To Win the Winter Sky: The Air War Over the Ardennes 1944-45

With so many books and so little time to read them, there are less then a handful that I have ever read twice... this book is one of them and that should tell you what I think of it. Many people know of the brutal ground fighting during the "Battle of the Bulge": the Malmedy massacre, the 101st `s heroic stand at Bastogne, Ike's controversial decision to give command of the American forces on the north side of the Bulge to Monty, the German's desperate shortage of petrol. Far fewer know that there was just as hard fought, just as brutal a slug fest going on in the clouds above the battlefield. That fight is the subject of this book. All that being said, this is not a book for someone with a passing interest or looking for some light reading. It is very well researched, well written history and if I were to voice anything negative about it, it would be that at times it might be too detailed, but it still flows very well. From the end of WWI to present time the casualty numbers show that for a tactical aviator, there is no more dangerous mission than low level ground attack. It is a vicious, deadly conflict and the losses are generally high, much higher in fact then the glamorous air to air war of the "aces" going on thousands of feet above. Whether it is the "glamour" of the one, or the brutality of the other, certainly far more has been written about the air-to-air war then the air-to-mud war, and this book does a marvelous job of at least beginning to redress the imbalance. One more note... another reviewer wrote that this book is "by Americans to Americans" and that there are no references to German successes. I respectfully, but completely, disagree. Mr. Parker again and again addresses the difference between claims and actual results, and manages frequently to write of what kills/damage could or would later be verified. The Allies after all did win the air war, so it should come as no surprise that they won this battle as well. For the most part this book is written from the American point of view, however you don't have to read far into the book to come across an American group of fighter-bombers (Jabos) that come out of a confrontation with the Jagdwaffe on the short end of the stick. This was the first time that the Luftwaffe had seriously contested air superiority since before D-Day and it was just one of the many shocks to the Allied leadership that accompanied the Ardennes offensive. Parker in fact relates how the Americans, desperate to regain control of the skies, transferred two of the Eighth Air Force's premier fighter groups to the continent to help do so. His well written chapter on Operation Bodenplatte is almost exclusively penned from the German point of view, and he goes into great depth to discuss Adolf Galland's desire for a "Great Blow" and why the Luftwaffe leadership did what it did. I believe it is a very well balanced book. In short, it is one of the best books I've read about the air war in WWII and is

This book offers very detailed information about american and allied operations, it starts in a very interesting way but the central part of the book is almost impossible to read. And why? Because it's an hipnotic list of allied bombardments and easy air victories, there's no references to german successes, all victories of the german fighter squadrons seem like never had taken place and its pilots were flying ducks. In this very american perspective, and the way in which the writer puts it, the comparison of losses is highly doubtful or incorrect.Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book to your collection and also, that you go investigate and buy more books about the air war in europe to form your oppinion.

Parker is a dedicated historian. He has researched the records of the USAAF and RAF squadrons, and of the Luftwaffe Staffels involved in the last German offensive of World War II. In TO WIN THE WINTER SKY Parker faithfully reports their many actions. The book is rich with maps and photographs of the planes and personnel whose battles Parker chronicles. The text describes the many difficulties presented by that tough winter, as well as the uncertainties of operating from Belgian bases only a few miles from advancing German divisions. The battle was a brutal slugfest, in the air as on the ground.I know no better history of the crucial roles played by the air forces throughout the 1944-45 winter battle over the Ardennes. Its detail answers many questions. For instance, I have long wondered whether the new Douglas A-26 Invader had been involved in the Battle of the Bulge. In "Winter Sky," I found my answer. The A-26 was employed by the 409th and, if a caption is correct on p. 274, the 416th Bomber Groups of the 97th Combat Bomb Wing. (I was curious because of my admiration for that great airplane, which went on to serve in the Korean and Vietnam wars.) My only criticism is that Parker's approach to writing history is almost too thorough for me. Parker sacrifices readability for consistency, being careful to pay attention to all involved squadrons, and the book becomes monotonous as it chronicles so many daily actions, as taken from so many squadron reports. Hence, as a reviewer I am torn between four stars and five. I have decided to rate the book on its contribution to the history of WWII. As such, "Winter Sky" earns top marks.

I bought this book in 1995. Mr.Parker wrote an outstanding book that relates the air and ground aspects of the Battle of the Bulge, of course giving enphase to the former. He deals with both American and German air units involved in the operation, placing the action under chapters according to the date of the events (for example, December, 16th, 1994), and makes a high opinion of Ninth Air Force units who really helped to stall the German advance through the Ardennes.