An Ace of the Eighth An Ace of the Eighth

An Ace of the Eighth

An American Fighter Pilot's Air War in Europe

    • 4.5 • 45 Ratings
    • $4.99
    • $4.99

Publisher Description

FOR A FIGHTER PILOT IN THE MIGHTY EIGHTH, DEATH WAS ALWAYS A HEARTBEAT AWAY.

When the skies of Europe blazed with the fiercest air battles in history, fighter pilots like Norman “Bud” Fortier were in the thick of it, flying four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet, dodging flak and dueling with Nazi aces. In their role as “escorts” to Flying Fortresses and Liberators, the fighter squadrons’ ability to blast enemy aircraft from the sky was key to the success of pinpoint bombing raids on German oil refineries, communication and supply lines, and other crucial targets.

Flying in formation with the bomber stream, Fortier and the rest of his squadron helped develop dive-bombing and strafing tactics for the Thunderbolts and Mustangs. As the war progressed, fighter squadrons began to carry out their own bombing missions. From blasting V-1 missile sites along France’s “rocket coast” and the hell-torn action of D day to the critical attacks on the Ruhr Valley and massive daylight raids on German industrial targets, Fortier was part of the Allies’ bitter struggle to bring the Nazi war machine to a halt. In describing his own hundred-plus missions and by including the accounts of fellow fighter pilots, Fortier recaptures the excitement and fiery terror of the world’s most dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

GENRE
History
RELEASED
2003
April 29
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
384
Pages
PUBLISHER
Random House Publishing Group
SELLER
Penguin Random House LLC
SIZE
1.8
MB

Customer Reviews

Questionmark75 ,

Great Book, Well Told Details of a WW2 Fighter Pilot

All the pilots were so young and had great responsibility. The war was serious and these young men risked their lives every day, with many making the ultimate sacrifice.

grnknight ,

Awesome story

I the thoroughly enjoyed the book. It kept me thinking of how stressful it was to be a fighter pilot in ww2.

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