- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Motorbooks International; First Edition edition (15 May 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 076032199X
- ISBN-13: 978-0760321997
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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- #59 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > Film Genres > Westerns
Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot
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Product Description
Review
"Cincinnati Post," May 29, 2006 "The reader looking for stories about Jimmy Stewart's remarkable movie career will not find them here. Likewise, the reader looking for some salacious expose of Mr. Stewart's private life will search for it in vain in Mr. Smith's book. What you will find is a first-rate and first-hand account of a chapter in Jimmy Stewart's life about which little has been written. This was a Jimmy Stewart very few people knew, and yet it was a time that, by his own admission, had more impact on his life than any other."" " "Evergreen Quarterly, "" "April 2006 .,."an engrossing tribute that is as well-written as it is well-deserved."
Product Description
The off-screen heroics of an American screen legend Of all the celebrities who served their country during World War II - and they were legion - Jimmy Stewart was unique On December 7th, when the attack on Pearl Harbor woke so many others to the reality of the war, Stewart was already serving - as a private on guard duty at the Army Al Corp's Moffet Field south of San Francisco. Seeing war on the horizon, Jimmy Stewart, at the height of his fame after Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, had enlisted several months earlier. Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot chronicles the star's long journey to become a bomber pilot in combat. Author Starr Smith recounts how Stewart's first battles were with the Air Corps high command, who insisted on keeping the naturally talented pilot out of harm's way as an instructor pilot for B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators. We learn how, by 1944, Stewart managed to get assigned to a Liberator squadron that was deploying to England to join the mighty Eighth Air Force - and how, once in the thick of it, he rose to command his own squadron and flew twenty combat missions, including one to Berlin. Written by a public relations officer assigned to Stewart, Jimmy Stewart Bomber Pilot offers a fascinating, firsthand look at the making of a true American star.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Jimmy Stewart, small town boy from Indiana Pennsylvania son of a hardware store owner, Princeton graduate. Best known as the tall lanky actor from Hollywood who had been in such films as The Philadelphia Story, Mr. Smith goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life. Out of the limelight young Stewart had a passion for aviation long before he joined the Army Air Corp. He had logged well over 300 hours of flight time prior to his joining the service and earning his wings.
Shortly before Americas entrance into WWII Jimmy Stewart left the glory of Hollywood and entered the Army Air Corp in March of 1941. Through hard work and diligent he was made a 2nd lieutenant, received his wings and sent to Gowen field at Boise Idaho where he became a instructor for B-17 training. The author does bring out that Stewart did not seek and special privileges nor pulled strings but made it known that he sought to fly combat missions in the ETO.
We find Stewart assigned to B-24's of the 445th Bomb Group 703rd Sqd. Tibenham England and then promted to Operations officer and sent to the 453rd Bomb Group. You will find personal insights from both fellow officers and NCO's who flew and worked with Jimmy Stewart ranging from stolen kegs of "Officers" beer to a bored Major Stewart taking a B-24 up for a joyride and buzzing another bomb groups control tower.
In 1944 Major Stewart lead his wing on missions flown over Brunswick and Berlin, not exactly "Milk runs". By the time that Col. Stewart left the ETO in late August of 1945 he had been a squadron commander, group operations officer, wing executive officer, wing chief of staff and wing commander.
Interwoven in the chapters of this book you will find the history of the 8th Air Force and it's leadership during the 1943-1944 time period. "Big Week", Generals Jimmy Doolittle and Fred Anderson direct the men and the machines of the Mighty Eighth that starts turning the tide of the war against the Luftwaffe and Germany.
I found the Starr Smiths writing to be good, his historical facts to be sound. The author brought out stories of both Jimmy's personal and military life. For example, I was not aware that General Stewart had flown a B-52 on a mission over Vietnam nor did I know that he had owned a P-51 Mustang along with several other aircraft. The epilogue portion of the book takes a look at his married life to wife Gloria, family, the opening of the Jimmy Stewart Museum and his association with 453rd Bomb Group re-unions. In summary I would recommend this book if you want a closer look at Jimmy Stewart and B-24 operations in the 8th Air Force. Like many of his generation Brigadier General James "Jimmy" Stewart was a quiet American Hero.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Most of the content of this book I'd never heard or read anywhere else. Following Stewart's career in the Eighth Air Force in World War II, it was a surprise and totally fascinating to discover just how involved he was, and how accomplished he was at his job, and how admired he was by fellow airmen and the "top brass" of Headquarters. Within a few pages you soon learn that Stewart didn't join up as a publicity stunt, he joined up because he truly believed in what needed to be done and felt he could make a difference. And make a difference he certainly did, to the many airmen and aircrews that served under him, and the many war operations he helped to organize for the better good of the overall Allied war plans.
The book gives a nice overview of Stewart's life before acting and the people that were closest to him. Towards the end of the book there are some small chapters on his family; wife and daughters. There are also some interesting excerpts and speeches that were by some of the men closest to Stewart in World War II; about the Eighth Air Force in general and their experiences too.
A lot of different people are featured in the book, mostly those whom had most contact with Stewart; crews that served under him, with some interesting and sometimes amusing anecdotes and stories.
On the whole the writing style is good, a little repetitive at times and not always concise in the telling of various points. I live very near to where James Stewart was based in World War II, and from that point of view of local history, I found this book a bit disappointing in places. Some of the events mentioned in connection with the intergration of the air bases and local people didn't go far enough and at times it was hard to really get into the empathy of how and what these brave US airmen thought and felt about the villages they virtually took over. I for one, know of a few stories about the every day life of Stewart in Old Buckenham and Tibenham, not mentioned in the book, and there have been recent local articles on, for instance, the village woman that used to do his laundry etc.
So while this book is historically accurate and full of information I just feel it's a bit on the surface and alongside the very professional officer's life of James Stewart it would have been nice to read about some of the more normal every day activities and interactions he had. It's a very worthwhile book to read, but it may leave you feeling a bit empty.
The book gives a nice overview of Stewart's life before acting and the people that were closest to him. Towards the end of the book there are some small chapters on his family; wife and daughters. There are also some interesting excerpts and speeches that were by some of the men closest to Stewart in World War II; about the Eighth Air Force in general and their experiences too.
A lot of different people are featured in the book, mostly those whom had most contact with Stewart; crews that served under him, with some interesting and sometimes amusing anecdotes and stories.
On the whole the writing style is good, a little repetitive at times and not always concise in the telling of various points. I live very near to where James Stewart was based in World War II, and from that point of view of local history, I found this book a bit disappointing in places. Some of the events mentioned in connection with the intergration of the air bases and local people didn't go far enough and at times it was hard to really get into the empathy of how and what these brave US airmen thought and felt about the villages they virtually took over. I for one, know of a few stories about the every day life of Stewart in Old Buckenham and Tibenham, not mentioned in the book, and there have been recent local articles on, for instance, the village woman that used to do his laundry etc.
So while this book is historically accurate and full of information I just feel it's a bit on the surface and alongside the very professional officer's life of James Stewart it would have been nice to read about some of the more normal every day activities and interactions he had. It's a very worthwhile book to read, but it may leave you feeling a bit empty.
Format:Paperback
I fly regularly into Old Buckenham airfield and so when a friend told me that Jimmy Stewart used to fly from there I had to find out more. This book told me everything I wanted to know about Stewart's war time service in England. And a very impressive service it was. Stewart joined the US Army Air Corps as a Private and rose, eventually, to the rank of General - one of only a tiny handful of people ever to do this. On the way he collected the DFC and other medals.
This book is a very readable account of one small part of the US Army Air Corps' contribution to the war effort.
This book is a very readable account of one small part of the US Army Air Corps' contribution to the war effort.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A bit of a disappointment
If you like reading the combat accounts of pilots like Pierre Clostermann or Johnny Johnson, both written vividly in the first person, then this book is not for you. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Andrew James
Lots of repetition and hyperbole
I started out loving this book but after a few chapters you realise that hard information is at a premium, you get the same things said by a number of the living players then lots... Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2010 by Mr. M. Showell
Super
Having watched films and read books on the life of Jimmy Stewart - Jimmoy Stewart Bommer Pilot is a great read that tells so much of the war time life of this outstanding... Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2007 by "Smith" Reader
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