In April 1945, Linz was one of Nazi Germany's most vital assets. It was a crucial transportation hub and communications center, with railyards brimming with war materiel destined for the front lines. Linz was also the town Hitler claimed as home and had long intended to remake as the cultural capital of Europe, filling its planned Fuehrermuseum with world-famous art stolen from his conquered territories.
Inevitably, Linz was also one of the most heavily defended targets remaining in Europe. The airmen of the Fifteenth Air Force were a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers. As their mission was unveiled in the predawn hours of April 25th, audible groans and muffled expletives passed many lips. The reality of that mission would prove more brutal than any imagined.
Drawing on interviews with dozens of America's last surviving World War II veterans, as well as previously unpublished sources, Mike Croissant compellingly relates one of the war's last truly untold stories—a gripping chronicle of warfare, the death of Nazi Germany, and the beginning of the Cold War. It is also a timeless tale of courage and terror, loss and redemption, humanity and savagery.
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“An extraordinary story of the incredible bomber crews who flew the last mass aerial raid in the European theater of WWII—and a page-turning thriller, as well.”
— General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.)
“An impressive work of historical military research.”
— Midwest Book Reviews“The men featured in this book are a true testament to the Greatest Generation.”
— Mike Guardia, author of The Combat Diaries and Tomcat FuryBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Mike Croissant, more than a decade ago, started seeking out veterans who served with his uncle in Italy during World War II. In the quest to learn about his uncle, who survived the war without a scratch but died in a plane crash shortly after the war ended, he discovered the facts revealed in Bombing Hitler's Hometown. He spent the next several years traveling across the United States and Europe, interviewing American veterans and Austrian civilians and visiting locations showcased in this book. He holds an undergraduate degree in political science and history from the University of Illinois and graduate degrees from Indiana University and Missouri State University. He retired from the CIA in 2021 after serving for more than twenty years as an analyst and targeting officer in locations worldwide.
J. A. Johnstone learned from the master, Uncle William W. Johnstone. He was the all-round assistant, typist, researcher, and fact checker to one of the most popular western authors of all time. The Loner marked the debut of Tennessee-based J. A. Johnstone as a solo author.