B-17 at War [Paperback]

Bill Yenne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2006 | Series: At War

The B-17 bomber was America’s flying icon, from its inauspicious start (the prototype crashed a mere two months after its launch in 1935) to its starring role in World War II (serving first the RAF and then the U.S. Army Air Force, in every combat zone) to its eventual status as the grand old bomber without peer. Noted aviation author Bill Yenne takes readers through the hits and misses of the B-17’s development, the deployment of the different models, the missions flown, and the men who flew them.

The At War series features books on military equipment and elite military units, including exciting first-person accounts and descriptions of combat and equipment as seen through the eyes of soldiers and other military personnel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

WWII History Magazine, November 2006

 “…B-17 at War takes readers from the cockpit to the tail-gun in one of the most formidable flying weapons ever devised…B-17 at War is a source of unending pleasure to the Flying Fortress fan.”

Airpower, September 2006

“While this legendary airplane has been covered from nose-to-tail in just about every possible way, along comes this effective new work from Bill Yenne which takes a slightly different approach to the telling of the often-told story. Rather than run down every model of the B-17 ever built with scores of tables and reams of technical data, Yenne has unearthed many unique, never-before-seen photographs of crewmembers, aircraft, and special candid moments that convey the true experience of flying the Fortress at war…If you are a B-17 aficionado, a World War II buff, or just someone who appreciates the incredible contribution this airplane made to win that war, this informative new book is well worth the price.”

About the Author

Bill Yenne is the author of several MBI titles including, most recently, Secret Gadgets and Strange Gizmos: High-Tech (and Low-Tech) Innovations of the U.S. Military, Attack of the Drones: A History of Unmanned Aerial Combat and The Story of the Boeing Company. He and his family reside in the Noe Valley district of San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press; 1st edition (May 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760325227
• ISBN-13: 978-0760325223
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #695,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Yenne is the author of several novels and over three dozen books on historical topics, as well as having been a contributor to encyclopedias of both world wars. He has traveled throughout the world researching his books.

The "New Yorker" wrote of "Sitting Bull," his biography of the great Lakota leader, that it "excels as a study in leadership." This book was named to the number 14 spot among Amazon's 100 Best Books of the Year.

"Library Journal" observed that "enthusiastic World War II readers will be drawn to" his dual biography, "Aces High: The Heroic Story of the Two Top Scoring American Aces of World War II."

Recently, his book "Convair Deltas" was named as "Book of the Month" by "Air Classics," while his book "Tommy Gun" was named "Pick of the Month" by "Shooting Illustrated."

His book "Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint" was listed among the top business books of the year by "Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine," which rated Yenne's tome as its TOP pick for "Cocktail Conversation."

Yenne's "Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II," was praised by Walter Boyne, former Director of the National Air & Space Museum, who called it "a fast moving... page turner," and the "best book yet written on the saga."

The "Wall Street Journal" wrote, when reviewing his "Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West," that Yenne writes with "cinematic vividness," and says of his work that it "has the rare quality of being both an excellent reference work and a pleasure to read."

The author lives in San Francisco, California, and on the web at www.BillYenne.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dry Recounting of the B-17's War Record!, April 29, 2008

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: B-17 at War (Paperback)

Along with being the most famous bomber in history, the Boeing B-17 has been the subject of more books than probably all other bombers combined. Bill Yenne's 2006 B-17 tome for Zenith Press is one of the latest to pay tribute to Boeing's war winner.

After a brief chapter on the Flying Fort's development and introduction to service, Yenne devotes succeeding chapters to missions flown in 1941, 1942, 1943, etc. before concluding with a brief epilogue on the B-17 after World War II.

The book, part of the publisher's "At War" series, is very much the story of the machine and not the men who flew her. And therein lies my problem with it. Nowhere in Yenne's mission narratives are there any mention of specific units, specific crews, memorable events during the mission, etc. The book is basically 100+ pages of "On March 3rd 67 B-17s bombed Berlin and Dresden while another 59 hit Emden. The next day 118 B-17s hit Kiel..." and so on. Taking out the human element enables the author to condense the B-17's story to 100 or so pages but it also removes all the drama from the story. As a result, B-17 AT WAR is as dry as toast.

The book is illustrated with over 160 black & white and color photographs. About 1/2 have been previously published.

Check out the B-17 books done by Martin Bowman, Steve Birdsall or Roger Freeman for a more memorable look at the Flying Fort in action. Bomber completists may want to add Yenne's book to their collection but, sorry to say, I wouldn't rate it an essential purchase.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, February 6, 2007

By 

Edwin C. Wade Jr. (Huntington, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: B-17 at War (Paperback)

I was a crew member on a B-17 bomber during WWII and can appreciate the research that went into writing this book. Most B-17 books write only about the "Mighty Eighth" (The 8th Army Air Force in England) but this book covered it all, including the 15th Army Air Force in Italy, where I was stationed. An excellent book!

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Review of the Book "B-17 At War", January 24, 2008

By 

B. Bertz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: B-17 at War (Paperback)

I was disappointed with the book. I was hoping to read, in detail, about the Bomb Squadrons attached to the 99th Bombardment Group (99th BG). Unfortunately the 99BG is mentioned only 3 times and not much was written with respect to the Bomb Squadrons attached to the 99th BG. If anyone is looking for real detailed information relative to the 99th Bombardment Group I highly recommend you obtain a copy of the book entitled "The Diamondbacks: The History of the 99th Bombardment Group."