| There have been many significant books written on the Air
War in Europe and specifically the 8th Air Force or “The Mighty
Eighth” as Roger Freeman so eloquently referred to it so do we
really need another one? Well in” Masters of the Air” we see the
amalgamation of all of those books rolled into one! Mr. Miller
has accessed some the best minds and works (Freeman, Bowman,
Jablonski, Caiden, Stiles, Lay, Nutter, Ethell, Astor, Kaplan,
and our own Goodman & Riddling etc), on the subject and used it
to validate, communicate and educate the reader on the history
of Air Power. From its early inception and use at the end of”
The Great War” (WW I) through its coming of age by the RAF and
USAAF in World War II , Don shows us the different doctrine and
theories of Air Power that took shape between the war years and
implementation by both. Whether it is Billy Mitchell’s early
experiments at the end of World War One and sinking of the
“Ostfriesland” through the “Bomber Mafia” ideology that the
bomber(s) could get through to a target without substantial
losses and fighter escort, I find the book both critical and
laudable. Most importantly to this reader, he interjects the
stories of the people who implemented these theories and their
consequences. By doing so, he gives the reader a real feel for
life and death 5 miles high and at ground zero.
From our standpoint, I think you will find the use of the 100th
Bomb Group as much of the backdrop for this book very
compelling. Many of our Vets were interviewed for this book
along with Ken Everett at Thorpe Abbotts. The book starts with
the Prologue entitled: “The Bloody Hundredth” beginning with
Major Egan finding out about “Buck” Cleven not returning from
the Bremen mission on October 8, 1943. From there it goes into
great depth about Egan, Cleven, Rosie, Frank Murphy, Crosby,
Regensburg, Munster, etc. Mr. Miller personally interviewed the
people mentioned above (except John Egan whom Gale Cleven
provided much detail on) and collected many personal accounts to
include in this book. By doing this, Don Miller has captured the
essence of one of the most famous 8th Air Force B-17 groups, the
100th Bomb Group! Right from the beginning you are placed in the
heat of circumstance along with the bravado and camaraderie that
defined bomber crews. When you had a 1 in 3 chance of survival
you counted on the man next to you and these bonds created
lifelong friendships. Those are evident here.
Masters of the Air is a massive undertaking that pulls together
all the different elements and personalities that made this
doctrine of Air Power succeed in helping turn the tide of the
War in Europe and in the Pacific. I don’t always agree with Mr.
Miller’s observations and conclusions but that is what a good
book does, it challenges your perceptions and causes you to
think and maybe reevaluate your previous position. Needless to
say, if you are looking for a book that includes a wealth of
info on our Group along with a thorough history of Aerial
Bombardment this is the book to own.
Michael P. Faley
100th Bomb Group Historian
100th Bomb Group Photo Archivist
13th Combat Wing Historian
Click here to order from Amazon
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