Dumb but Lucky!: Confessions of a P-51 Fighter Pilot in World War II [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard Curtis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2005

Second lieutenant Dick Curtis arrived in Italy in May 1944–twenty years old and part of a shipment of P-51 Mustang fighter pilots so desperately needed that they were rushed into combat with less than thirty hours of flight time in their new high-performance aircraft.

Six of the twelve pilots assigned to the 52nd Fighter Group were shot down in the first two weeks. By his ninth mission, Curtis was the only one still flying. A maverick, he barely escaped court-martial with his high-flying antics. Escorting bombers sent to pound heavily defended oil fields was risky enough, but strafing the enemy supply lines, ports, and airfields was even more dangerous. Curtis may chalk up his success to dumb luck, but these missions took exceptional skill and courage. This hair-raising account captures the air war in all its split-second terror and adrenaline-pumping action.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The strength of our democracy lies in the wide variety of leaders and heroes we produce at all levels. This story is a wonderful example!”
–Joseph S. Nye, Jr., dean of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and author of The Paradox of American Power

About the Author

Richard K. Curtis earned the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross in World War II. After the war, he received a B.A. in theology from Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago and an M.S. and Ph.D. in speech communication from Purdue University. He is the author of three previous books: They Called Him Mister Moody, Evolution or Extinction: The Choice Before Us, and Hubris and the Presidency: The Abuse of Power by Johnson and Nixon. He retired from the faculty of Purdue University in 1993.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press; 1st edition (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345476360
• ISBN-13: 978-0345476364
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Aviation
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > World War II > General
  • #42 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Military & Spies

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness for those diaries and letters, August 16, 2005

By 

Eva P. Ingle "kirkland" (Laurel Springs, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dumb but Lucky!: Confessions of a P-51 Fighter Pilot in World War II (Mass Market Paperback)

Richard Curtis was an 18 year old who enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1942 because he wanted to be a pilot and not be drafted without a choice in his role in World War II. He was a wild man when he got at the controls of the fighter planes, but he was disciplined enough to write detailed diaries during training and in Italy. He kept his letters from his wartime girlfriend. From these diaries and letters we learn about the escapades of the flyboys, in the air, in the barracks, and with the girls. We see the suffering of the Italians who lived near the US airbase--the children who begged for food and ate from the Army's garbage cans, and the women and girls who turned to prostitution to survive. From Lt. Curtis' viewpoint in the sky, we see the US bombers down below which have been hit by German fire and realize that another 14 GI's have probably been killed. We learn of the rationing of fuel oil and how it affected those living through a New England winter. I was a child during World War II, and this book was a great education for me about what actually went on during that time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucky enough to read this book, August 13, 2005

By 

Paul Nielsen (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dumb but Lucky!: Confessions of a P-51 Fighter Pilot in World War II (Mass Market Paperback)

Here's a must read for anyone interested in the life of a combat pilot for any war, any nation. Lt. Curtis' story blends his training, combat, day to day activities, romance, and his own self-doubt with the major events of the WWII and the key decisions. It's facinating to read about how the decisions made by FDR and Churchill affected this man's life. I found myself pulling for Myrt to say yes, and feeling proud of the moral code Dick lived by. Here's a man I would have enjoyed meeting.

My father flew B-17s out of England, but he would speak very little about his experinces. This books fills in many of the gaps in my father's story. As a book author myself, I highly recommend this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucky I Read It !, August 15, 2006

By 

Vibrolux45 (Xiamen,China) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dumb but Lucky!: Confessions of a P-51 Fighter Pilot in World War II (Mass Market Paperback)

Well I have read in excess of 20 world war 2 pilots books and I very much enjoyed this one!
I was completely drawn in and read it straight through...I enjoyed reading about all Richards exploits and his ability to put you there with him during his time in the sky.
If you are a fan of the Army Air Force during WW2 then I highly recommend ready "Dumb But Lucky" and see how a regular guy managed to be very clever and yes a bit lucky as well!