Customer Reviews

Spitfires, Thunderbolts, and Warm Beer: An American Fighter Pilot over Europe (World War II Commemorative)

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The book is about a young American private pilot along with many others who were recruited to fly in the RAF a long time before America entered the War. It is based mostly on his diary for the entire period from being recruited in California and starting training there until he finally returns home after more than 200 missions shortly before the war ends. In his diary the flyer includes plenty of out of the cockpit stories about interacting with the English civilians and flyers, his frequent encounters with the opposite sex, and meaningful observations about the loss of life from many types of aircraft crashes on British soil as well as those downed in combat. It's an adventure to read this book. It places you there during an intense period in WW II. The young pilot LeRoy Gover as of three years ago was in the Veteran's Hospital at Menlo Park, CA at age 83. This excellent book was written by Brig. Gen. Philip D. Caine, USAF (Ret.) who had Gover under his command during a portion of his service. I have loaned the book to two Air Force veterans, one from WW II and the other from Viet Nam wars. Neither could put it down it is that exciting and human. I had the same problem. Get it!

This is a terrific memoir of a fighter pilot in WWII told through the use of letters, journal entries, and narrative. By the end of it, you know you have spent time with a true War Hero of the first caliber. LeRoy Gover is a witty, articulate writer and much information is gleaned from his journals entries especially. I opened this book at 2:30 yesterday afternoon and finished it by noon today. A page turner in the same was as a great novel. Couldn't put it down. An excellent read, and highly recommended for war researchers and aviation enthusiasts alike. Thank you Mr. Caine for bringing this man's story to publication!

If you have any interest in WW2, WW2 fighter pilots, or are just an aviation buff, this book is a must read. Written based on diary entries, letters home, and interviews of LeRoy Gover, the result is a hard to put down account of one man as he goes into the RAF and eventually into the Army Air Corps. While Gover wan't one of the high scorers of the war, he exemplifies the guys who quietly got the job done. A great book about a real hero.

It's not often you get to read the very inner thoughts of a fighter pilot but this book allows the reader just that. Leroy Gover, whose combat career of 159 missions is the subject of this book, habitually kept a diary and this, coupled with excerpts from his letters home and candid interviews with the author, really makes this memoir feel as though you're relaxing in the mess while Gover talks to you.

A California kid, Gover learnt to fly before he could drive and was an experienced flyer at the time he decided to volunteer for service in the RAF. This was before the US entered the war and is an early indication of the type of person Gover is. After training, where his enthusiasm for flying new aircraft is evident, he and his classmates embarked on a long, sometimes hazardous journey to Canada and then by convoy (the hazardous bit!) to England. Within days, perhaps hours, of landing in England, Gover is amazed and humbled by the spirit and resilience of the English civilians and this is a theme that continues throughout the book. We follow him through OTU (Operational Training Unit) where he finally gets to fly his dream aircraft - the Spitfire. He is then posted to 66 Sqn and comences flying fighter sweeps, convoy escort etc.

Gover, although aware of his abilities as a flyer, knows he has to be good at what he does to have a greater chance of survival. Through his writings and the author's clarifications and additional information, Gover comes across as a humble, yet ambitious fighter pilot. He knows he isn't invincible and more than once he doubts if he'll ever return home. He never ceases to be amazed at the situations he gets into and his love affair with the Spitfire, and the city of London and girls when on leave, is very evident.

America's entry into the war eventually sees Gover joining the US Army Air Force and eventually converting to P-47s with the newly formed 4th Fighter Group which was destined to become one of the most famous of all American fighter groups. Here, I believe, is where his personality and combat experience come to the fore. He quickly becomes an excellent leader who keeps an eye on the men who fly behind him on formation. He feels their loss greatly, as he does throughout his time in England when friends are killed.

Reading this book is like talking to an old friend who has been away for a few years. It is a candid, sometimes amusing, always eye-opening look at how these men made it through day-by-day. Once a day was over, they were always ready to put it all on the line the next.

First, the positive reviews of this account of a Yank in the RAF, and then the famous 4th Fighter Group, are deserved, and I dont feel the need to add much to them, except to note that, be aware that the book is not written directly by Lee Gover, but is assembled from Gover's diaries, logbooks, etc by Philip Caine, who has done a creditable job. And if it is combat air action that you seek, this book would not be a top choice. It contains many entertaining stories of trips into wartime London, conveying the atmosphere of that time superbly, and, man, this pilot certainly went out with enough English girls to satisfy a whole squadron. He indicates he learned some interesting techniques in England, and I dont mean flying. His air combat accounts are as thrilling as any, when you reach them, but overall, they take second place to the dating action off-base, I feel.

What I must really do is issue a warning: the e book is a sloppy, poorly produced thing, like so many non fiction e books. Get a paperback, a library copy, anything but the ebook. While the ebook does contain some photos (amazingly, since most do not), they are about as grainy and blurry as some old daguerreotype. I cannot believe the photos in theprinted books look thus.

Although history and aviation buffs will definitely enjoy this book, there was so much more to it. This book really makes you think about the value of life. Many, many people died in this book, from training accidents, falling off boats in the ocean, getting hit by "friendly fire", as well as getting hit in combat. Yet nobody complained. Lives were expendable for the cause. And for some pilots, just the act of flying was worth dieing for. The act of living seemed to become more important, and people seemed to live life to the fullest in spite of the troubling times.

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't some deep, intense book. It was also very entertaining. I learned a lot about early aviation, and the early part of the war between England and Germany. But at the end of it I got a much better inside view about what it was like to live during World War II, and to enjoy the life we're given.

A friend who was reading this book told me about it and rather than wait for him to finish, I was fortunate enough to find a hard cover edition available on Amazon a week or so ago. Being fascinated with stories such as this and flying in general I decided I wanted a copy for my own. I'm glad I did.

LeRoy Gover is an authentic American hero who, in his early twenties decided he wanted to become a military fighter pilot. It is May of 1941. Gover has been a pilot of his own and other aircraft for nearly seven years and has accumulated 800 hours of flying time. He lacked any college education however, which was a requirement to join the Army or Navy pilot training. The RAF had no such requirement. If you had two hundred hours as pilot in command and could pass a physical, the RAF was interested in training American and Canadian pilots to bolster the RAF which was involved with the Battle of Britain at the time.

Gover and a few friends are accepted, receive basic training in Canada and eventually ship to England in a convoy which may have been as harrowing as many of the experiences he would eventually have as an RAF and US fighter pilot.

His story is told from letters and dairies as well as some interviews as Grover was alive at the time the book was published and from them we get a glimpse of three fascinating years in the history of WW2 and the air war in Europe.

These young men lived constantly with the pressure of combat flying and the dangers of being in wartime England, yet Gover's telling of the experience makes it sound like the old joke about what it is like to be an airline pilot...hours and hours of sheer boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror. He describes more than the flying. There is also the comradship, being assimilated into the life and culture of wartime England and the carefree way they sought release with parties, alcohol, movies and some very friendly English women.

Almost casually as one reads of the experiences it starts to dawn on the reader than young Grover is an exceptional pilot and exceptionally fortunate, as well. Thirteen men graduated with him in his training class. He and another are the only survivors. After one hundred and fifty three missions, he had acquired the Silver Star, three DFC's and eight air medals. He shot down four Germans for sure, had three probables and damaged seven others.

After finally returning to the US after three years in combat he remained in the Air Force until 1961, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He continued to fly following retirement and it is reported that as of the writing of the book he had twenty eight thousand hours of flying time and probably more time in fighter aircraft than any person alive.

But this books charm is not in the accomplishments of this remarkable individual. It is in the landscape of the time painted by Gover's words.
They span the years and one can hear the sound of the Merlin engines and feel the concussions of the German bombs falling on the English countryside. If this appeals to you...you need to find a copy.

A pretty matter of fact review of the life of an American fighter pilot in Britain during the early part of WW-II. Lots of girlfriends in the beginning, lots of narrow escapes at the end. No question that Gover was a hero and great pilot who survived to become a leader before completing 150 missions and being rotated home to become an instructor.

Kindle edition is fine if you are just reading it for the historical information, but it suffers from the problems typical of non-fiction books on Kindle, poorly reproduced photographs, misplaced captions. I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the bound version.

This book is a fine example of what WWII was being fought with. Just a normal person doing heroic things for defence of his country. I was unable to put the book down until I had read the whole thing. The author put in some lighter moments at just the right time, because you will find yourself in the war with him while you are reading.
I was impressed, and have added this book to my library of books to keep forever!

Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy the book. But it's just....missing depth.
It's pretty much a diary. You would think there would be a bit more insight and detail on how he felt about the combat, but he kind of glosses over that part of it. And you have to admit, that's what you want to know: what was it like to be in his shoes? What did he feel?
Just seems like, if he wrote anything deep in his diaries, he didn't let the author publish it. I can understand his letters home being light and avoiding anything scary...but not his journals.
Still, a good read. There's still a lot there to keep your interest.