The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany
Written by Stephen E. Ambrose, Narrated by Jeffrey DeMunn
Audiobook, 8 hours and 45 minutes
Published by Simon & Schuster, April 2011
Language: English
ASIN: B004X712PS
Most books about the U.S. heavy bomber offensive in WWII focus on the 8th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress Groups operating from England. This at least partially reflects a reporting bias. The first American strategic bombing missions over occupied Europe were flown by B-17s out of England, and if you were a reporter you went where the story was. This established England as the place to get the story, and spending off duty hours there was preferable to almost any other location where the war could be covered. This reporting bias persists in histories to this day, but there were other bombers and other theaters. Compared to the B-17, the B-24 Liberator could carry a greater bomb load over a longer distance, and was produced in twice the numbers. Many Liberator Groups operated out of Italian bases, a “forgotten theater” with a struggling local economy.
The Wild Blue tells the story of one of the B-24 pilots flying bombing missions from Italy, a Lt. George McGovern. McGovern is better known as a U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate from 1972, although his campaign did not emphasize his wartime service. McGovern flew 35 missions with the 741st Bomb Squadron / 455th Bomb Group, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. The book follows McGovern’s wartime career in the USAAF, from enlistment, training, combat, and final discharge.
Stephen Ambrose needs no introduction to readers of military history, and this work is everything one would expect from an author of his caliber. It is easy to overlook the accomplishments of the B-24, and this book is a reminder that the 15th Air Force also contributed heavily to the strategic bombing offensive against Germany. This is a good read, recommended to anyone interested in aviation history.
Inch High Guy 