforts to have them moved to the more appropriate Stalag Luft III camp (best remembered as the setting in the book and film version of The Great Escape).
Lightning Down, especially by the concluding chapters, just put me through an emotional wringer (I had a lump in my throat when the Allied forces send a tank into the camp during the liberation moment, because I had no problem envisioning the American / British / Canadian / Australian POWs swarming it in extreme relief as described) and, without being at all heavy-handed about it, made me grateful for the service and sacrifice of those in the 'Greatest Generation.' I'll let Joe Moser have the final word here - "I paid a price -sure. But not like so many others. I do think the small price that I paid has made me much more appreciative than perhaps most for the cost of our freedom."
I tell ya, author Clavin makes it all look easy. Known for his historical / non-fiction works (he skillfully jumps back-and-forth the disparate subjects of the 'wild west' frontier, World War II, and U.S. sports figures with ease), he has now delivered my favorite book of his ever-expanding bibliography with Lightning Down. The text's protagonist is Joe Moser, a Swiss-American / devout Catholic man from a farming family in rural Washington state. A hard-working salt-of-the-earth type, as a teenager and young man during the Great Depression-era Moser yearned to take to the skies as a pilot. Although it seemed to be unlikely to happen at first, the U.S. entry into WWII suddenly made this pipe dream a reality for him, when folks chose to serve their county, and he became a USAAF flight lieutenant.
Over two years Moser flew 43 missions over Europe as the solo crewman in the P-38 'Lightning' fighter plane, an oddly-configured aircraft that was one of the workhorses (along with the P-51 'Mustang') of the American military. On his 44th mission Moser was shot down and became a prisoner of war . . . but, unusually, he and over 160 other captured Allied forces airmen were initially and more alarmingly forced into the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp instead of the expected Geneva Convention-mandated prisoner-of-war facilities. Lightning Down details on their collective experiences, and also focuses somewhat on two additional men who, if not exactly 'heroes' in the traditional sense, helped ensure the survival of the military prisoners. Colonel Phillip Lamason (a New Zealand native) of the U.K.'s RAF was the highest-ranking of said airmen, and thus became the ragtag group's senior officer and was responsible for maintaining their order and morale. The other - and even more unlikely - was respected ace fighter pilot Colonel Johannes Trautloft of the Luftwaffe, who discovered (during a routine camp inspection tour) these wrongly-incarcerated POWs and, at his own risk, spearheaded efforts to have them moved to the more appropriate Stalag Luft III camp (best remembered as the setting in the book and film version of The Great Escape).
Lightning Down, especially by the concluding chapters, just put me through an emotional wringer (I had a lump in my throat when the Allied forces send a tank into the camp during the liberation moment, because I had no problem envisioning the American / British / Canadian / Australian POWs swarming it in extreme relief as described) and, without being at all heavy-handed about it, made me grateful for the service and sacrifice of those in the 'Greatest Generation.' I'll let Joe Moser have the final word here - "I paid a price -sure. But not like so many others. I do think the small price that I paid has made me much more appreciative than perhaps most for the cost of our freedom."
November 12, 2021
Lightning Down by Tom Clavin was the tue story of a young farm boy, Joe Moser, who always dreamed of becoming a pilot. Joe grew up on a farm in the state of Washington. He finally got to fulfill his wish of becoming a pilot when the United States entered World War II. After a slow beginning that included too much technical details for me, Lightning Down picked up its pace. It unveiled the little known POW experience Joe and 167 other Allied men faced during World War II.
On August 13, 1944, Joe’s P-38 Lightning plane had been hit by the Germans while he was completing a mission over occupied France. His plane was about to be consumed in flames. Joe jumped and landed in a field where French farmers tried to help him. Unfortunately, German soldiers were quick to arrive. Joe was imprisoned at the Fresnes Prison outside Paris, France initially. Shortly after, Joe and 167 other allied airmen were transported by cattle cars to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. This went against everything The Geneva Convention stipulated. Joe and his fellow airmen should have been brought to a POW camp. Instead they were about to face starvation, disease, abuse and the constant threat of death as they were brought to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Lightning Down depicted the harrowing details Joe and his fellow airmen faced. The Nazis knew that they had to keep the whereabouts of these 168 airmen quiet and secretive. Joe and his fellow airmen knew they were living on borrowed time. They knew that the Nazis would have to ultimately kill them. The Nazis could not risk the chance that someone would discover that these Allied airmen were being kept in a concentration camp.
I have read many books about the Holocaust and the horrors of the concentration camps but I never heard of this harrowing experience that Joe Moser and his fellow airmen went through. When the men that survived the horrors of Buchenwald came home, no one believed their stories. Their governments chose to keep quiet about it. It wasn’t until decades later that Joe Moser’s story was finally told to the public and believed. Lightning Down was about courage, fear, resilience, heroism, and a determination to survive. It was the true account of the fate of 168 Allied airmen that finally has been told. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated well by George Newbern. This is a book that I would recommend to those who would like to find out more about the harrowing experiences these brave men were put through.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Lightning Down by Tom Clavin through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
On August 13, 1944, Joe’s P-38 Lightning plane had been hit by the Germans while he was completing a mission over occupied France. His plane was about to be consumed in flames. Joe jumped and landed in a field where French farmers tried to help him. Unfortunately, German soldiers were quick to arrive. Joe was imprisoned at the Fresnes Prison outside Paris, France initially. Shortly after, Joe and 167 other allied airmen were transported by cattle cars to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. This went against everything The Geneva Convention stipulated. Joe and his fellow airmen should have been brought to a POW camp. Instead they were about to face starvation, disease, abuse and the constant threat of death as they were brought to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Lightning Down depicted the harrowing details Joe and his fellow airmen faced. The Nazis knew that they had to keep the whereabouts of these 168 airmen quiet and secretive. Joe and his fellow airmen knew they were living on borrowed time. They knew that the Nazis would have to ultimately kill them. The Nazis could not risk the chance that someone would discover that these Allied airmen were being kept in a concentration camp.
I have read many books about the Holocaust and the horrors of the concentration camps but I never heard of this harrowing experience that Joe Moser and his fellow airmen went through. When the men that survived the horrors of Buchenwald came home, no one believed their stories. Their governments chose to keep quiet about it. It wasn’t until decades later that Joe Moser’s story was finally told to the public and believed. Lightning Down was about courage, fear, resilience, heroism, and a determination to survive. It was the true account of the fate of 168 Allied airmen that finally has been told. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated well by George Newbern. This is a book that I would recommend to those who would like to find out more about the harrowing experiences these brave men were put through.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Lightning Down by Tom Clavin through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 10, 2021
This was a WW2 history based on the experience of a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot. The author told much of pilot Joe Moser’s personal story and added bits of history surrounding the people and places he encountered during his service.
The story was interesting but it fell a little flat for me. I didn’t get emotionally involved because I want drawn into the story as I could have been. Though many events were either tragic or fantastic, the telling wasn’t compelling.
Three stars is the best I can give this book. I would like to give it more because of the people and events it contained, but three is where it lands.
Thanks MacMillan Audio via Netgalley.
The story was interesting but it fell a little flat for me. I didn’t get emotionally involved because I want drawn into the story as I could have been. Though many events were either tragic or fantastic, the telling wasn’t compelling.
Three stars is the best I can give this book. I would like to give it more because of the people and events it contained, but three is where it lands.
Thanks MacMillan Audio via Netgalley.
June 2, 2021
I found this book written by Tom Clavin to be a winner. The story of Joe Moser and his experiences after going into the service is just outstanding. I enjoy many books on World War II, and this is a good one. Clavin became a fighter pilot, which was his dream, and he had some hairy times in the air. But many of his pilot friends didn’t make it back. Clavin eventually had his plane damaged and had to bail out. He was sent to a concentration camp and things became very harrowing after that. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Tom Clavin, and the publisher.
April 15, 2021
Lightning Down by Tom Clavin is a stunning account of a US fighter pilot that fought in WWII, Joe Moser, and the harrowing events that he went through, and survived, that in my mind makes him a true hero.
I will save the narrative for the reader to be able to experience, however I will just say am awed, humbled, and honored to be able to read the author’s account of Joe’s experiences during WWII as a POW. To read all that he experienced, suffered through, and was able to overcome as prisoner after fighting for his country is nothing short of awe-inspiring and makes me so proud to be able to be part of the amazing country that Joe Moser represents. To read one traumatic event after another, one would think that the normal person would give up, and if they didn’t, they would be angered and bitter afterwards. But not Joe. Not only was he a survivor, but he was able to still find solace and happiness afterwards. The quote from Joe below says it all:
“I’ve had a wonderful life,” Joe said. “I would go through it again to keep our freedom. I know I could be angry for what I had to go through, but it made life worth living.”
I am so appreciative of the author to be able to bring to light Joe’s story, along with many other’s whose lives were forever changed (and sacrificed) for our country. I also am thankful that the discussion of PTSD was also included as well. Awareness of this issue is always needed.
I am thankful and honored to be able to read this account that was so tastefully and respectfully written. I cannot recommend this enough.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and St Martin’s Press for this amazing arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
I will save the narrative for the reader to be able to experience, however I will just say am awed, humbled, and honored to be able to read the author’s account of Joe’s experiences during WWII as a POW. To read all that he experienced, suffered through, and was able to overcome as prisoner after fighting for his country is nothing short of awe-inspiring and makes me so proud to be able to be part of the amazing country that Joe Moser represents. To read one traumatic event after another, one would think that the normal person would give up, and if they didn’t, they would be angered and bitter afterwards. But not Joe. Not only was he a survivor, but he was able to still find solace and happiness afterwards. The quote from Joe below says it all:
“I’ve had a wonderful life,” Joe said. “I would go through it again to keep our freedom. I know I could be angry for what I had to go through, but it made life worth living.”
I am so appreciative of the author to be able to bring to light Joe’s story, along with many other’s whose lives were forever changed (and sacrificed) for our country. I also am thankful that the discussion of PTSD was also included as well. Awareness of this issue is always needed.
I am thankful and honored to be able to read this account that was so tastefully and respectfully written. I cannot recommend this enough.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and St Martin’s Press for this amazing arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
October 13, 2021
I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the complementary ebook in exchange for honest review.
Lightning Down is a biography which describes in vivid details the life and horrors faced by military people in the hands of the Nazis. If you have an interest in history, WII and military, then this book is for you.
As a reader of historical fiction of WWII, I have read plenty books based on true incidents and very few biographies and non fiction in the same genre. This is my first book by Tom Clavin. This felt more like a docuserie which brings infront of you the events faced by Joe Moser and the others. The historical events, personal details, life before, during and after prison is described in detail. The stories, horrors faced during one of the darkest periods of history is unending, where we read about tragedies from survivors and this book is among them which describes accurately.
We should use these books to remember periods of history, heroism, human will to survive in adverse conditions which otherwise would be lost in time.
Lightning Down is a biography which describes in vivid details the life and horrors faced by military people in the hands of the Nazis. If you have an interest in history, WII and military, then this book is for you.
As a reader of historical fiction of WWII, I have read plenty books based on true incidents and very few biographies and non fiction in the same genre. This is my first book by Tom Clavin. This felt more like a docuserie which brings infront of you the events faced by Joe Moser and the others. The historical events, personal details, life before, during and after prison is described in detail. The stories, horrors faced during one of the darkest periods of history is unending, where we read about tragedies from survivors and this book is among them which describes accurately.
We should use these books to remember periods of history, heroism, human will to survive in adverse conditions which otherwise would be lost in time.
September 15, 2022
I was going to try and not read WW II stories the rest of the year, but.......
I think if you read one book of this genre, this is it. I did not grow up during this period, my grandparents, no longer living, all escaped from Germany, Poland, Austria and freed from camps did. Most of their families were never found.
No judgment. But if we don't hold up those who fought for freedom, if we don't honor those who gave their lives so we could live ours, their sacrifice was for nothing. If we don't learn those lessons and not allow those grim tyrannical behaviors to take over again.....
History will repeat itself.
I think if you read one book of this genre, this is it. I did not grow up during this period, my grandparents, no longer living, all escaped from Germany, Poland, Austria and freed from camps did. Most of their families were never found.
No judgment. But if we don't hold up those who fought for freedom, if we don't honor those who gave their lives so we could live ours, their sacrifice was for nothing. If we don't learn those lessons and not allow those grim tyrannical behaviors to take over again.....
History will repeat itself.
November 14, 2021
I'm a history junkie and a big Tom Clavin fan. I loved his previous books on Wild Bill, Tombstone and Dodge City. So when I saw this WW II book pop up for review, I knew I needed to read this as well. What a story! I couldn't stop reading!
Lightning Down tells the story of Joe Moser. Moser was 22-years old when he bailed out of his airplane over France in WW II. He was captured by the Germans and sent to a concentration camp. Buchenwald....a notorious death camp. He was one of 170 airman imprisoned there. It was a fight for survival as conditions were incredibly horrific.
OMG -- this book is so good! Once I got sucked into the story of everything this man went through, I couldn't stop reading! I can't even imagine what he and the others at Buchenwald went through. And how so many did not make it out again.
I listened to the audiobook (as well as reading my digital review copy). Narrated by George Newbern, the audio is just short of 8.5 hours. Newbern does a great job of reading. His voice is pleasant and he reads at a nice pace. Very enjoyable listen!
Another awesome book from Tom Clavin! I can tell his books are just going to be must-reads for me from here on out! I read early ARCs for review and then buy the audio book afterwards for every single one. Keep 'em comin, Tom!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Lightning Down tells the story of Joe Moser. Moser was 22-years old when he bailed out of his airplane over France in WW II. He was captured by the Germans and sent to a concentration camp. Buchenwald....a notorious death camp. He was one of 170 airman imprisoned there. It was a fight for survival as conditions were incredibly horrific.
OMG -- this book is so good! Once I got sucked into the story of everything this man went through, I couldn't stop reading! I can't even imagine what he and the others at Buchenwald went through. And how so many did not make it out again.
I listened to the audiobook (as well as reading my digital review copy). Narrated by George Newbern, the audio is just short of 8.5 hours. Newbern does a great job of reading. His voice is pleasant and he reads at a nice pace. Very enjoyable listen!
Another awesome book from Tom Clavin! I can tell his books are just going to be must-reads for me from here on out! I read early ARCs for review and then buy the audio book afterwards for every single one. Keep 'em comin, Tom!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
November 3, 2021
Surviving the Crash
Joe Mosier, a farm boy from Washington, had a great desire to fly airplanes. When he joined the Army Air Corps his dream was realized. He was flying the new P-38 Lightning one of the most effective weapons in the air corps.
The book tells of missions to protect ships, other larger bombers, and to blow up bridges and such. It tells of the feelings the pilots had, that they had no joy in shooting down enemy aircraft as the pilots were humans just like themselves. They did feel great when a mission was complete and all the aircraft returned safely, and they were sad when one didn't return.
I did not understand a lot of the talk about the airplanes themselves and all the technical stuff, but I did enjoy the story of the lives and feelings of the soldiers so far from home in a strange country.
One mission turned out not so well for Joe. He was hit and had to bail out over farmland in occupied France. Although some French farmers tried to help him he was captured by the Nazi's. He was not sent directly to a POW camp. First they put him in a prison in Paris, then he was sent to a concentration camp called Buchenwald instead of a POW camp.
The struggle for survival in this camp was real and hard. The unit of flyers did stay together and help each other. The threat of being sent to the crematorium which spewed ash on them every day from the murder and burning of the dead from the camp was almost unbearable. Then the unit commander got word that the order had come for them to be executed and it was only by incredible luck and means that they were saved from execution.
They were sent to another camp and after a few months toward the end of the war undertook a death march in the winter in temperatures of below zero weather in a snowstorm. They walked hundreds of miles in the weather and many perished and were left lying on the ground along the way. The remaining members of Joe's camp comrades stuck together and he once again escaped death by the help of his friends fighting to stay alive.
The book is the story of a will to survive, a quest for freedom and the story of one Washington farm boy that survived the Nazi's.
Anyone that is interested in history, the war and the Nazi's reign of terror should read this book. It is at times emotional, it is historical and a wonderful book of the human spirit.
I am glad I read this book and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Tom Clavin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of the book, all opinions are my own.
Joe Mosier, a farm boy from Washington, had a great desire to fly airplanes. When he joined the Army Air Corps his dream was realized. He was flying the new P-38 Lightning one of the most effective weapons in the air corps.
The book tells of missions to protect ships, other larger bombers, and to blow up bridges and such. It tells of the feelings the pilots had, that they had no joy in shooting down enemy aircraft as the pilots were humans just like themselves. They did feel great when a mission was complete and all the aircraft returned safely, and they were sad when one didn't return.
I did not understand a lot of the talk about the airplanes themselves and all the technical stuff, but I did enjoy the story of the lives and feelings of the soldiers so far from home in a strange country.
One mission turned out not so well for Joe. He was hit and had to bail out over farmland in occupied France. Although some French farmers tried to help him he was captured by the Nazi's. He was not sent directly to a POW camp. First they put him in a prison in Paris, then he was sent to a concentration camp called Buchenwald instead of a POW camp.
The struggle for survival in this camp was real and hard. The unit of flyers did stay together and help each other. The threat of being sent to the crematorium which spewed ash on them every day from the murder and burning of the dead from the camp was almost unbearable. Then the unit commander got word that the order had come for them to be executed and it was only by incredible luck and means that they were saved from execution.
They were sent to another camp and after a few months toward the end of the war undertook a death march in the winter in temperatures of below zero weather in a snowstorm. They walked hundreds of miles in the weather and many perished and were left lying on the ground along the way. The remaining members of Joe's camp comrades stuck together and he once again escaped death by the help of his friends fighting to stay alive.
The book is the story of a will to survive, a quest for freedom and the story of one Washington farm boy that survived the Nazi's.
Anyone that is interested in history, the war and the Nazi's reign of terror should read this book. It is at times emotional, it is historical and a wonderful book of the human spirit.
I am glad I read this book and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Tom Clavin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of the book, all opinions are my own.
May 2, 2021
This is such a horrifyingly tragic story that was wonderfully written. No matter how many stories you hear of people who survived the concentration camps, it just seems impossible to grasp how these things could ever happen. Even more so, it is impossible to grasp how people could survive them. After all the horrifying things this man endured, I think it's amazing that he managed to keep such a wonderful outlook on life.
April 17, 2022
This is Nonfiction/Biography/WWII History. I didn't love this one, but I appreciated some of the historical elements of this. The little details felt new and they painted details into the picture of war here.
I listened to the audio and this one came across as very factual...very wikipedia-esque. I missed some kind of emotional pull. This wasn't quite 3 stars for me, but I rounded up for the history. S0 3 stars.
I listened to the audio and this one came across as very factual...very wikipedia-esque. I missed some kind of emotional pull. This wasn't quite 3 stars for me, but I rounded up for the history. S0 3 stars.
October 12, 2022
After his airplane was shot down American airmen Joe Moser along with other captured airmen were given the name "Terrorflieger" (terror flyers, terrorist), and were not given trials. The German Foreign Office however, expressed concern about shooting prisoners of war and suggested that enemy airmen suspected of such offenses not be given the legal status of POWs. Following this advice, the Gestapo and security police informed these captured Allied airmen that they were criminals and spies and were sent to the famous Buchenwald concentration camp. The struggle for survival in this camp was real and hard. The unit of flyers did stay together and help each other. The threat of being sent to the crematorium which spewed ash on them every day from the murder and burning of the dead from the camp was almost unbearable. Then the unit commander got word that the order had come for them to be executed and it was only by incredible luck and means that they were saved from execution thanks to the efforts of Johanne Trautloft.
I didn't think I would say this but the real hero in this book is Johannes Trautloft. Hannes Traultloft was a famous German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 58 enemy aircraft shot down. In late 1944, a rumor crossed Trautloft's desk that a large number of Allied airmen were being held at Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Trautloft decided to visit the camp and see for himself under the pretense of inspecting aerial bomb damage near the camp. Trautloft was about to leave the camp when captured US airman Bernard Scharf called out to him in fluent German from behind a fence. The SS guards tried to intervene, but Trautloft pointed out that he out-ranked them and made them stand back. Scharf explained that he was one of more than 160 allied airmen imprisoned at the camp and begged Trautloft to rescue him and the other airmen. Disturbed by the event, Trautloft returned to Berlin and began the process to have the airmen transferred out of Buchenwald. Seven days before their scheduled execution, the airmen were taken by train by the Luftwaffe to Stalag Luft III. That unthinkable deed is what saved Joe Moser's life and is what this book is about.
I find stories of survival from World War II to be fascinating. The situations these people were put through and the pure urge to survive no matter what always inspires me to read more on them. Especially reading about Buchenwald Concentration Camp and the atrocities that went on there was unspeakable. I am so glad I read "Lightning Down." I don't know about you, but when I'm reading WWII nonfiction, I usually have Google nearby because I want to know more about the events, or a side character is mentioned that I want to know more about. With Clavin's book, I didn't feel the need to do any Googling. While he stays pretty focused on Moser's experiences, he gives information about the people who crossed Moser's path. He also put what Moser was doing in perspective with the larger events taking place throughout the war. Tom Calvin has brought history back to life and underscored the importance of never forgetting our past.
I didn't think I would say this but the real hero in this book is Johannes Trautloft. Hannes Traultloft was a famous German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 58 enemy aircraft shot down. In late 1944, a rumor crossed Trautloft's desk that a large number of Allied airmen were being held at Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Trautloft decided to visit the camp and see for himself under the pretense of inspecting aerial bomb damage near the camp. Trautloft was about to leave the camp when captured US airman Bernard Scharf called out to him in fluent German from behind a fence. The SS guards tried to intervene, but Trautloft pointed out that he out-ranked them and made them stand back. Scharf explained that he was one of more than 160 allied airmen imprisoned at the camp and begged Trautloft to rescue him and the other airmen. Disturbed by the event, Trautloft returned to Berlin and began the process to have the airmen transferred out of Buchenwald. Seven days before their scheduled execution, the airmen were taken by train by the Luftwaffe to Stalag Luft III. That unthinkable deed is what saved Joe Moser's life and is what this book is about.
I find stories of survival from World War II to be fascinating. The situations these people were put through and the pure urge to survive no matter what always inspires me to read more on them. Especially reading about Buchenwald Concentration Camp and the atrocities that went on there was unspeakable. I am so glad I read "Lightning Down." I don't know about you, but when I'm reading WWII nonfiction, I usually have Google nearby because I want to know more about the events, or a side character is mentioned that I want to know more about. With Clavin's book, I didn't feel the need to do any Googling. While he stays pretty focused on Moser's experiences, he gives information about the people who crossed Moser's path. He also put what Moser was doing in perspective with the larger events taking place throughout the war. Tom Calvin has brought history back to life and underscored the importance of never forgetting our past.
June 6, 2021
"Lightning Down" by Tom Clavin is a well-researched, fact-filled historical biography, with plenty of heart and inspiration. The story of Joe Moser and his fellow flyers in the United States Air Corps during World War II is a testimony to inner-strength, determination, and love country.
Joe Moser seemed to be just an ordinary guy. But he was an ordinary guy who loved planes and wanted to serve during World War II. He enlisted and was accepted in the the pilot program. After training for several years, 2nd Lt. Moser headed to England to begin his flying career in the Lightning plane he loved. After almost 50 successful runs over France and Germany, his plane was shot down. And so began the second part of his war story.
Although French partisans tried to rescue him, he was quickly found by the Germans and taken to a prison in Paris. He and fellow flyers rode the last cattle car-type train out of Paris before the city was liberated by the Allies. Thus began a year of the worst possible treatment and suffering that Nazi Germany could inflict. Joe Moser and 170 flyers were taken to infamous Buchenwald, instead of to a POW camp. The Nazi's considered them "terrorists" and so Germany did not follow the Geneva Convention rules with them. Joe and his comrades, who did their best to maintain military order, suffered through daily hideous and cruel treatment. Could they survive until the end of the war?
Filled with many famous figures and based on facts and records, this book is fascinating as well as a great story. The ending of the story, which updates Joe's long life, is even more amazing than the war time heroics. How proud we should be of the young men who rose up as ordinary citizens to forgo their immediate dreams and plans, and perhaps even make the ultimate sacrifice, in order to battle the evil of the Nazi regime. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Joe Moser seemed to be just an ordinary guy. But he was an ordinary guy who loved planes and wanted to serve during World War II. He enlisted and was accepted in the the pilot program. After training for several years, 2nd Lt. Moser headed to England to begin his flying career in the Lightning plane he loved. After almost 50 successful runs over France and Germany, his plane was shot down. And so began the second part of his war story.
Although French partisans tried to rescue him, he was quickly found by the Germans and taken to a prison in Paris. He and fellow flyers rode the last cattle car-type train out of Paris before the city was liberated by the Allies. Thus began a year of the worst possible treatment and suffering that Nazi Germany could inflict. Joe Moser and 170 flyers were taken to infamous Buchenwald, instead of to a POW camp. The Nazi's considered them "terrorists" and so Germany did not follow the Geneva Convention rules with them. Joe and his comrades, who did their best to maintain military order, suffered through daily hideous and cruel treatment. Could they survive until the end of the war?
Filled with many famous figures and based on facts and records, this book is fascinating as well as a great story. The ending of the story, which updates Joe's long life, is even more amazing than the war time heroics. How proud we should be of the young men who rose up as ordinary citizens to forgo their immediate dreams and plans, and perhaps even make the ultimate sacrifice, in order to battle the evil of the Nazi regime. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
January 17, 2022
In the hands of a better author, this book could have been great. However, the odd syntax and awkward sentences made completing it, a chore. For example : "The Allied airmen continued to be confused about where they were: How could this possibly not be a camp for prisoners of war who would have the protection of the Geneva convention?"
I suspect Clavin was attempting to present Joe Moser's thoughts as they occurred. This format doesn't work well for him or the story.
Clavin LOVES to begin sentences with "but" & "It", often many times within the same chapter. This creates short choppy sentences that I had to ensure I had read properly. He also writes sentences that are long enough to be an entire paragraph. In pages 2 & 3 of the Prologue alone, Clavin writes: "But not far enough before they were spotterd by the German guards." "But no one moved." "But the journey would not end, day after agonizing day." "-but it was not the one the airmen expected." "But after less than five minutes of fresh air they were herded back in again."
The story of airmen held at Buchenwald is riveting. The SS under Himmer considered them "terrorists" rather than "POWS" because France was technically not at war with the Allies.
I was tempted to put the book down many times. This was, by far, one of the most poorly written WWII books I have read. It simply can not compare to those of World War Two historians such as Lynne Olson or Neal Bascomb. I expected a book similar to "Unbroken." I am glad to know of the struggles of these downed airmen, but very disappointed in the presentation.
I suspect Clavin was attempting to present Joe Moser's thoughts as they occurred. This format doesn't work well for him or the story.
Clavin LOVES to begin sentences with "but" & "It", often many times within the same chapter. This creates short choppy sentences that I had to ensure I had read properly. He also writes sentences that are long enough to be an entire paragraph. In pages 2 & 3 of the Prologue alone, Clavin writes: "But not far enough before they were spotterd by the German guards." "But no one moved." "But the journey would not end, day after agonizing day." "-but it was not the one the airmen expected." "But after less than five minutes of fresh air they were herded back in again."
The story of airmen held at Buchenwald is riveting. The SS under Himmer considered them "terrorists" rather than "POWS" because France was technically not at war with the Allies.
I was tempted to put the book down many times. This was, by far, one of the most poorly written WWII books I have read. It simply can not compare to those of World War Two historians such as Lynne Olson or Neal Bascomb. I expected a book similar to "Unbroken." I am glad to know of the struggles of these downed airmen, but very disappointed in the presentation.
January 19, 2024
Absolutely impressive.
August 12, 2021
A Book Review by Brian:
Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival by Tom Clavin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This will not be one of my typical book reviews as this was not a typical read. This was an Advanced Readers Copy and the book will be on sale November 2 of this year. Thank you to Tom Clavin and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have studied and read a lot on the Holocaust and World War II(I was a history education major in college). It still never ceases to amaze me what some people endured and what other people were capable of doing to other human beings.
This book tells the story of Joe Moser, a young American Pilot who is shot down over France in 1944. He was then captured by the Germans and eventually ended up in the Nazi concentration camp called Buchenwald. What Joe, the other American pilots, and other prisoners of the camp are forced to endure while imprisoned at Buchenwald is indescribable and at times, hard to read. I don't think anyone can really understand what those men truly went through without having experienced it(and I pray no one ever has to experience anything close to the Nazi concentration camps).
I would encourage all people to read this book and then do some self reflection. Joe had an incredible outlook on life, despite all that he had been put through and survived. It will really make you realize that the problems that we deal with in our every day lives are actually a luxury. We are free people and are kept free by individuals like Joe Moser, who endured horrific travesties just to keep us free. As hard as this book was to read at times, it was a very worth while read that I am glad I took the time to read.
Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival by Tom Clavin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This will not be one of my typical book reviews as this was not a typical read. This was an Advanced Readers Copy and the book will be on sale November 2 of this year. Thank you to Tom Clavin and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have studied and read a lot on the Holocaust and World War II(I was a history education major in college). It still never ceases to amaze me what some people endured and what other people were capable of doing to other human beings.
This book tells the story of Joe Moser, a young American Pilot who is shot down over France in 1944. He was then captured by the Germans and eventually ended up in the Nazi concentration camp called Buchenwald. What Joe, the other American pilots, and other prisoners of the camp are forced to endure while imprisoned at Buchenwald is indescribable and at times, hard to read. I don't think anyone can really understand what those men truly went through without having experienced it(and I pray no one ever has to experience anything close to the Nazi concentration camps).
I would encourage all people to read this book and then do some self reflection. Joe had an incredible outlook on life, despite all that he had been put through and survived. It will really make you realize that the problems that we deal with in our every day lives are actually a luxury. We are free people and are kept free by individuals like Joe Moser, who endured horrific travesties just to keep us free. As hard as this book was to read at times, it was a very worth while read that I am glad I took the time to read.
November 6, 2021
Lightning Down is a biographical story of Joe Moser, "An American fighter pilot doomed to die in Buchenwald but determined to survive." And what a story of survival it is!
This book hit harder than works of fiction I have read on the subject -- Moser's experiences, as well as others reported throughout the book are horrific and terrifying. Clavin leads into the horrors with backstory on Moser and other figures before we get to the cruelties at Buchenwald (and beyond). If you typically read works of fiction on the subject, the beginning may take time to work through. However, hearing Clavin's telling of Moser's story is incredibly important and I encourage you to stick with it--even though many of the experiences will be hard to hear.
We also hear how Moser, as well as many other survivors, were not believed when initially sharing their stories of survival. That is why it is incredibly important that first-hand accounts like this are recorded, read and shared.
George Newbern's narration was direct, clear and steady throughout the heavy information and terrors he was narrating.
Amidst the cruelties, there are also several accounts of bravery and hope sprinkled throughout Moser's experiences.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a digital audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book hit harder than works of fiction I have read on the subject -- Moser's experiences, as well as others reported throughout the book are horrific and terrifying. Clavin leads into the horrors with backstory on Moser and other figures before we get to the cruelties at Buchenwald (and beyond). If you typically read works of fiction on the subject, the beginning may take time to work through. However, hearing Clavin's telling of Moser's story is incredibly important and I encourage you to stick with it--even though many of the experiences will be hard to hear.
We also hear how Moser, as well as many other survivors, were not believed when initially sharing their stories of survival. That is why it is incredibly important that first-hand accounts like this are recorded, read and shared.
George Newbern's narration was direct, clear and steady throughout the heavy information and terrors he was narrating.
Amidst the cruelties, there are also several accounts of bravery and hope sprinkled throughout Moser's experiences.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a digital audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 16, 2021
This is another good biography by the author in that the book reads more like a novel that a recitation of history. This one deals with Joe Moser who is one of the pilots shot down over France during World War II and eventually ends up as one of 168 pilots categorized as terrorists by the SS and sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. After an extended period of time they are saved by a Luftwaffe officer and transferred to a POW camp just shortly before they are to be executed and sent to the ovens. This is a solid story about the conditions they endured and overcame. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in World War II.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.
November 12, 2021
During WWII, fighter pilot Joe Moser was imprisoned by the Germans after his plane crashed. He was held at Buchenwald, "the deepest, darkest part of the heart of Nazi evil and hatred." Upon arrival, Joe was told there would no escape "except as smoke through the chimney."
The prologue was very interesting but I found the first 1/3 uninteresting as it was mostly about the aircraft and its capabilities, so I skimmed much of it. After that, the story focused on Joe and then, I was hooked. I will, however, caution that the descriptions of the camp and the atrocities that occurred there (starvation, torture, death, etc) were brutal and definitely not for the faint of heart.
Location: Germany
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The prologue was very interesting but I found the first 1/3 uninteresting as it was mostly about the aircraft and its capabilities, so I skimmed much of it. After that, the story focused on Joe and then, I was hooked. I will, however, caution that the descriptions of the camp and the atrocities that occurred there (starvation, torture, death, etc) were brutal and definitely not for the faint of heart.
Location: Germany
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
August 17, 2022
Immensely disturbing while humbling and equally inspiring. If you love an intense non-fiction page turner about human tragedy and perseverance then read this book. It will not disappoint.
November 9, 2022
An excellent story of WWII with an easy to read format. An aspect of WWII not well known with downed US pilots going to the concentration camps.
A must read for the WWII history bluff.
A must read for the WWII history bluff.
April 13, 2023
Not many words to describe the feelings after reading a story like this. Incredible, amazing, horrific... It's important to keep these stories alive, but what a hard story to read at times. The horrific things done to people by other people is mind numbing at times. But also the good things and acts of bravery I've read, it was incredible to finally read about from this perspective! Highly recommend adding this book to your repertoire.
January 13, 2022
An incredible survival story that is hard to put down. Would recommend this book to anybody.
September 3, 2024
La historia es sobrecogedora, pero la narración es irregular. Algunos pasajes son más bien planos. Me parece que no hacía falta elogiar tanto al personaje de Moser: toda su experiencia vital lo justificaba por sí sola.
Hay fragmentos sumamente crueles, trágicos y detallados, de revolver el estómago.
Hay fragmentos sumamente crueles, trágicos y detallados, de revolver el estómago.
July 17, 2024
"'We stood together,' wrote Joe Moser, 'as still and military-like as our weakened and tired bodies would allow. We were Americans, and Britons, and Canadians, and Aussies and New Zealanders and more. We would win this fight. We might no longer be able to contribute much, but by God, we would do all we could. They could starve us, treat us like dogs, humiliate us and torture us, but they could not break our fighting spirits.'"
Just when you think you've read about the worst of humanity the Nazis always find a way to become even worse. This was an incredibly hard book to read especially once the story turned to the concentration camps (primarily Buchenwald) and I had to put the book down a few times because it was just so unthinkably monstrous that it didn't even feel real. Forewarning: I will be putting some quotes down below that incorporate some of this so if you don't want any details maybe stop this review here :)
"I kept thinking about what the guard had said when we first came into camp, about not leaving except as smoke through the chimney. When you are young, all of life is ahead and it is not easy to face the likelihood of death. That's why they send young men and women to war; we think nothing bad can happen to us. Yes, it's very possible to be scared, but there is always this innate belief that everything is going to be alright. Now, despite our youth and optimism, we weren't so sure."
Joe Moser--who this book is primarily about--was trapped in a concentration camp in his early twenties. He returned home at the age of 23 which put a lot of things into perspective for me since I am in the same age group, I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like to see such horrible things so young. Tom Clavin does not pull any punches when telling this story of these American pilots (among officers from other countries) who ended up in Buchenwald and had to fight everyday just for their humanity and their lives. It is a powerful story in the fact that they held onto their principles and each other during a time where it would have been easy--and almost understandable--if it had been "every man for himself."
"According to The Buchenwald Report, a compendium initially produced in May 1945, the purpose of the concentration camp system was that 'it is better to put ten innocent people behind barbed wire than to leave a single opponent in freedom.'"
While this story is Joe Moser's story, Tom Clavin includes details on other prisoners and highlights those who fought back--and were killed for it. He sets up the setting almost too well (I really felt like I could visualize it. Hence the need for reading breaks) and each person gets parts of their story told. He could have easily skipped by all the "setting the scene" moments and skipped right to Joe's story but he really took the time to talk about the horrific acts of the Nazi's in charge, the prisoners whose only crimes were who they are, and those who were critical in saving the lives of others.
"...it was a place where men and children were starved, worked to death and executed. We had found ourselves in the deepest, darkest part of the heart of Nazi evil and hatred."
I'm going to include a few quotes below that include some of the things I read that legitimately horrified me. They speak for themselves when they give a glimpse into the gross inhumanity of those who should have looked upon the actions of the Nazi party in horror.
"When the mood struck him, Koch ordered several prisoners locked inside the bear cage, where they were torn to shreds as the commandant and his underlings looked on as though watching a theatrical production. Prisoners had to compete with the animals for food scraps, with the latter often given priority. The zoo was particularly popular among the children of the SS officers and senior guards, creating the scenario of the youngsters feeding food to deer while only yards away starving prisoners looked on, watching the animals eat more in one encounter than they did in an entire day."
The following footnote discusses Koch's wife:
"...there was also valid, corroborating testomy. Ilse Koch did decorate her desk with two heads shrunken to one-fifth their normal size, which had belonged to Polish prisoners who had escaped the camp but were captured. She also had a table lamp made of human skin and bone. 'The light was switched on by pressing the little toe of one of the three human feet that formed the stand,' a pathology department worker testified."
Despite the deplorable acts that are recorded in this book, I agree with the author that this book is one of hope.
"'A roar went up from the camp that rolled through the acres, down through the narrow muddy corridors, in between the shabby tents, into the ramshackle barracks,' according to Joe. It was 'a roar of relief and joy and exhilaration that only the truly liberated can know.'
He added: 'The roar grew and grew--such a sound will lift your heart for the rest of your life once you hear it. Freedom. Just a word, but something good and brave men will give their lives for in a heartbeat.'"
To say this book was a hard read is an understatement. There were photographs included that will stay burned in my mind for the rest of my life and Lightning Down is a harrowing reminder that the extent of the suffering during the Holocaust will likely never be known. I seem to find new stories about the Holocaust, just when I think I've heard it all. This is a book that should be read as a reminder of the beautiful gift of freedom that many of us enjoy today but furthermore to help us remember the lives of those who survived and those who were lost. These are stories that must be remembered--and an important reminder of the results of dehumanizing those who disagree with you.
"Emotions ran even higher, if that was possible, as the Nazi swastika flag was lowered above the camp administration building and replaced by the flag of the United States of America. As Joe recalled, 'When we saw those stars and stripes rise into the blue sky of that late April day and replace the black and read slash of Nazi hatred, it carried with it the meaning of almost all that is precious in this life--family, security, and most of all freedom.'"
Content: This really has every horrible thing under the sun (graphic violence, mass murder, executions, rape, mutilation, disease), there is some language used but not a lot, if your book copy includes photographs (which I'm assuming it would) some of them are graphic in nature (within photographs of people discussed there is one in particular with bodies piled on the back of a truck that was particularly hard to look at)
Just when you think you've read about the worst of humanity the Nazis always find a way to become even worse. This was an incredibly hard book to read especially once the story turned to the concentration camps (primarily Buchenwald) and I had to put the book down a few times because it was just so unthinkably monstrous that it didn't even feel real. Forewarning: I will be putting some quotes down below that incorporate some of this so if you don't want any details maybe stop this review here :)
"I kept thinking about what the guard had said when we first came into camp, about not leaving except as smoke through the chimney. When you are young, all of life is ahead and it is not easy to face the likelihood of death. That's why they send young men and women to war; we think nothing bad can happen to us. Yes, it's very possible to be scared, but there is always this innate belief that everything is going to be alright. Now, despite our youth and optimism, we weren't so sure."
Joe Moser--who this book is primarily about--was trapped in a concentration camp in his early twenties. He returned home at the age of 23 which put a lot of things into perspective for me since I am in the same age group, I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like to see such horrible things so young. Tom Clavin does not pull any punches when telling this story of these American pilots (among officers from other countries) who ended up in Buchenwald and had to fight everyday just for their humanity and their lives. It is a powerful story in the fact that they held onto their principles and each other during a time where it would have been easy--and almost understandable--if it had been "every man for himself."
"According to The Buchenwald Report, a compendium initially produced in May 1945, the purpose of the concentration camp system was that 'it is better to put ten innocent people behind barbed wire than to leave a single opponent in freedom.'"
While this story is Joe Moser's story, Tom Clavin includes details on other prisoners and highlights those who fought back--and were killed for it. He sets up the setting almost too well (I really felt like I could visualize it. Hence the need for reading breaks) and each person gets parts of their story told. He could have easily skipped by all the "setting the scene" moments and skipped right to Joe's story but he really took the time to talk about the horrific acts of the Nazi's in charge, the prisoners whose only crimes were who they are, and those who were critical in saving the lives of others.
"...it was a place where men and children were starved, worked to death and executed. We had found ourselves in the deepest, darkest part of the heart of Nazi evil and hatred."
I'm going to include a few quotes below that include some of the things I read that legitimately horrified me. They speak for themselves when they give a glimpse into the gross inhumanity of those who should have looked upon the actions of the Nazi party in horror.
"When the mood struck him, Koch ordered several prisoners locked inside the bear cage, where they were torn to shreds as the commandant and his underlings looked on as though watching a theatrical production. Prisoners had to compete with the animals for food scraps, with the latter often given priority. The zoo was particularly popular among the children of the SS officers and senior guards, creating the scenario of the youngsters feeding food to deer while only yards away starving prisoners looked on, watching the animals eat more in one encounter than they did in an entire day."
The following footnote discusses Koch's wife:
"...there was also valid, corroborating testomy. Ilse Koch did decorate her desk with two heads shrunken to one-fifth their normal size, which had belonged to Polish prisoners who had escaped the camp but were captured. She also had a table lamp made of human skin and bone. 'The light was switched on by pressing the little toe of one of the three human feet that formed the stand,' a pathology department worker testified."
Despite the deplorable acts that are recorded in this book, I agree with the author that this book is one of hope.
"'A roar went up from the camp that rolled through the acres, down through the narrow muddy corridors, in between the shabby tents, into the ramshackle barracks,' according to Joe. It was 'a roar of relief and joy and exhilaration that only the truly liberated can know.'
He added: 'The roar grew and grew--such a sound will lift your heart for the rest of your life once you hear it. Freedom. Just a word, but something good and brave men will give their lives for in a heartbeat.'"
To say this book was a hard read is an understatement. There were photographs included that will stay burned in my mind for the rest of my life and Lightning Down is a harrowing reminder that the extent of the suffering during the Holocaust will likely never be known. I seem to find new stories about the Holocaust, just when I think I've heard it all. This is a book that should be read as a reminder of the beautiful gift of freedom that many of us enjoy today but furthermore to help us remember the lives of those who survived and those who were lost. These are stories that must be remembered--and an important reminder of the results of dehumanizing those who disagree with you.
"Emotions ran even higher, if that was possible, as the Nazi swastika flag was lowered above the camp administration building and replaced by the flag of the United States of America. As Joe recalled, 'When we saw those stars and stripes rise into the blue sky of that late April day and replace the black and read slash of Nazi hatred, it carried with it the meaning of almost all that is precious in this life--family, security, and most of all freedom.'"
Content: This really has every horrible thing under the sun (graphic violence, mass murder, executions, rape, mutilation, disease), there is some language used but not a lot, if your book copy includes photographs (which I'm assuming it would) some of them are graphic in nature (within photographs of people discussed there is one in particular with bodies piled on the back of a truck that was particularly hard to look at)
January 10, 2023
A well-laid out story of survival in the Buchenwald concentration camp of WWII. The author, Tom Clavin, writes an excellent historical non-fiction narrative that has me reading almost non-stop. This true story of a young farm boy, Joe Mosier, who became a P-38 Lighting pilot and was subsequently shot down. It illustrates the horrors of concentration camp life and will of the human spirit to overcome. I would recommend it for anyone that is interested in history, the war and the Nazi's reign of terror.
January 3, 2022
I liked this book, it is essentially the history of Joe Moser's experience in World War II. He was a war hero and his story is worth knowing. With as many books as I have read about World War II, I'm still learning about people, experiences and bravery that I have never known before. I'm glad we get to continue to learn about and understand this time in history. I fear too many people refuse to visit the past so we will be doomed to repeat it.
January 12, 2023
An incredible story about survival, perseverance, and humility. It was definitely hard at times to listen to the tragic truth of life as a prisoner of war in WWII, but I had no idea that so many Allied airmen were at concentration camps and I learned a lot. The narrator was excellent too, and I felt like I could picture everything he said.
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