As a waist gunner aboard Black Hawk, a B-17 Flying Fortress operating from bases in England, Sgt. Jack Novey, and 18 year-old from the streets of Chicago, survived some of the most dangerous bombing missions of WWII. Deserves a place among the best memoirs of the air war against Germany. 42 b&w photos.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enthralling, journal-like book on the air war!!,
By gtgasser@aol.com (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Cold Blue Sky: A B-17 Gunner in World War Two (Hardcover)
Thank you Jack Novey for giving us a chance to understand on a small scale what the "right stuff" really is. This book readily captures the war at the GI level - in this case via Jack's eyes 30,000 feet above Germany. Pleasantly void of strategic analogy, this book takes the reader through the day-in day-out fight for survival of a B-17 crew. This is a must-read for any serious WWII history buff - not for names , dates, campaigns, etc...but for a chance to try and fathom what hell the air war must have been.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent true-life account of a waist gunner in WW II,
By
This review is from: The Cold Blue Sky: A B-17 Gunner in World War Two (Hardcover)
There are some books that are written simply because there is an important story to tell. Novey's account of his experiences as a waist gunner in a B-17 heavy bomber with the Eighth Air Force is a book that gives us a real-life look at what it was to be young, terrified, brave, and caught up in a world war that quickly made boys of 17 and 18 age well beyond their years. A horde of books such as the Cold Blue Sky exist. Some are good, a few are great, but none captures the spirit, fears, and loyalty to their crew that Novey's book does. The author begins his book with a fine account of qualifying for gunnery school,which was not an easy process. From there it is on to England and the task of completing the required 25 missions to earn a trip home. It is easy for an author to write of tactics, leaders, and battles, but not as easy to convey what it is really like to be a soldier. Wars are fought by people, very young people. It is hard, very hard to risk your life each few days and maintain a sense of equilibrium. It is almost as hard to write about what is was like. Novey succeeded and all of us are the benefactor.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A gut-wrenching and sobering view of a gunners life.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Cold Blue Sky: A B-17 Gunner in World War Two (Hardcover)
Cold Blue Sky is a book that focuses on the reality of combat. Novey shows the reader how one copes with the tragedy of war and pushes on to it's end. Novey is blunt and unabrigged in his coments and views of war. He recounts his arial combat with amazing detail and allows the reader to feel the experience. Novey takes the reader into his personal life as well, talking often of his friends and loves he had during the war. Overall this memoir provides a great medium for one to experience daily life through the eyes of a waist-gunner.
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