Customer Reviews

In a Now Forgotten Sky: The History of the 31st Fighter Group in World War II

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I felt that this book was not put together well. The photos in the book are extremely dark and you can not determine who is in the pictures without a caption. As an example, looking at page 201, with Sandy McCorkle by his Spitfire, you can not see his face or body. Same with various photos of the group's ace Frank Hill. On page 395 the "famous" photo of the 31st's P-51D's in flight is so dark, you can not make out anything. I also know that the photos were a after thought in this book as I have seen them all before. So don't buy this book for the photos, you will be very disappointed.


Gregg

This is the book to have if you're interested in the day-to-day details, the men and the machines of the 31st Fighter Group in World War II. I've read other excellent books about the 31st, such as Woodbine Red Leader and Mustang Ace, but those are told strictly from the viewpoint of the pilots who wrote them, and necessarily focus mainly on the men themselves and the pilots they were closest to. This one is more like a logbook for the group as a whole, with valuable summaries of combat statistics at the end. It provides personal detail you'll never find elsewhere. I learned, for instance, the day my dad transferred into the group, and the fact that he got there in time to enjoy the first American beer ration in many months. Other books give you the drama of being a pilot in combat. This one tells what it was like to have been there through all of it, not just the ongoing stream of missions and the men who did or didn't come back, but also the daily routine, the problems that had to be solved, the dealings with the locals, the funny stories and the sad ones.

Mr. Kucera has masterfully summarized the untold and neglected story/history of the 31st Fighter Group. From the inception of the 31st Pursuit Group, through the 8th AF, 12 AF and the 15th AF to the end of the War in Europe. A definite must read for any historian/ WWII enthusiast. In A Forgotten Sky finally recognize the highest scoring fighter group in the 15th AF.

Dennis Kucera has done a wonderful job bringing a small part of the air war over Europe in World War II to life. Centering on the 31st Fighter Group that operated in North Africa and later the Mediterranean Theater of Operation, Mr. Kucera, using personal recollections as well as group history, has done a tremendous service to those who still hear the roar of engines in their heads when they think of World War II aerial combat. If you have any interest in the air war during World War II, then this book is for you. I highly encourage anyone to read it and the exploits of the "greatest generation" in the air.