Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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!

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.

The book was very good at covering the history WW2. The make up of Army divisions and artillery.It was about the movement of it's author as they accured From before entering the service to his movements through Europe and Germany. He brought to light the villages and what the German people were like in that terrible time. His stories of flying were few and undetailed however. There is more ground time than flight time.

First of all it is GREAT to have a few of these VERY brave men tell their story. This one is pretty sparse compared to the others. Try finding a copy of 'Janey' by Dutch Schultz or 'Low & Slow' by Don Moore.

Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the transaction was smooth and quick. Would definitely purchase from this seller again.

I liked this book, though if I were to buy only one Grasshopper memoir it would be Schultz's "Janey" from the same publisher, or Don Moore's self-published paperback, "Low and Slow". -- Dan Ford