Stephen E. Ambrose recounts heroism, skill, audacity, and comradeship. Ambrose describes the Army air force recruiting, training, and selecting men to take on the most difficult and dangerous jobs of war. The boys became pilots, bombers and gunners of the B24 – more than 50% of the casualties.
Here are the top 3 reviews and comments that readers love about this fascinating book.
Review 1: The Wild Blue audiobook by Lyle
Required Reading
As a political conservative I was somewhat concerned about the book’s central figure, George McGovern and the direction the book might go. However, my brother-in-law was also a B24 pilot based in England during WW2 and since he, like most veterans, spoke little of their war experiences and I was curious to learn more about what they went through.
I now think this book should be required reading in all high school history. Today we have no idea of what the “Greatest Generation” went through and gave so that we can enjoy the freedoms and blessings we take for granted today.
Review 2: The Wild Blue audiobook by J. Allen Burrows
Misled
I should have spent more time reading the publisher’s summary. This turned out to be more about McGovern and his crew as individuals than a wider view. There was gratifying detail about training and a little bit about production but I was hungry for details of the development of the Liberator and the thinking that led to two heavy bombers being produced. He mentioned Liberators being used in the Pacific and I think he said they replaced the B-17s there? He never mentioned the B-29. He barely mentioned Ford’s retooling of their facilities and manufacture of our main character (the airplane). He never detailed the Liberator’s service in other theaters or other roles, like u-boat patrols. Mr. Ambrose’s arguments as an apologist for strategic bombing were compelling. His championing of McGovern as his friend was touching and affecting but not quite what I wanted to use my credit for. This is not a book about Liberator crews and the planes they flew. This is a book about George McGovern and some other stuff thrown in to upholster the narrative.
Review 3: The Wild Blue audiobook by Ray
Good Book
I have to admit to being a little skeptical since the author claimed to be close friends with McGovern, the protagonist of the story and so there has to have been some needed objectivity lost. But the overall story isn’t controversial by nature so I guess that’s okay. If McGovern had made any serious blunders as a pilot or an officer, it would have surely come out before this book was ever written considering his political career.
The story developed well and I liked the background on each character and getting a look at their training, etc.
The narrator has a fine voice, and good cadence but I didn’t think it really fit this book very well, but I suppose that’s going to be subjective to each listener. (Just click on the audio sample to judge for yourself.)
