Those Who Fall: An Unforgettable Chronicle of War in the Air

The author was a B17 pilot in the Italian theater (and points east), and waited roughly forty years to write his memoirs. He's had a lot of time to think about his experiences, and so the fairly prosaic "and so then I set engine #3 to run lean and descended to 7,000 feet" passages are liberally seasoned with much more meditative, thoughtful, but sometimes frankly over-written pieces.The meditative pieces are sometimes over-written and amateurish, but sometimes beautiful and elegaic - there are some passages that I would re-read three or four times before proceeding, some that I've clipped for my wall - a very rare thing for me.

I have read this book numerous times since I first purchased it ten years ago. The emotion of the author is felt each time I read it. A very honest and realistic portrayal. My favorite book on the subject You will not be disappointed.