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The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,720 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The very young men who flew the B24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were an exemplary band of brothers. In The Wild Blue, Stephen Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship.
Stephen Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and chose those 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 B24s -- who suffered over 50 percent casualties.
Ambrose carries us along in the crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous B24s as their crews fought to the death through thick, black, deadly flak to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine or else went down in flames. 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 of whom did not come back.
As Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers portrayed the bravery and ultimate victory of the American soldier from Normandy on to Germany, The Wild Blue makes clear the contribution these young men of the Army Air Forces stationed in Italy made to the Allied victory.
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"Nothing like an Ambrose book. Unfortunately I think this might be one of the last he wrote. And timely for me what with the death of former Senator and Army Air Force pilot George McGovern this month. The more I read about the air war over Europe during WWII the clearer the hell that it was becomes. Can't read these books without thinking about all the World War II veterans in my life and how fortunate I was was in having them share their stories with me. That's what this book was like, McGovern and others sharing their experiences with Ambrose and his son, Hugh. Highly recommended."
— Mark (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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One of the 2001 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction
The Wild Blue Listener Reviews
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" Great account of what it was like to be on a bomber crew in WWII. "
— Greg, 12/24/2013 -
" This is a great book about the boys who flew the B24 Liberators during WWII. Gives a very intimate look into the lives of a few as well as what the men had to go through to become a pilot and the what they went through on the actual missions they flew. "
— Tim, 12/23/2013 -
" It's a good book, giving an idea of what it was like to fly daylight bombing missions in WW2. I learned that although we usually think B-17 in this context, the B-24 was actually more prolific, newer and could carry a bigger bomb load; never knew that. "
— Steve, 12/4/2013 -
" Not the best Ambrose book I ever read, but it is an interesting book. This is the story of (mainly) B-24 crews flying out of Italy during WW2. Light and easy read if you're a history buff. "
— Peter, 11/15/2013 -
" If I could live during any other time period period, maybe I'd want to be pilot a B-24 Liberator in WWII. "
— Skyelr, 10/28/2013 -
" It felt like this one was written in a hurry. Still a good book. "
— Jeff, 10/7/2013 -
" Interesting subject matter. Poor writing. Not enough detail. "
— Jmswtsn, 9/30/2013 -
" A quick brief acount based on interviews with people who were there and did fly the bombers. A good acount, well written but perhaps not quite what I was after in length and over all detail. "
— Steve, 9/22/2013 -
" Great story of what it was like flying over Germany in WWII "
— Pat, 9/20/2013 -
" Enjoyed this history of B-24s and George McGovern very much--I like him much more as a bomber pilot. Reminded me of my days commanding crews in the KC-135A/Q aircraft around the world--crew dogs experience something no one else ever will . . . "
— Jon, 9/6/2013 -
" A bit difficult to follow, but overall a great book. "
— Mason, 7/23/2013 -
" I think I am turning into a boy--all I've been reading lately is war books. This one helped to understand the "real stuff" behind the satire in Catch-22, even had a cameo of Joseph Heller. These WWII books really help me to understand the world I was born into and the lives of my parents. "
— Elizabeth, 7/3/2013 -
" good -- enjoyed a couple of his other books better. This one is mostly about George McGovern "
— Bob, 10/31/2012 -
" it was okay for being a historical fiction. in my opinion it was really boring but not so bad that i couldn't finish it "
— Devon, 10/7/2012 -
" Not quite done yet, good stuff! Mac & Karl's fault, all the WWII stuff they've exposed me to, lol, can believe the truth behind the history. "
— Rhonda, 9/27/2012 -
" A superb tale of the B24 air crews and their mission in 1944-45 "
— Ed, 8/14/2012 -
" I enjoyed this. It's a very good book - I'm just not all that interested in some of the technical aspects. "
— Beth, 6/17/2012 -
" I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, but near the end I felt it became less about America and more an autobiography. It was required reading for school so I had to finish it, but I was definitely dragging through "
— Rachel, 5/25/2011 -
" Ambrose is so far my favorite modern historian (Mormon is my favorite ancient one) "
— Josh, 2/2/2011 -
" Probably the best history book I have read. Profound insights from a man who spent his life studying and writing about history. You have to read his spot on assessment of our founding fathers. GREAT book. "
— Steve, 1/16/2010 -
" I love this book... I used parts of it to teach a comparative history course. Amrose is at his best... chewing on issues that produce great discussions about what makes America what it is. "
— Jason, 12/24/2009 -
" This is the last book written by this author, before he died. He went over subjects ( history)that he had written in previous books.He wrote a lot about the Wars and the past presidents. "
— Alberta, 8/27/2009
About Stephen E. Ambrose
Stephen E. Ambrose (1936–2002) was the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Citizen Soldiers, Undaunted Courage, and D-Day, as well as biographies of Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. He also founded the Eisenhower Center and was president of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. His book, Band of Brothers, was the basis for the HBO miniseries. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board.
About Jeffrey DeMunn
Jeffrey DeMunn is an American film, television, and stage actor. He graduated from Union College in 1969 and then spent two years at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school in England. He is best known for his roles in several Frank Darabont films, including The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Majestic. His is also featured in numerous television roles, most recently in the adaptation of The Walking Dead comic book series. In addition to his film and television performances, DeMunn has lent his voice to several audio books, including The Colorado Kid, Dreamcatcher, and Letters for Emily.