Bloody Skies: A 15th AAF B-17 Combat Crew: How They Lived and Died

I have been a B-17 enthusiast since I can remember, and I have had the privilege of talking with a few pilots as well as touring many of the remaining aircraft; but until I read Bloody Skies, I had never accurately understood what it took to complete a bombing mission over Europe in the height of WWII. Mr. McGuire, through his amazing memory in concert with massive amounts of research and actual written documentation brings the reader as close as anyone could ever hope to become to his war. If you are looking for a thrilling book, which blends raw emotion with factual documentation this is your book. I will never forget Mr. McGuire, his crew, and their sacrifice from this day forward.

This book is one of those rare finds that was purchased because of the title, that actually delivers a strong, well remembered, story about an ordinary man from an ordinary family who becomes part of extraordinary events at the right time. It is a simple story told so well, that you feel like you are flying those B-17s yourself. The style of writing is fast, accurate, and well paced for the reader. The narrative moves along at an almost frightening pace, and the reader is swept up to become part of the events as they occur. I could not put it down. I fully recommend this book for all readers of events during the air war in world war 2. This book is not only worth the asking price, but would be an excellent read, if the price was twice as much. My thanks to the author for having such a great memory, and sharing with the rest of us, those extraordinary times of aerial combat in the skies over Europe during world war 2. All in all, a most treasured book.

What a whale of memory has Mr. McGuire! And he really makes you feel what he felt and saw. This should be required reading. A big book, and I read it in two days.

My father-in-law was a B-17 pilot in the 342nd Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force during WWII. Like McGuire, he was stationed at Amendola, Italy. He doesn't talk much about his experiences but I've wanted to know more. BLOODY SKIES has given me such a deeper understanding of and respect for what my father-in-law and others serving has bommber crews over Germany experienced. Melvin McGuire does an excellent job of taking you back there to 1944 in WWII Italy and on the bombing missions that they flew. This is probably the best book about someone's personal experiences in WWII combat that I have ever read. It was hard to put the book down! Thank you Mr. McGuire for writing this book and for the insight that has brought a deeper respect for what you and those like you did for freedom.