Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II [Paperback]

Philip Ardery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 1996

" Winner of the Best Aeronautical Book Award from the Reserve Officers Association of the United States "The sky was full of dying airplanes" as American Liberator bombers struggled to return to North Africa after their daring low-level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti. They lost 446 airmen and 53 planes, but Philip Ardery's plane came home. This pilot was to take part in many more raids on Hitler's Europe, including air cover for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. This vivid firsthand account, available now for the first time in paper, records one man's experience of World War II air warfare. Throughout, Ardery testifies to the horror of world war as he describes his fear, his longing for home, and his grief for fallen comrades. Bomber Pilot is a moving contribution to American history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Combines a novelist's eye and a poet's touch." -- Air University Review

"A magnificent story, told simply and without heroics." -- Army

"One of the best early attempts to illustrate the view from the command position." -- Flight Journal

"Deserves to be ranked in the best class of battle memoirs." -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

"Will make a strong man weep -- and it will make you laugh triumphantly." -- The Officer

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (April 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813108667
• ISBN-13: 978-0813108667
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > History > Military > Life & Institutions

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great account of the B24 Experience, October 10, 2001

By 

Michael R. Lachance (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II (Paperback)

This outstanding autobiographical recount of Ardery's WW2 experiences ranks amongst the top in this genre. Follow his career through flight training and initial assignments, trials, tribulations and finally, a combat assignment. Ardery, his crew, and their B24 participated in several critical and unprecedented bombing missions during the war, including the infamous Ploesti raid. His recount of flying into a virtual "wall of fire", which was the defensive flak being levelled at their bomber, is one of the most horrowing experiences written to date. In addition to this book, those interested in the B24 should definately read Thomas Childer's "Wings of Morning : The Story of the Last American Bomber Shot Down over Germany in World War II" which stands alone as the absolute finest piece of literature written to date on this subject.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A man's account of the Ploesti raid, awesome!, August 21, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (LOUISVILLE, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II (Hardcover)

This is an account of Col. Philip Ardery's experiences of flying with the 389th Bomb Group in WWII. He gives you the view of an ordinary man doing his duty in a time of war. This story also includes his account of the low level raid on the Ploesti oil fields of Romania by B-24s of the Eighth and Twelfth air forces. This is truly a must-read book for those who have limited knowledge of what pilots of the B-24 had to go through! Check it out!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is good stuff., February 18, 2003

By 

Brent Wigen (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II (Paperback)

Ardery's account of his life as a B-24 pilot is excellent. From all the training it took to simply get into the planes, to combat in the skies over the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, Ardery's account is an even-handed account of what a bomber pilot's life was like.

The chapter about Ploesti is especially fascinating. James Dugan and Carrol Stewart used Ardery as a source for their book on the subject, and the details of Ardery's part in the raid offer some really interesting stuff. Especially intruiging is the background and fate of Medal of Honor winner Lloyd Hughes, who was flying on Ardery's wing when when he perished.

This book is really good stuff; Steven Ambrose's "Wild Blue" pales in comparison. Ardery doesn't place himself on a hero pedestal, he merely tells of his experiences in a very interesting and easy-to-digest style.