The Wild Blue http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Wild-Blue-Stephen-E-Ambrose/9780743450621

The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany

By Stephen E. Ambrose

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About the Author

Stephen E. Ambrose, leading World War II historian, was the author of numerous books on history including the Number 1 bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, D-DAY (on which SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was based) PEGASUS BRIDGE and WILD BLUE. He is founder of the Eisenhower Center and the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He died in 2002.

Reviews

Ambrose's latest, and perhaps most controversial, book purports to be about those who flew in the B-24 heavy bombers against the Third Reich. Actually, its focus is very much on the service of one pilot: former Sen. George McGovern. While the story of McGovern's commendable service is quite interesting and sometimes moving, the author could have given more space to others who flew in the B-24s. This work is certainly not on a par with Ambrose's earlier Band of Brothers. Jeffrey DeMunn's delivery is steady and his voice smooth. Ambrose himself reads a foreword and an afterword that display his usual enthusiasm for his subject. Public libraries should seriously consider this program, despite its flaws.-Michael T. Fein, Central Virginia Community Coll., Lynchburg Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Brought to life by best-selling historian Ambrose (author of more than 20 books), here is one of America's forgotten workhorse weapons of WWII the B-24 bomber. Carrying a heavier payload than the glamorous B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24, nicknamed the Liberator, also filled the skies over Germany, bombing troops, oil refineries, factories and other strategic targets. South Dakota-born George S. McGovern was 22 when he became a B-24 pilot in the 741st Bomb Squadron, based in Cerignola, Italy. Though basing the book largely on McGovern's 35 missions, for which he won the Distinguished Flying Cross, Ambrose includes many other stories about the men who flew over Germany and eastern Europe. As Ambrose makes abundantly clear, the planes were not fun to fly. The crew faced inside temperatures of 50 below zero, sat in cramped seats and suffered high casualty rates. Ambrose follows pilots and crews from start to finish where they were from, their backgrounds, training, bravery and heroism as they did their part to help win the war. Today there are only four B-24s left of the 18,300 that once made up the force. While this book leans largely toward hagiography of the everymen it depicts, it also clearly refutes lies spread about McGovern's service during the 1972 presidential campaign. Photos not seen by PW. (Aug.) Forecast: Any book with the Ambrose name should do a short stint on bestseller lists; this one should pick up some (largely unrelated) momentum from the Pearl Harbor anniversary and film. The book's release coincides with the airing of a 10-part Dreamworks/ HBO series based on Ambrose's Band of Brothers. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.