The Airmen: The Story of American Fliers in World War II

Based on interviews, letters and unpublished manuscripts, this oral history, a companion volume to Hoyt's The GI's War , shows how U.S. pilots and crewmen fought WW II in the air. Specific exploits are described: the sinking of a U-boat off North Carolina, Capt. Colin Kelly's heroic self-sacrifice during defense of the Philippines, the Doolittle raid over Tokyo, America's first encounter with the fearsome Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter. A longer piece explains how Col. Thomas Jeffrey turned the demoralized 100th Bombardment Group into an effective fighting force; a respectful recap of ``those who also served'' tells the touching story of Cpl. Jake Jones, who yearned for transfer from a stateside training command to the combat zone. This collection of action-packed vignettes provides compelling descriptions of strategies, tales of survival and feats of bravery. Photos not seen by PW. (Jan.)