“The Mighty 8th at War: The Missions, the Aircraft, the Full Story Told by the Men Who Were There”, by Chris McNab

 

320 pages, Elephant Books, ISBN-13: 978-1435164802

$2.83. That’s what The Mighty 8^th at War: The Missions, the Aircraft, the Full Story Told by the Men Who Were There by Chris McNab cost me at Barnes & Noble. A mere $2.83 from off their clearance rack and with my membership discount. Can’t go wrong, amiright? So what we have here is one of those enormous, glossy behemoths of a book that is full of pictures and information regarding the American 8^th Air Force in World War II, arguably the greatest strategic air formation in history. Just ask a Yank if you don’t believe me. Between activation in 1942 and the end of the war, The Mighty 8^th rained down destruction from the stratosphere upon the denizens of the Third Reich, laying waste to the industrial, military and transportation infrastructure of Nazi Germany, while U.S. fighters took on their counterparts in twisting dogfights. Good stuff all around. But at a cost, for the American insistence on round-the-clock bombing resulted in high attrition rates for their crews and planes during daylight hours (the average life expectancy for a bomber aircrew dropped to only six missions by 1943).

But still the Mighty 8^th continued to bomb and break the effectiveness of Hitler’s empire, even if such raids were deemed to be ineffective by later historians studying the results. But no matter. What we have with The Mighty 8^th at War is a collection not only of the planes that fought in the European theater of war but, more importantly, a gathering of the thoughts of the men that flew them. From five miles over the surface of the Earth the men of the Mighty 8^th did their duty, and McNab brings their voices together and allows the Greatest Generation to speak for themselves.  Whether B-17 bombardiers making the final bomb run through near-impenetrable flak, to P-51 Mustangs strafing enemy locomotives, the tales told by these men cover every aspect of the operational and human drama as they fought to bring down a monster and his regime. And we mustn’t forget the pictures, as this book has over 600 of the things to illustrate just what is under discussion. The Mighty 8^th at War is an excellent addition to anyone’s war library – and if you can get it for $2.83, so much the better.