Blood and Fears: How America's Bomber Boys of the 8th Air Force Saved World War II

The defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II required the combined action of army, naval, and aerial forces as well as close coordination with the Allies. A significant example of this coordinated effort is the daytime and nighttime bombing of Germany by the American Eighth Air Force and the British Royal Air Force. Formed in 1942, the Eighth Air Force, led by Gen. James Doolittle starting in 1944, began systematically bombing German industrial and military targets, effectively limiting their strength. By war's end, the Eighth Air Force had lost 26,000 men while dropping over 700,000 tons of bombs on Germany. Journalist Wilson has crafted a highly readable and intimate account based on letters, diaries, and oral histories of not only the men involved but also the women who served with them in the Red Cross and the Women's Army Corps. For libraries that already own Donald Miller's Master's of the Air, Wilson's book would be a fine counterpart, especially with its attention to the contributions of women.