The Wild Blue, Stephen E. Ambrose
The Wild Blue, Stephen E. Ambrose
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Wild Blue
The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45

Author: Stephen E. Ambrose

Narrator: Jeffrey DeMunn

Abridged: 8 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/01/2001


Synopsis

Stephen E. Ambrose, acclaimed author of Band of Brothers and Undaunted Courage, carries us along in the crowded and dangerous B-24s as their crews fought to destroy the German war machine during World War II.

The young men who flew the B-24s over Germany in World War II fought against horrific odds, and, in The Wild Blue, Ambrose recounts their extraordinary heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship with vivid detail and affection.

Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and selected the elite few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. These are the boys—turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and gunners of the B-24s—who suffered over fifty percent casualties.

With his remarkable gift for bringing alive the action and tension of combat, Ambrose carries us along in the crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous B-24s as their crews fought to the death through thick black smoke and deadly flak to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine. Twenty-two-year-old George McGovern, who was to become a United States senator and a presidential candidate, flew thirty-five combat missions (all the Army would allow) and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. We meet him and his mates, his co-pilot killed in action, and crews of other planes. Many went down in flames.

As Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers portrayed the bravery and ultimate victory of the American soldiers from Normandy on to Germany, The Wild Blue illustrates the enormous contribution that these young men of the Army Air Forces made to the Allied victory.

About Stephen E. Ambrose

Stephen E. Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than thirty books. Among his New York Times bestsellers are Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and Undaunted Courage. Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans and a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Deacon Tom on March 03, 2022

Before I begin, it is important for everyone to know that I am a retired USAF Lt Col. So,. This was the story of those who came before me in air power. It was written in an extremely personal fashion, giving behind the scenes information about our heroes. Sharing the terror of flying through flack;......more

Goodreads review by Eric_W on September 30, 2010

Note that I wrote this review before the plagarism controversy. See my review of Wings Over Morning Ambrose became a widely popular popularizer of World War II history and he has managed to churn out several in the past few years that focus on the common soldier experience. Joseph Heller, author of C......more

Goodreads review by Ginny on April 20, 2018

I really loved this book because my father flew as a radio operator in a B24 out of Italy...15 th Air Force, 485th Bomb Group, 830th Squadron. My oldest son had to interview him for AP English ( thank goodness!) in 1998, or I would have never heard all his stories which are very similar to this book......more

Goodreads review by Don on November 03, 2017

I read this book many years ago and enjoyed. This time I listened to the audiobook version. Stephen Ambrose always told a good story and this one is just as good as any of his fine books. The main character in the story is George McGovern who most people recognize as the South Dakota senator who ran f......more