A powerfully authentic and thrilling saga based on the true story of Operation Halyard, WWII's most daring and successful rescue mission, from air combat veteran and acclaimed author Tom Young... Summer 1944: Yugoslavia is locked in a war within a war. When not fighting against German occupation, Chetnik and Partisan factions battle each other. Hundreds of Allied airmen have been shot down over this volatile region, among them American Lieutenant Bill Bogdonavich. Though grateful to the locals who risk their lives to shelter and protect them from German troops, Bogdonavich dreams of the impossible: escape. With three failed air missions behind him, Lieutenant Drew Carlton is desperate for redemption. From a Texas airbase he volunteers for a secretive and dangerous assignment, codenamed Operation Halyard, that will bring together American special operations officers, airmen, and local guerilla fighters in Yugoslavia's green hills. The daring plan--to evacuate hundreds of stranded airmen while avoiding detection by the Germans--faces overwhelming odds. What follows is one of the greatest stories of World War II heroism, an elaborate rescue that required astonishing courage, sacrifice, and resilience. Red Burning Sky is a riveting and ultimately triumphant tale based on true events, all the more remarkable for being so little known--until now.
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“[An] engrossing military thriller from Young…Along the way to the satisfying ending, Young touches on such matters as the civil war pitting Chetniks against Tito’s partisans and the loyalties of Italians only recently turned to the Allied side. Readers will be moved to seek out nonfiction accounts about this bold, little-known operation.”
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Publishers Weekly