Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

Every once in awhile a work of non fiction comes along that can truly be called the definitive work on its subject. They are comprehensive, thoroughly researched and compelling reads. Donald Miller's "Masters of the Air" fits this bill to a tee. While Miller puts the exploits of the US Army 8th Air Force into the context of the greater Allied air war of World War II he wisely chooses to concentrate on the individuals who flew the planes. Their stories are some of the most dramatic and harrowing of the war. There is heroism and heart break aplenty but also liberal doses of nerve wrenching pressure, along with everything else from guilt to panic to depression. Meeting these pilots is to gain further insight into the human condition, the limits to which it can be exposed and the very fragility at its core. Miller introduces us to the entire cast of this sprawling epic: The English who shared their homes, pubs and sometimes beds with American airman; the Germans, both those who bore the brunt of the allied bombs and the fighter pilots who tried to shoot them down; and those who sent the the pilots on their missions. Miller brings us into all sections of the fortresses (bombers) the allies flew. We join the pilots, tail gunners, navigators and the rest of the ten man crews. Every flight could bring an instant death, or a slow excruciating one or a permanent injury, or a bail out and capture by the enemy. As readers we experience all these fates. We also follow the pilots to wild scenes of ribaldry in London nightspots, street corner sexual encounters and peaceful evenings with village families. Other stops include crash landings into icy ocean waters and emergency parachute bail outs into the hands of vengeful German citizens. "Masters of the Air" is at once an exciting read of valor from the last century and a sobering account of the horrendous costs of war. It is also indispensable reading for anyone with the slightest interest in the second world war. The success of the allied air war efforts were, as Miller emphasizes an integral part of ultimate victory over Hitler. The manner in which it was waged was initially rife with mistakes and miscalculations and there is enduring controversy over the costs to German citizens. Also still debated is the failure of allied bombing to at least slow the machinery of theNazi death camps. Miller does not flinch from addressing these issues. Indeed, Miller is not a cheerleader for the allies (though he unabashedly admires the men of the 8th and their cause) he is first and foremost a bloody good storyteller and a meticulous researcher and reporter. It is this combination that makes "Masters of the Air" the definitive book on the allied air war in Europe and one of the best books on World War II I've had the pleasure to read.

This book is awesome. It is awesome because of its balanced and thorough analysis of the air war that pulverized Germany, a war now sentimentally known as "the good war" when Americans pulverized their enemies with the ease of comic book heroes. "'Tain't so, Magee." Comic book heroes never had such courage. Instead, think of the 80 percent casualty rate of the US Eighth Air Force in its early years as book theory met killing reality in conditions that stagger modern imaginations. I've flown in a B-17; it is huge on the outside, inside it is a tiny tube filled with equipment, supplies and hundreds of sharp objects that hurt when you are bumped, slip or are thrown about. Think of riding inside your computer on a truck bouncing down a bumpy mountain road and having to write an A-plus story en route. So much for creature comfort. Put it all in air colder than Antarctica. Paint a big star on the side as a target, then send it into the sky for hours at a time. Soldiers on the ground sheltered in foxholes and bunkers; the skin of a B-17 was beer-can-thin aluminum. The plane is like a vast Tinkertoy riveted into an amazingly strong and yet frightfully vulnerable structure. It is a mighty aircraft, yet thin enough that a pigeon could penetrate it and injure crewmen. This is the reality of the bomber offensive. Miller presents it in awesome, chilling detail. Unlike most histories, it isn't a lone portrait of some brave men; instead, it includes chilling accounts from all. One account is of an American pilot flying with his elbows because his hands were blown off, another is of German children who roasted to death in their flaming cities. He spares neither the folly of American planners who thought their aircraft and tactics would be invincible and quickly effective, and the terrible folly of Germans who had worse delusions. The air war was a battle in which neither side surrendered; both fought until only one was left flying. Miller offers a convincing argument that victory in World War II was not inevitable, it was based on pure courage. No wonder World War II veterans are 'The Greatest Generation". Without their courage, far and above all expectations, orders or threats, the vast production of war material would have become a vast junkpile. There are many great books about the air war. This one has an advantage over most if not all because it draws many disparate facts, threads, ideas, opinions and follies into a comprehensive portrait. It is awesome, because it is a story of awesome courage.

As a WWII history buff, the highlight of my one and only trip to Europe was crossing the Dutch coast and asking myelf how could the boys - and that's what they really were - of the Eighth Air Force have done this raid after raid, knowing that they were likely flying toward their own death. Until late 1944, the odds were against an 8th Air Force crew member surviving their tour. Donald L. Miller answers that question and many others in his absolutely superlative history of the American air war over Germany. (Not taking anything away from Miller's work is that suggestion that you also read Max Hasting's "Bomber Command" for a view of the very different English air war.) Miller alternates between first person accounts of crew members and their missions, the leaders, the campaign objectives, assessments of the impact of the various phases of the air war and the enemy reaction. It may sound confusing, but because of Miller's extraordinary writing and the seamless organization of his meticulously researched material, it is not. In fact, Miller does an exceptional job of conveying the fear of the crew, the blind faith of the leaders in the doctrine of aerial bombing, the grim realities that had to be faced all down the line as men realized that the unsupported bomber was not an impregnable "Flying Fortress". Miller weaves each part of the incredibly complex air war and its combatants together. From gunners to pilots to generals to the men who selected the targets and argued over strategy, Miller allows the multiple stories to develop and blossum and then moves on to another. Miller is careful to distinguish the American campaign of "precision" bombing from the more candidly terror oriented British campaign of "area" bombing. The distinction became extremely thin and possibly non-existent in the final few months of the war. Arguments still rage as to whether or not the bombing campaigns truly contributed to war against Germany. Miller is, fortunately, not judgmental. What he does stress is the incredible courage shown by American airmen in their campaign against Germany. While Miller does not recount the episode in this book, Herman Goering is reported to have told his interrogators that he could not believe that German fighters were unable to turn a single American bomber force from its intended target. Miller's reach is essentially encyclopedic in this book. No aspect of the American air war over Europe is left untouched. The scholarship is simply staggering. Miller's alternation between stories of individual "bomber boys" and their selection, training, fighting, deaths, injuries, imprisonment when captured, rescues and finally the end of war interspersed with examination of the history of air warfare, the development of machines and weapons, strategy and tactics is exceptionally well done. "Masters Of The Air" never becomes dry or pedantic. It is always intense and one cannot help but marvel at the courage, tenacity and genius of

Every once in a long while we delight and surprise ourselves when we pick up a book that enlightens and entertains. It's the pinnacle of excellence reached by but a few non-fiction writers. Miller is one of those writers. His book, the story of the Eighth Air Force, is one of equal parts bravery, terror, and glamour, with some of its men becoming the most celebrated personalities the war. Miller chronicles the heroic feats of Robert Morgan, pilot of the legendary Memphis Belle; of Paul Tibbets, who later would fly the Enola Gay on the A-bomb mission to Hiroshima; of Curtis LeMay, the most celebrated combat leader of the bomber war; and--one of the key figures of the book--of Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal, leader of the Bloody Hundredth, who flew 52 combat missions, was shot down three times, and later became a member of the team of prosecuting attorneys at the Nuremberg Trials. Although remembered by few alive today, their exploits were captured for the home front by gritty young reporters such as Walter Cronkite and Andy Rooney. Unlike many of the talking heads who populate our TV news, these men flew combat missions with the Bomber Boys risking their lives, not for ratings, but because they wanted to remind all the mothers and fathers wives and children back home why our cause was just. But the most interesting thing that struck me while reading this book is that while it tells the tales of celebrities such as Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, William Wyler and the like, it also reminds us that these brave men, these truly heroic men, who flew harrowing missions, were our fathers and grandfathers. They were young men, some of them just out of high school, who were just like us or our children. It's a book filled with almost mythical heroes, men bigger than life yet real enough to be your neighbor. In an era saturated with pretend celebrities and steroid saturated athletes, this is a book that you should read to your children.

This is a 521-page account of the Eighth Air Force that I never intended to buy for myself. To me, car repair manuals are usually more interesting than dry WWII books filled with numbers and dates. World War II is truly my father's domain. He has had a 50-year fascination with WWII and could probably teach a college course on the subject. Dad's birthday is coming up, and I knew that Donald Miller, the author of "Masters of the Air" was speaking in town. I never heard of Miller before. I merely intended to hear Miller speak so I could present yet another (yawn) autographed WWII book for dad's birthday. My husband went with me and said, "You should buy the book now, before the guy speaks. That way, we can make a fast getaway." I replied, "If the author is boring, then I know the book will be boring. Let's wait. I might save us some money and my dad some time." Well, the author's passion for his subject is clear. His dynamic discussion of the people he writes about in "Masters of the Air" caused me to turn to my husband early into the presentation and say, "I should have bought the book before he got on stage. Now I'll have to wait in line." This historical account is different from most of the other WWII books I've seen. It's a scholarly narrative that is written like a hard-to-put-down novel. The airmen described in "Masters" are compelling, and their stories make the seemingly abstract WWII statistics come alive. One of Miller's many asides tonight -- that 40 million of the 60 million WWII casualties were civilians -- shocked me. War used to be fought on a battleground, away from the civilians. World War II changed all that. I have only begun reading this book, so please forgive this obviously premature review. I'm writing this review specifically for lay people, not WWII experts or armchair historians. So far, I appreciate "Masters" for making the Greatest Generation's contribution to the world theater more REAL to me, a jaded American, sixty years later. If you have a short attention span and/or think a lengthy book about World War II air fighting would be dry, I promise you: This book will hold your attention.