Flying Low: And Shot Down Twice During World War II in a Spotter Plane [Hardcover]

Joseph Furbee Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001

Can you imagine going into combat at 70 mph in an unarmed, unarmored, 65 hp fabric covered airplane? If not, and if you want to know what it was really like, then Joe Gordon's Flying Low is the book for you. In 1944 Joe Gordon was a liaison pilot attached to the Ninth US Army's 2nd Armored Division, directing artillery fire from a Piper L-4 Cub of the 65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion. As a lieutenant with this unit he saw action in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany, and was shot down twice in the process. His remarkable book tells not only of the opposition he met from German flak and small arms fire, but also of his one-sided encounters with Focke Wulf 190s and Messerschmitt 109s. For many years after the war the contribution made by field artillery pilots remained largely unknown and this excellent book does much to redress the problem. Flying Low is a welcome addition to the small number of World War II aviation books which throw new light on a little known subject.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Southfarm Pr (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913337439
• ISBN-13: 978-0913337431
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,917,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flying Low: and shot down twice, March 26, 2003

By 

gene clark (College Station, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Low: And Shot Down Twice During World War II in a Spotter Plane (Hardcover)

This is a straight-forward narrative by a young college boy from Louisiana, telling a gripping tale of flying the smallest airplane in the U. S. Army into the battle for Europe, flying over the battle as an artillery forward observer in WW II.
This frank memoir takes you all the way through training to fly right over the front lines, in fact so close that he was shot down twice.
Follow this seldom told story of how these few brave pilots in unarmed spotter planes helped win the war. It's time well spent.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flying Low - January 2003, January 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Flying Low: And Shot Down Twice During World War II in a Spotter Plane (Hardcover)

Flying Low would generally be considered a man's book - and it is. However, Joseph Furbee Gordon's account of his days as an artillery spotter pilot is much more - it's a book for men, women, anyone who wants to learn more about the World War II era. Gordon's narrative gives one a sense of "being along for the ride." Although more than half a century has passed, his words manage to capture the elusive spirit of youth. Flying Low tells how it was for one young warrior during WW II, and reminds us how very young are the ones who defend us today. Read Flying Low - you'll be glad you did!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flying Low, December 22, 2002

By 

James C. Grant (Austin, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Low: And Shot Down Twice During World War II in a Spotter Plane (Hardcover)

Flying Low is a warm, personal account of the experiences of a young pilot from Texas who survived being shot down twice in his light aircraft while spotting for his artillery unit. Gordon mixes memories of his days in Europe toward the end of the war with glimpses from his youth, onto his flight training in the Army Air Corp and then the eventual assignment that almost cost him his life - twice.

I would highly recommend Flying Low to anyone interested in learning about some of the quiet, unheralded heroes of WW II. Can you imagine slowly drifting 1000 feet above a battlefield with artllery shells, anti-aircraft and small arms fire zipping past you? Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, just you, a pair of binoculars, a radio and a small plane with no protection.

Gordon tells his story - not from the point of being a brave pilot - but as someone who knew his duty and did it with honor and integrity. A great read - you won't be disappointed.