The Bomber Boys: Heroes Who Flew the B-17s in World War II

By Travis Ayres

Book Overview

True tales of heroism and the men who fought and died in the skies of World War II Europe.

In World War II, there were all too many ways for a fighting man to die. But no theater of operations offered more fatal choices than the skies above Nazi-occupied Europe. Inside of a B-17 Bomber, thousands of feet above the earth, death was always a moment away. From the hellish storms of enemy flak and relentless strafing of Luftwaffe fighters, to mid-air collisions, mechanical failure, and simple bad luck, it's a wonder any man would volunteer for such dangerous duty. But some very brave men did.

Some paid the ultimate price. Some made it home. But in the end, all would achieve victory.

Here, author Travis L. Ayres has gathered a collection of previously untold personal accounts of combat and camaraderie aboard the B-17 Bombers that flew countless sorties against the enemy, as related by the men who lived and fought in the air--and survived. They are stories of heroism, sacrifice, miraculous survival and merciless warfare. But they should all be remembered...

INCLUDES PHOTOS

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451228715
• ISBN13: 9780451228710
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Dutton Caliber
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Excellent!

At first glance, this was just another WWII collection of bios and stories in the same vein as Ambrose's WWII books. But this book is just more than a collection of bios and stories. Firstly, this book is much more readable and that makes a big difference. I like Ayres' writing style, the way he introduced each story and how he added the "after the war" part at the end. I thought the stories were very well organized. Not only that, but each story was very well told, and to give you a tiny spoiler, a couple of the stories were quite special, not just the run of the mill WWII bio and you won't find out until you get to the end. There was even one operation I did not know about, even though it was quite important. He made the stories very personal, very human, that's what he focused on. The stories are short and easy to digest, a tiny window in all the literature of WWII that has been written, but nevertheless tells you why that generation was known as the Greatest Generation, and may we never have to have another Greatest Generation like that again. I'm definitely going to see if Ayres has written anything else and get those if he has.

The B-17s Bring the War to Germany

During World War II, the Americans and British engaged in a strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The British favored the concept of nighttime area bombing, while the Americans flew precision daylight missions against German targets. The main aircraft used by the Americans was the B-17 Flying Fortress, and this fine book tells the stories of five B-17 crewmen. Each crewman experienced unique encounters, including bailing from a burning B-17 without the parachute opening, surviving a German V-2 attack on London, walking across occupied France to the safety of neutral Spain, and flying the last B-17 mission of the war. Each story is told in vivid narrative, and the author does an excellent job of telling each man's individual story. The commonalities that these men faced were the vicious attacks by German fighters, the dense enemy flak, mid-air collisions, mechanical failure, and simple bad luck. But these men continued to fly missions against the enemy in the hopes of making it home to wives, girlfriends, and family. These men were mostly in their late teens and early twenties, but they fought with great tenacity. Many paid the ultimate price. I've read several books about the bomber war over Germany, and I rate "The Bomber Boys" as one of my favorites. I was impressed with the author's devotion of an entire chapter to a single person. This format allowed me to focus on each person individually, and I really felt that I learned something about the person. Each person's story is told in brilliant detail, so the reader really gets a true sense of what it was like to be in a B-17. I give this book my highest recommendation. Readers of World War II aviation history will definitely want to read "The Bomber Boys".

The Bomber Boys

The B-17 Bomber was one of the most deadly and effective weapons used to win WWII. It's success, however, must be credited to the young crew members who flew the Flying Fortress under unimaginable conditions. The Bomber Boys is about five ordinary young men who lived through incredible experiences and survived to share their stories with each other in their later years and with author Travis Ayers, who won their respect and permission to share those stories with the world. These true stories are so amazing that they seemed like adventurous fiction while giving the me insight into the true personal lives and thoughts of the subjects. This book is truly history brought to life.

I love this book!

This book is 5 true stories about World War Two B-17 Airmen. These men were just 18 to 20 years old and facing death on every mission. One of my favorite stories was about Peter Seniawsky. Peter had one of the most amazing escape adventures of World War Two. I couldn't put this book down. Travis L. Ayres has a writing style that captivates the reader from beginning to end. It would make a great gift for anyone who is interested in World War Two history.