Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot's Story

My father flew as a B-17 radio operator in the same outfit noted in this book. From his recent discussion with me, he said he recognized many of the names and places mentioned and had first hand knowledge of some of the events. He (and I )also said he was lucky to be alive, flying some 30 missions over Europe during WWII. He seemed to really enjoy reading this book that I gave him on father's day. Now if I can only get it back for a little while to read it myself...

I bought this book for my 15yr old son, who loves anything to do with piloting, airplanes, and WWII. He has thoroughly enjoyed this book! I would certainly buy this if you're looking for a quality, easily read book.

This is a fascinating personal account of a U.S. Air Force pilot who took part in the B17 bombings of Germany in 1944 and was shot down over Holland and spent the rest of World War II in a POW camp in Germany. He wrote it specifically to honor the Dutch who took care of him at great peril to their own lives. It was a particularly interesting read after being acquainted with Hilda Van Stockum's The Winged Watchman as locations and situations are very similar. The narrative is simple and understated (and very REAL), but you can imagine the voice of a grandfather sharing his adventures and impressions with the young people of today. He wrote a sketch of his adventures in a notebook while he was a prisoner of war, but pieced them together for publication only in the last decade, after making some interesting reconnections with his past. Violence and a few choice words make this most appropriate for seventh grade and up. It is a particularly fast read (extra-wide spacing also helps!) making it a good choice for older reluctant readers.