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Andrei Cherny

The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour Paperback – June 2, 2009

by Andrei Cherny (Author)

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“What an exciting, inspiring, and wonderfully-written book this is....Each page has lessons for today, and it is also a thrilling narrative to read.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Steve Jobs

The masterfully told story of the unlikely men who came together to make the Berlin Airlift one of the great military and humanitarian successes of American history.

On the sixtieth anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, Andrei Cherny tells a remarkable story with profound implications for the world today. In the tradition of the best narrative storytellers, he brings together newly unclassified documents, unpublished letters and diaries, and fresh primary interviews to tell the story of the ill-assorted group of castoffs and second-stringers who not only saved millions of desperate people from a dire threat but changed how the world viewed the United States, and set in motion the chain of events that would ultimately lead to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and to America’s victory in the Cold War.

On June 24, 1948, intent on furthering its domination of Europe, the Soviet Union cut off all access to West Berlin, prepared to starve the city into submission unless the Americans abandoned it. Soviet forces hugely outnumbered the Allies’, and most of America’s top officials considered the situation hopeless. But not all of them.

Harry Truman, an accidental president, derided by his own party; Lucius Clay, a frustrated general, denied a combat command and relegated to the home front; Bill Tunner, a logistics expert downsized to a desk job in a corner of the Pentagon; James Forrestal, a secretary of defense beginning to mentally unravel; Hal Halvorsen, a lovesick pilot who had served far from the conflict, flying transport missions in the backwater of a global war—together these unlikely men improvised and stumbled their way into a uniquely American combination of military and moral force unprecedented in its time.

This is the forgotten foundation tale of America in the modern world, the story of when Americans learned, for the first time, how to act at the summit of world power—a masterful and exciting work of historical narrative, and one with strong resonance for our time.

Editorial Reviews

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“What an exciting, inspiring, and wonderfully-written book this is! The dramatic tale of America’s response to the Berlin blockade involves a colorful cast of characters, great and flawed, who defined the way a great nation could act as a benevolent world power. Each page has lessons for today, and it is also a thrilling narrative to read. Cherny has produced a book that lives up to this glorious American moment in history.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo Da Vinci

“Andrei Cherny’s The Candy Bombers is a gripping, suspenseful narrative history about the U.S. Cold War era pilots determined to help the freedom-strangled citizens of West Berlin survive Soviet tyranny. Written with incredible verve and vivid detail, Cherny succeeds in making those harrowing days of Berlin circa 1948-49 come alive. As a historian, he reminds me of Stephen Ambrose at his best.”—Douglas Brinkley, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Wilderness Warrior

“The early Cold War era was as tense as the days after 9/11. Andrei Cherny captures, in vivid detail, the excitement and drama of the U.S. response to the Soviet blockade of Berlin. You will have a hard time not cheering—or feeling moved—when America rescues its former enemy in the name of freedom.”—Evan Thomas, New York Times Bestselling Author of Being Nixon

“Absorbing and lucid.”—Publishers Weekly

“One of the finest narrative histories that I have read in years.”—Lawrence Kaplan, World Affairs

“The definitive telling of the amazing story of the airlift… Andrei Charny tells this story vividly, placing it on the border canvas of the incipient Cold War.”—Michael Barone, U.S. News & World Reports

“A fine eye for character and detail.”—Bloomberg News

About the Author

Andrei Cherny is best known as a coeditor of Democracy. Cherny spent many years as a White House speech writer before holding his post at Democracy. A fellow at Harvard’s Kenny School, Cherny has had a long career writing about global history, politics, and culture for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Cherny is the author of The Next Deal.

Paperback: 656 pages
Publisher: Dutton Caliber; Reprint edition (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425227715
ISBN-13: 978-0425227718
Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 209 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #935 in European Politics Books
- #708 in Military Aviation History (Books)
- #639 in Communism & Socialism (Books)

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5 star		81%
4 star		15%
3 star		2%
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209 customer reviews

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Denny Hatch

fight terrorism with love and solve the terrible refugee problem that has engulfed ...

August 30, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This riveting account of the true greatness and decency of America is guaranteed to give you goose bumps page-after-page. It’s the unbelievable story of how we saved 2-1/2 million former enemies living in the Soviet-occupied West Berlin and turned them into rabid believers in Democracy. The character studies of the inspired men who changed world history will be etched in your memory: President Harry S Truman, Gen. Lucius Clay, commander of American force in Europe and Gail (Hal) Halverson, the plodding pilot of freight planes throughout the War who achieved greatness and world celebrity for his exploits in 1948-1949. It was Halverson who became the “Candy Bomber”—organizing “air raids” of millions of pounds Hershey chocolates and chewing gum attached mini-parachutes fashioned from pocket handkerchiefs for the beleaguered (and hungry) children who were victims of the War. The guiding genius was General William H. Tunner who engineered the delivery of 277,000 flights carrying 4.6 billion pounds of food, coal, clothing and everything else that enabled the people of Berlin to survive and save the world from the obscene Russian bear.
Why is this book so very relevant today? Quite simply if today’s weaseling, whiny politicians here and Europe cared a damn beyond their own re-election they would read this masterpiece and see it as a model for humanitarian action. The result could be war-free zones throughout the Middle East and an airlift that could bring life and hope to desperate millions, fight terrorism with love and solve the terrible refugee problem that has engulfed the world.
Read it and weep.
—Denny Hatch
dennyhatch@yahoo.com

12 people found this helpful

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George E. Dawson

INTERESTING, INFORMATIVE, ENTERTAINING.

April 10, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

“…the story of when Americans learned—for the first time—how to act at the summit of world power.” (p. 6)

“For six years, an average of 20,000 soldiers and civilians had died every day in the war.” (p. 45).

Fact filled, comprehensive, and packed with personal vignettes of many of the key players, The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour, by Andrei Cherney is a must read for all who are interested in the history of WWII and the beginnings of the Cold War.

From the end of war in Europe in 1945, through the beginning of the Cold War, precipitated by the Soviet Union’s blockade of West Berlin (June, 1948 to May, 1949); we get an up close, behind the scenes look at the largest humanitarian effort ever launched, the Berlin Airlift. While it was a very tense time for the world; Main Street America really just wanted to get on with the newfound prosperity that would lead to the ‘Fabulous Fifties.’ Dropping candy, instead of bombs, fit the mood of that period perfectly for us. I was a grammar school pupil at the time, so many of the names in this book were familiar. That helped.

Recommendation: At 626 pages it’s a bit weighty; but well worth your time. Perfect for high school (and beyond) history studies.

“…its more than 277,000 flights and 4.6 billion pounds of food and supplies dwarfs the size of any such operation since.” (p. 543).

Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, 626 pages

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Rachel Y. Thompson

but also a wonderful read. It's inspirational

April 17, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is such an informative book, but also a wonderful read. It's inspirational, since it focuses on how a single individual's willingness to do something kind led to a remarkable program with a post-war healing impact between Americans and Germans that was so much bigger than anyone could have imagined. It's also a snap shot of the evolving cold war, with most of the key players from this period well featured. (This part of the book is very detailed, and gets fairly deep into post-war foreign policy maneuvering, but it's well worth making your way through it.) The primary Candy Bomber, Hal Halverson, who got the ball rolling, is still living in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can Google an interview with him that is simply wonderful, especially after one reads this book. I have purchased copies of the book for friends.

5 people found this helpful

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Sandra L Evans

Five Stars

February 12, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Good packing and product. Love it.

19 people found this helpful

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BlacKnight28

A comprehensive look at one of America's kindest gestures

December 23, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

For me, the Berlin Airlift was a relatively unknown after-effect of WWII. Plus, it was the start of the Cold War between the US and Russia. Whether you're a political scientist, a WWII historian or an avid fan of nonfiction, this is the book for you. I had a hard time getting into the first 400 (yes, 400...) pages or so, as this book is slow and good for late night reads when you're trying to fall asleep. In some parts, I felt like the Berliners described in this story: sullen, loathsome and without hope. It drags on and on...

What I thoroughly enjoyed was the actual story of Hal Halverson and his exploits with Gen. Tunner and as the Chocolate Bomber. Those parts were entertaining and would make for a great movie. For me, I didn't enjoy the incessant descriptions of politics at play in America, Russia and Washington throughout the book. While the title is moderating, I thoroughly enjoyed Andrei's writing style and descriptive storytelling. A good book that reached me at the end with some unique - and lengthy - depictions of the Berlin Airlift.

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Reads A Lot

Outstanding

October 27, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book about the Candy Bomber is really the story of what was happening during that fateful period, using Halvorsen as a proxy. The US/Soviet rivalry comes into a clear contrast, and we see what a few men, notably Clay and the architect of the airlift, managed to accomplish, despite - or in spite of - naysayers in Washington. Despite his warts, Truman comes across pretty well, although the same cannot be said of many of the others, even the otherwise magnificent George Marshall. Henry Wallace, the icon of the Progressives, is appalling in his almost willful naïveté. The book has an easy, readable style, and, despite knowing the outcome, manages to sustain suspense. A really excellent read.

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