Unexpectedly excellent - highly recommended for a 1st person account

books:

	• An Ace of the Eighth: An American Fighter Pilot's Air War in Europe Norman J. Fortier Presidio Press, 2003 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

One of the Best

This is one of the finest memoirs of combat I have ever read, from any era. It is well written, insightful, and a great addition to any library. Fortier's descriptions of combat in the air and boredom on the ground ring true, and provide a first-hand view of the air war over Europe from 1943 through 1945.

A pleasant surprise. Strong, informative, fast-paced, honest.

A real surprise. Written in 2002, I did not imagine that a biography about WW II air war written so late would be so good.

Highly recommended.

for more information click here

Great Book! Very Memorable!

This book has some of the most memorable quotes, images, and sayings of any other book that I've ever read! The most humurous part of this book is when someone's radio mic got stuck in the on position and the pilot of the Mustang was talking to himself about the mission, the bomber crew, and one of the other Mustang pilots of his squadron. A memorable quote from this part of the book was, "I was laughing so hard, the flak didn't even bother me!"

This book is very detailed in every way! Mr. Fortier takes you on a journey back in time in the way he describes his experience as a combat fighter pilot. He briefly describes his training experience to where it's not bogged down and yet is very interesting and then moves on to the types of aircraft he flew from P-39's, P-47's, and ultimately P-51's. Get this book! You will want to read it over and over again!

for more information click here

The Inside Story of WW II Fighter pilots

This gives an excellent inside look at the workings of the Army Air Corp in Europe in WW II.

Unexpectedly excellent - highly recommended for a 1st person account

Ditto the comments and observations by Mezza. I picked this up at a book store to kill time on the plane while I was travelling. It far exceeded my expectations. Even the content attributed to other sources provides a reader with a real 1st person feel for the whole WWII European theater figher pilot experience. An excellent mix of in the air/ on the ground exploits. The author's stories and comments directly echo what I have heard from other WWII aviators and paint a much more complete picture of their lives overseas (ground and air) than what you might have concluded on the basis of Hollywood movies and historical accounts of air battles alone.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2

FOR A FIGHTER PILOT IN THE MIGHTY EIGHTH, DEATH WAS ALWAYS A HEARTBEAT AWAY.

When the skies of Europe blazed with the fiercest air battles in history, fighter pilots like Norman ?Bud? Fortier were in the thick of it, flying four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet, dodging flak and dueling with Nazi aces. In their role as ?escorts? to Flying Fortresses and Liberators, the fighter squadrons? ability to blast enemy aircraft from the sky was key to the success of pinpoint bombing raids on German oil refineries, communication and supply lines, and other crucial targets.

Flying in formation with the bomber stream, Fortier and the rest of his squadron helped develop dive-bombing and strafing tactics for the Thunderbolts and Mustangs. As the war progressed, fighter squadrons began to carry out their own bombing missions. From blasting V-1 missile sites along France?s ?rocket coast? and the hell-torn action of D day to the critical attacks on the Ruhr Valley and massive daylight raids on German industrial targets, Fortier was part of the Allies? bitter struggle to bring the Nazi war machine to a halt. In describing his own hundred-plus missions and by including the accounts of fellow fighter pilots, Fortier recaptures the excitement and fiery terror of the world?s most dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

for more information click here

hot