books:

	The Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 Stephen E. Ambrose Simon & Schuster, 2002 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 162 reviews view larger image
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The book is largely centered on George McGovern's experiences in the war, as a B-24 pilot, and I would have liked to read more about the other pilots, co-pilots, and flight crew members. Ambrose mentions a plethora of other men, but merely skims most of them. The reader does not really get to know most of the characters, as they did in Band of Brothers (Ambrose's work concerning the 101st Airborne division, which I consider to be a better book).

I also wish Ambrose had gone into more detail overall. As some other reviewers have commented, the book does seem a bit rushed. Perhaps this stems from the fact that the concept for the book was not originally his - Ambrose picked up the project, on the recommendation of George McGovern, from another author who had already started it. Again to compare with Band of Brothers, I did not feel, when I finished this book, that I had as in-depth a knowledge about the AAF as I gained about the 101st Airborne. And while I have certainly gained respect for the B-24 bomber pilots and their crews, I did not come away with the overwhelming feeling of awe and admiration that I did for the paratroopers of E-Company in Band of Brothers.

I was also disappointed to see a lack of good editting. There are numerous typos throughout the text that should have been caught and corrected before publication. This bogs down the text in some places, as the reader takes a few moments to realize that "so" is supposed to be "do" and so on. The book is certainly not worthless - as I said I did learn from and enjoy it - but does leave something to be desired. It would probably be best recommended to casual World War II readers, like myself, and not to true scholars and history buffs, who I'm sure could find more useful references elsewhere.

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Good enough, but not inspiring like his other works.

This book was well written, as usual, by Steven Ambrose. However, I was left with the impression that the book was written as a favor to the main protagonist, George McGovern. Indeed, the Senator approached the author and asked him to tell his story; that is the genesis of Wild Blue. I liked this book, but it is not one that I will read multiple times (like I have done with "D-Day" and "Band of Brothers)." Wild Blue is worthwhile because it tells about bomber crews attacking what Churchill called "the soft underbelly of Europe." Most published Army Air Force history of WW II has concentrated on the bombing raids that originated in England, so this oral history of crews flying from the South is a welcome addition. However, I do agree with other reviewers who say this is clearly not Ambrose's best work. After reading Wild Blue I was not left with the sense of awe, gratitude and patriotism I felt from reading D-Day, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, and Undaunted Courage; they all outshine this one.

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Greatest Generation

The topic is rather narrow but still very interesting. It was not the aviation aspects that I found most captivating, which is treated so much better in numerous other books and novels, but the make up of men (no women yet) who ended up prosecuting this massive air campaign, the mind-numbing size and scale of the effort, the logistics, the training and the youth of these aerial fighters. This was highlighted to a higher degree in this book than many other similar works. Most impressive was the extensive training programs that were implemented in short order that were able to transform so many ordinary citizens into experts at flying these complex machines and delivering their deadly cargoes into the heart of the Nazi empire. This is in such keeping with the uniquely egalitarian American traditions. Contrast this with our current reliance on a warrior class to take on these responsibilities. The book follows the involvement in WWII of a very young McGovern and his crew, which makes it all the more interesting. Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable behind the yoke? That was the Greatest Generation!
Though the risks they took were tremendous, it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Note that, through none of his required 35 missions, a single German or Italian fighter ever attacks McGovern's ship. Which is most surprising. By his entry into war in late 44, Luftwaffe was already cut down to size, and maybe that's why the 8th gets more of the glory, which was mauled heavily by the best of Germans fighters early on. Unlike American pilots, Germans did not have the luxury of a decent training away from combat zone, and typically flew until shot down. It was also noteworthy that the heavy bombing of German and Austrian targets continued unabated until two weeks before the surrender of the German Army!
The writing is quite unattractive, as if in one afternoon he just copied all his notes and called it a book. His sentences are short and stucco, as if using military efficiency himself. He also paints the characters into larger than life heroes. Though understandable, it is obviously unrealistic and takes away from the book. Still, there is no evidence of any one of the men described ever doubting the mission, or why they are so far from home fighting an enemy that does not seem to be an immediate threat to USA. This is most interesting and also impressive.
It must be noted that the skills in organizing such massive undertakings in USA, from production ramps to training and logistics, and the sheer number of people who experienced such responsibilities at such early age who then joined the private and government sectors must be one of the reasons for rapid dominance of American industry following the war. Whereas in Germany for example, factories running in underground complexes, with severe shortages of basics and manned mostly by slave labor, did not produce many transferable skills to peace time industrial activities.
It is a good read, not the best of its kind for sure, but worthwhile.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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