Deadly Sky: The American Combat Airman in World War II

by John C. McManus

Overview

“From the training camps to the combat missions, this is war from the perspective of the young Americans who lived through it: the pilots, the bombardiers, the navigators, and the gunners of all the combat services in both Europe and in the Pacific. It is an engaging and vivid portrayal of war in the skies from 1941 to 1945.”—Craig L. Symonds, Author of World War II at Sea
 
John C. McManus, author of The Dead and Those About to Die and September Hope, reveals the terror and triumph that shared the fiery skies of World War II—from the first dogfights over Europe to the last Kamikaze attacks over the Pacific.
 
This insightful chronicle takes readers inside the experiences of America’s fighter pilots and bomber crews, an incredible assortment of men who, in nearly four years of warfare all over the globe, suffered over 120,000 casualties with over 40,000 killed.
 
Their stories span the earth into every corner of the combat theaters in both Europe and the Pacific. And the aircraft explored are as varied, tough, and legendary as the men who flew them­—from the indomitable heavy-duty warhorse that was the B-17 Flying Fortress to the sleek, lethal P-51 Mustang fighter.
 
In Deadly Sky, master historian John C. McManus goes beyond the familiar tales of aerial hero'sm, capturing the sights and sounds, the toil and fear, the adrenaline and the pain of the American airmen who faced death with every mission. In this important, thoroughly-researched work, McManus uncovers the true nature of fighting—and dying—in the skies over World War II.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451475640
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	485,945
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	1120L (what's this?)

About the Author

John C. McManus is an award-winning professor, author, and military historian, and a leading expert on the history of the American combat experience. He is the Curators' Distinguished Professor of U.S. Military History at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and is currently in residence at the U.S. Naval Academy as the Leo A. Shifrin Chair of Naval and Military History. His critically acclaimed books on World War II include Grunts, September Hope, and The Dead and Those About to Die. His next book, Fire and Fortitude: The US Army in the Pacific War, 1941-1943, will be published by Dutton Caliber in July 2019.

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Excerpted from "Deadly Sky"
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Copyright © 2016 John C. McManus.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1 Who Were These Combat Airmen? 13

2 The Planes They Flew and the Clothes They Wore 48

3 People, Places, and Food-Europe 76

4 People, Places, and Food-The Pacific 108

5 Flying the Missions 129

6 Going Down 201

7 Thinking of the Enemy 262

8 Leadership in the Air 294

9 Morale, Deep Thoughts, and Tours of Duty 324

10 Breaking in Replacements 372

11 Brotherhood in the Skies 388

Epilogue 404

Notes 419

Selected Bibliography 455

Index 459

Editorial Reviews

From the training camps to the combat missions, this is war from the perspective of the young Americans who lived through it: the pilots, the bombardiers, the navigators, and the gunners of all the combat services in both Europe and in the Pacific. It is an engaging and vivid portrayal of war in the skies from 1941 to 1945.”—Craig L. Symonds, Author of The Battle of Midway and World War II at Sea

“These extraordinary eyewitness accounts put a human face on the bombing campaign against Nazi Germany, and tell the story of its savagely contested battles with rare power and empathy. McManus is a master of the art of oral history and one of the outstanding historians of World War II.”—Donald L. Miller, Author of Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

“Using their own words, a vivid, thematic report on the personalities, thoughts, and experiences of American airmen in combat during World War II. An important book and an exciting read.”—Gerald Astor, Author of The Mighty Eighth

“[Deadly Sky] is one of the most compelling books about men at war that I have ever read. It combines superb analysis of the World War II air war around the world with riveting, often heartbreaking eyewitness testimony from the participants...A truly great read.”—Tom Fleming, Author of The Great Divide

“Especially moving are the words of the men who struggled to make sense of the horrors of war. They were not simply extensions of the war effort but fiercely independent men who thought seriously about what they were doing.”—Smithsonian Air and Space

From the Publisher

Deadly Sky surveys the American combat airman in World War II, considering their battles and the special dangers of manned air flights of the times. From flying missions to leadership changes and notable individuals, this provides an excellent review of military efforts in the air.

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