Flying Forts: The B-17 in World War II [Paperback]

Martin Caiden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2001

There is no such thunder in history -- nor ever will be again -- as the deep-throated roar of the mighty, four-engined B-17s that streamed across the skies in World War II. The long runways are silent now, the men and planes are gone. But out of the massive files of records available, and the memories of the men who flew, Martin Caidin has assembled this dramatic portrait of America's most formidable heavy bomber of the war. The B-17: The Flying Forts recreates a vanished era and a great and gallant plane -- a plane that could absorb three thousand enemy bullets, fly with no rudder, and complete its mission on two engines. A plane that American pilots flew at Pearl Harbor, Tunis, Midway, Palermo, Schweinfurt, Regensberg, Normandy, and Berlin, in thousands of missions and through hundreds of thousands of miles of flak-filled skies. A plane that proved itself in every combat theater as the greatest heavy bomber of World War II.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Martin Caiden is the bestselling author of SAMURAI! and numerous classics of military history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: I Books (October 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743434706
• ISBN-13: 978-0743434706
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,635,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First paragragh to last, if you want to be there, read this., December 7, 1997

By 

Jeanie B. Wallenstein (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: FLYING FORTS: THE B-17 IN WORLD WAR II (Mass Market Paperback)

From the drawing board to the bomber graveyard, the detail of the book is amazing. Technical stuff and anecdotes from the men who lived and died with these aircraft, it gets you inside an important aspect of WWII. It deeply inspired my interest in the history. Actually I read it 25 years ago and I still remember much of it as if I'd read a month ago!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've been RE-reading this book for almost 20 years..., April 18, 2000

By 

Eric A Olson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Forts (Mass Market Paperback)

I found Flying Forts at age 12 in my parents' bookcase. In the years since, I have read and re-read this book so often, I had to buy a used copy as mine disintegrated.

This might seem a bit much, but here is the truth:

The power and masterful language with which Caidin paints the Fort's history portrays not so much the story of a machine as a profile in human spirit. The men who designed, built, flew, and especially fought in the B-17 are profiled here in a remarkable alternation of big-picture history and the individual tales of a crew or a mission.

Reading Flying Forts at that young age was the first I learned of WW II. I can say without doubt that my appreciation for the dignity, heroism and tragedy of that mighty conflict, were all first engendered in me as a child by this one book. As an adult,I can trace my pilot's license, my aviation library and my deep love of history directly to the day that I first read Flying Forts.

If you read only the prologue and the epilogue, this book is worth whatever it costs. If you ever had an interest in history, airplanes or flying, find a copy, and keep it forever.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Veritable Handbook on the Flying Fortress, June 16, 2001

By 

Rob Morris (Idaho Falls, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Forts (Mass Market Paperback)

Martin Caidin's "Flying Forts" is an engrossing tale of the history of one of the great flying machines of World War II. Caidin traces the history of the Fort from its original design and construction through its many modifications. If you are interested in the history of research, development and production of an aircraft, then this book is up your alley. The story of the Flying Fortress in WWII doesn't start till page 163. Caidin follows the plane through the war years, and ends by taking us on a ride in a vintage fortress. This is a good book, but has several drawbacks that could be remedied if the book ever goes into print again. First, it needs an index. There is no way to find specific information without one. Second, addition of a small selection of photographs would be nice, although perhaps not feasible from a cost standpoint. The edition I have is filled with pen drawings that depict all the major aircraft of the war, which is a plus. This book is hard to find. I picked mine up at a thrift store for a dime. But it is worth the search and I recommend it to die-hard Flying Fortress fans.