Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

This is the most amazing book for anyone interested in the American Air Forces involved in WW2 in europe.Donald Miller's comprehansive knowledge of the subject, and excellent way of describing the air war against Germany is awesome - I couldn't put the book down!

The author does a good job of using personal accounts to create an exciting atmosphere and draw the reader into the boots of the USAAF as they flew, fought and died over the skies of Europe. Sadly, it's light on context, figures, strategic overview and regularly sacrifices factual accuracy on the altar of popular American jingoism. This is suitable for trying to get youngsters interested in military history, particularly if they are American, but it's a waste of time for any one else.

An excellant choice of world war 2 book to purchase and enjoy.

Excellent book.

good

Good book.

I must confess, I read this book to add some depth of knowledge to the interest in the subject spawned through playing a computer simulation long ago, and this book is an engrossing read. True, the book doesn't detail everything from the campaign, but what it does is provide eyewitness accounts to events that go some way to evoke the feelings that these young men experienced.For those who complain of lack of detail, there are no fewer than 33 pages to the bibliography, which attests to the effort Miller has put into this work.The book pulls no punches, but Miller is fair to those subject to criticism, giving us the background and the reasoning to decisions made, as well as busting a few myths. As a Brit, it was surprising to read Miller even giving Arthur Harris's methods a fair trial, but naturally enough, he shows pride in the philosophy of American bombers.All in all, this is a fantastic book if you wish to understand better the men and the missions that flew from the airbases that were located in East Anglia over the war, or even if you are just looking for a compelling collection of stories in the context of the Second World War.

This book is awesome.It is awesome because of its balanced and thorough analysis of the air war that pulverized Germany, a war now sentimentally known as "the good war" when Americans pulverized their enemies with the ease of comic book heroes."'Tain't so, Magee." Comic book heroes never had such courage.Instead, think of the 80 percent casualty rate of the US Eighth Air Force in its early years as book theory met killing reality in conditions that stagger modern imaginations. I've flown in a B-17; it is huge on the outside, inside it is a tiny tube filled with equipment, supplies and hundreds of sharp objects that hurt when you are bumped, slip or are thrown about. Think of riding inside your computer on a truck bouncing down a bumpy mountain road and having to write an A-plus story en route.So much for creature comfort. Put it all in air colder than Antarctica. Paint a big star on the side as a target, then send it into the sky for hours at a time. Soldiers on the ground sheltered in foxholes and bunkers; the skin of a B-17 was beer-can-thin aluminum. The plane is like a vast Tinkertoy riveted into an amazingly strong and yet frightfully vulnerable structure. It is a mighty aircraft, yet thin enough that a pigeon could penetrate it and injure crewmen.This is the reality of the bomber offensive. Miller presents it in awesome, chilling detail. Unlike most histories, it isn't a lone portrait of some brave men; instead, it includes chilling accounts from all. One account is of an American pilot flying with his elbows because his hands were blown off, another is of German children who roasted to death in their flaming cities.He spares neither the folly of American planners who thought their aircraft and tactics would be invincible and quickly effective, and the terrible folly of Germans who had worse delusions. The air war was a battle in which neither side surrendered; both fought until only one was left flying.Miller offers a convincing argument that victory in World War II was not inevitable, it was based on pure courage. No wonder World War II veterans are 'The Greatest Generation". Without their courage, far and above all expectations, orders or threats, the vast production of war material would have become a vast junkpile.There are many great books about the air war. This one has an advantage over most if not all because it draws many disparate facts, threads, ideas, opinions and follies into a comprehensive portrait. It is awesome, because it is a story of awesome courage.