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Masters of the Air
- How the Bomber Boys Broke Down the Nazi War Machine
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 25 hrs and 16 mins
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Masters of the Air
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
‘Seconds after Brady’s plane was hit, the Hundredth’s entire formation was broken up and scattered by swarms of single-engine planes, and by rockets launched by twin-engine planes that flew parallel.'
Meet the Flying Fortresses of the American Eighth Air Force, Britain’s Lancaster comrades, who helped to bring down the Nazis.
Historian and World War II expert Donald Miller brings us the story of the bomber boys who brought the war to Hitler's doorstep. Unlike ground soldiers, they slept on clean beds, drank beer in local pubs and danced to the swing music of the travelling Air Force bands. But they were also an elite group of fighters who put their lives on the line in the most dangerous role of all.
Miller takes listeners from the adrenaline-filled battles in the sky, to the airbases across England, the German prison camps and onto the ground to understand the devastation faced by civilians.
Drawn from interviews, oral histories and American, British and German archives, Masters of the Air is the authoritative, deeply moving and important account of the world's first and only bomber war.
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What listeners say about Masters of the Air
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert Hood
- 29-08-20
Excellent
Dinitively the best coverage of the Americans european bombing war, well balanced and fair. The author has gone to great lengths to include bona fide inclusion from the highest rank to the lowest, first hand experiences in just about every circumstances during the war. The narrator reads flawlessly and in a highly listenable tone. From a British perspective I found this an excellent and informative audio book in high lighting the crucial contributions both countries played in defeating Germany from the air.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sandy Martin
- 19-02-24
Excellent book
Great story, highly recommended book which gives a good account of the American bomber boys.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- J Briggs
- 19-05-23
Great informative book
Decided to read this before the Apple TV series of the same name is released.
While, being British, I have a few issues around the characterisation of Bomber Commands war, it’s a really good informative book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Chris I
- 25-09-23
Excellent coverage and great narration
This book covers all aspects of the USAAF air war in WW2. It has a huge amount of detail and many personal stories to enliven the statistics and historical timeline. Well balanced in its discussion of the moral and political aspects of strategic bombing, Excellent narration.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 24-10-23
Best book ever. Heard it 3 times.
Never have I listen to such a detailed and great book full of intriguing stories form heroes of the world war 2.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Natalie
- 20-01-24
Amazing book
Really great and engaging account of the ‘bomber boys’ and the sheer scale and impact they made during such a tragic period of our history during WWII. The level of detail the author goes into along with the narrator make this such a good listen. Highly recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mike A
- 26-01-24
Never a dull moment!
It informs you like a documentary but reads like a story.
This book is a triumph in trying to cover a group of American Bombers and their journey and evolution through ww2. This book has taken this simple heading and dissected it into many layers each with their own incredible and fascinating stories that contribute to the bigger picture. Things like the technological capabilities of the plane, or love lives and PTSD all the way to the Goverment policies and politics that would dictate the types of missions they flew and right down to personal accounts through the war.
While each topic is superb in isolation, the transition between them will mean the story is always changing and never becomes monotonous. I thought I knew my history but left this feeling wowed at every chapter.
Most importantly, I never felt this book had any bias or that it was trying to defend any sides for their respective flaws and was very brave with just sticking to the facts, especially with ugly truths like going out of their way to acknowledge Blacks were not allowed to fly in the bomber command while all other races were and explained how segregation was the cause. It also touches on the precarious relationship between blacks and the whites that served. Again it wasn’t trying to defend anyone or blame anyone it just stuck to the facts so people can make up their minds and didn’t try to brush it under the carpet.
I read this before the TV series came out and recommend this to anyone that likes any form of history, it may be a big book but it’s worth it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jack Keenan
- 26-02-24
A good listen !
Very interesting and informative. The horrors of war brought to life through these stories. Thanks to all who served.
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- Frodo & Co
- 24-03-24
The content of this story is so revealing!
True stories of surviving men that give a better insight in historical facts. All so well told.
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- Sleepyjacs
- 07-04-24
What really happened in those flying fortresses
Listening to how the bomber crews acted during those long freezing flights & how they bonded into a fierce unit who would not abandon their friends, even under the most stressful of circumstances was a revelation to me.
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