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Review
"New York Times Book Review" Ambrose is a superb historian
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
In the bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, Stephen E. Ambrose portrayed in vivid detail the experiences of soldiers who fought on the bloody battlegrounds of World War II. THE WILD BLUE brings to life another extraordinary band of brothers - the men who volunteered to join the American Air Force and undertook some of the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. Focusing on the men of the 741st Bomb Squadron and, in particular, the crew of the DAKOTA QUEEN, these are the boys turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators and gunners of the B24s, who suffered 50 per cent casualties during conflict. With his extraordinary talent for bringing alive the action and tension of combat, Ambrose sweeps us along in the B24s as their crews fought to the death to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found Wild Blue to be a good account of the men that flew over europe. We start off by meeting these men as they join the AAF and follow them through to there final mission. The book for 98% talks about the men and not how America won the war. However i did find it a little annoying when Stephen E. Ambrose in the final chapter made the AAF to be the major strike force in the bombing campain and that the British with there night bombing killed many civilians. This may be true but i would like to remind him that it was America that dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japan.
But what do you expect from a American Historian? The book altogether is very good, but to sum it up the allies couldn't of done it without the help of each other, and i feel that is what all books like this miss.
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
No-one in their right mind can knock the contribution the Americans made to winning the Second World War in Europe, but occasionally I had the urge to scream "Where were you before Pearl Harbour, mate", at the author. I also found his contention that the Americans chose daylight bombing as a morally superior form of bombing to the "murderous" night-time approach of the British, to be verging on the obnoxious. Sometimes it seems it's not enough for the Americans to be (the) victors, they have to have God on their side too, and this book landed too firmly in that camp to be completely satisfying.
As an account of what it was like flying on daylight bombing missions over Europe in the latter stages of the war, the book is pretty good - when it finally gets there. You'll read over a hundred pages about the selection and training of the crews before the first mission is flown, chapters which are a bit dry and slow going at times.
Once the missions start in earnest though, you can't help but marvel with the author over the bravery of these men. The descriptions of flying into daylight flak storms are terrifying enough on paper, without having to actually be involved in doing it. As a testament to these men and to what the world owes them, this is a fine book - but let's not forget that bravery, patriotism and heroism are not exclusively American traits.
As an account of what it was like flying on daylight bombing missions over Europe in the latter stages of the war, the book is pretty good - when it finally gets there. You'll read over a hundred pages about the selection and training of the crews before the first mission is flown, chapters which are a bit dry and slow going at times.
Once the missions start in earnest though, you can't help but marvel with the author over the bravery of these men. The descriptions of flying into daylight flak storms are terrifying enough on paper, without having to actually be involved in doing it. As a testament to these men and to what the world owes them, this is a fine book - but let's not forget that bravery, patriotism and heroism are not exclusively American traits.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the story of the fifteenth air force and concerns the crew of a B-24. Most people are aware of the eighth arm air force and the B-17s many of which were based in England during WW2. This book was brought for me as a present and I found it hard to put down, it focus on one crew and the experiences they had during the war. It starts with their training and goes on to there combat missions I feel the fiftenth were the fogotten air force along with the B-24. I was sorry to have finished reading it and would like to learn some more about the fifteen air force and their aircraft I feel this book does not deserve some of the poor reviews I have read about it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
McGovern biography not a squadron history
From the back cover I thought I would be getting the story of the 741 Squadron and, in particular, the crew of the Dakota Queen. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Rob Kitchin
An eye opener.
Not my preferred subject area, I bought this as part of a box set of Stephen Ambrose books in preperation for a battlefield tour. Read more
Published 19 months ago by A. S. Edwards
Worth reading? Only just ...
As a keen aviation buff and pilot myself, I thought this book would be a lot more interesting than it was. Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2010 by Paddy Lambert
Decent Account
This book by Stephen Ambrose offers the reader an opportunity to learn about some of the men who flew the B-24 Liberator during WW2 from Italy. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2010 by Aussie Reader
Very Good! intriguing and full of details...
I really enjoyed this book, I think this book gives a very interesting overlook of the efforts of AAF during the missions over Germany, some Eastern Countries but mostly... Read more
Published on 14 May 2009 by Juan Pablo R. Perez
Not the best
This is not so good as Band of Brothers - unlike that book, he hasn't selected a unit whose wartime 'career' was so riddled with drama and incident. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2008 by Mr Clag
Thumbs up from me
Mixed reviews here but I enjoyed this book. Having read a few of Ambrose's other books I found this just as accessible and engaging. Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2007 by kevarms
50-50
I have to say I agree with N Fords comments.
This book is split into two. The first half is all about building the characters but it never seemed to have held my... Read more
This book is split into two. The first half is all about building the characters but it never seemed to have held my... Read more
Published on 15 May 2007 by Keith Hartwell
An important book for WW2 historians.
This is a relevant study of some of the men and missions of the AAF. An invaluable text to any WW2 historians. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2007 by jameswimbledon
Left wanting something more
I have read Ambrose's D-Day, Pegasus Bridge, Band of Brothers and have the Band of Brothers DVD box set. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2006 by Mr. S. P. Bentley
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