The B-17 Flying Fortress remains an endearing classic to the aviation world, but none knew this grand "lady" better than those who piloted her during World War II. Return to Base, a masterfully written autobiography, relates the bombing history and personal experience of Jesse Pitts, B-17 copilot and member of the 379th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, operating out of Kimbolton, England. Second Lieutenant Pitts and the crew of the Penny Ante flew twenty-five missions over France and Germany from 1943 to 1944. This memoir is a powerful and penetrating look back at this "band of brothers."
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About the Author
Son of an American father and a French mother, Pitts was raised France, later returning to the States to attend Harvard University. In 1941, Pitts graduated from Harvard, where he later returned to earn his Ph.D. in sociology, and enlisted in the American Air Corps. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as the French Croix de Guerre. After he returned from duty, Pitts married Monique Bonnier, the daughter of French Resistance hero Claude Bonnier. He pursued a varied academic career, teaching at Wayne State University, Oakland University, Harvard University, and the University of Virginia, also lecturing in Paris. In addition, he co-authored In Search of France (1964) and Theories of Society (1966). He created the Franco-American periodical The Tocqueville Review, serving as editor from 1978 to 1991. Pitts spent his last years devoted to Return to Base, which he dedicated to the crew of Penny Ante.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Return to Base: Memoirs of a B-17 Copilot Kimbolton, England, 1943-1944,
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This review is from: Return to Base: Memoirs of A B-17 Copilot, Kimbolton, England, 1943-1944 (Hardcover)
Jesse Pitts was one of the relatively few aviators who survived and blazed a pathway for the successful Allied air campaign against Nazi Germany during the early days of American involvement in WWII.
His account in this book brings to life the heroism of those who were pioneers in what was essentially an experiment in so-called "pin-point" daylight bombing--without fighter escorts. His early aviation training experiences were especially interesting to me as a private pilot. His descriptions of those days show us all how brave and motivated Jesse's generation was. His book is a very moving tribute to the spirit of patriotism and courage, which I recommend to all.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but . . .,
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This review is from: Return to Base: Memoirs of A B-17 Copilot, Kimbolton, England, 1943-1944 (Hardcover)
While this book gives some good insight as to the life of the bomber crews outside of their planes, the author does tend to ramble in his discriptions of life on the base. There is little as to the actual descriptions of the missions which he and his crew carried out. If you want to learn about life on the base and the training and preparations the men went through I would recommend this book.
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