Brian

Great story for aviation history fans. Being a commercial pilot I personally enjoyed the focus on the Soviet copy of the U.S. WWII B-29 Super Fortress. NATO code named the "bull" the Russian TU-4 was a perfect copy of the B-29. The Tupolev Tu-4 (NATO reporting name: Bull) was a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber that served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid 1960s. It was a reverse-engineered copy of the U.S.-made Boeing B-29 Super Fortress. Eight hundred and forty-seven Tu-4s had been built when production ended in the Soviet Union in 1952, some going to China during the later 1950s. Many experimental variants were built and the valuable experience launched the Soviet strategic bomber program. Tu-4s were withdrawn in the 1960s, being replaced by more advanced aircraft: the Tupolev Tu-16 (starting in 1954) and the Tupolev Tu-95 (starting in 1956). By the beginning of the 1960s, the only Tu-4s still operated by the Soviets were used for transport or airborne laboratory purposes.

Towards the end of World War II, the Soviet Union saw the need for a strategic bombing capability similar to that of the USAAF. The U.S. regularly conducted bombing raids on Japan, virtually in the Soviet Union's backyard, from distant Pacific forward bases using B-29 Superfortresses. Stalin ordered the development of a comparable bomber.
The U.S. declined to supply the Soviet Union with B-29 heavy bombers under Lend Lease.[1] However, on three occasions during 1944, individual B-29s made emergency landings in Soviet territory after bombing raids on Manchukuo and Japan. In accordance with the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviets were neutral in the Pacific War and the bombers were therefore interned and kept by the Soviets, despite American demands for their return.[2] Stalin tasked Tupolev with cloning the Superfortress and Soviet industry was to produce 20 copies of the aircraft in just two years. The three B-29s were flown to Moscow and delivered into Tupolev OKB.

Unless there is a follow-up to this book -- I Felt Cheated at the End. It seemed like a really good book, things were going well, then it just ended abruptly. I felt cheated and somewhat violated. Just another chapter or two could have ended it nicely. Perhaps there is another book coming, otherwise I feel there was NO closure. I can't sleep at night now, I am not eating well, I can't perform in the bedroom any longer, I feel cheated after giving it so much.

This would make a good movie - Excellent Book

I really enjoyed this book. Well worth a listen.

This book was enjoyable especially having lived in the Boston area it was interesting to understand Massachusetts law to a certain degree. The narrator did a nice job and should be considered for future books.

Loved it ---- Excellent History Lesson

I am new to this series and have listened to this and the pre-Dallas JFK Chicago assassination plot "Target Lancer".

Great history lessons. I sit there and listen while punching in names and events into my Google search for more detail. I plan on listening to the whole series.

IT'S A NICE COMFORTABLE LISTEN WITH LOTS OF HISTORIC VALUE. I ALWAYS ENJOY CLIVE C.'S BOOKS AND LOVE SCOTT BRICK READING THEM.

I SEE A MOVIE IN THIS BOOK'S FUTURE

OVERALL I LIKED IT EXCEPT FOR SEVERAL VOICES OF CERTAIN CHARACTERS WHICH SOUNDED LIKE BURT LANCASTER, JOHN WAYNE, JIMMY STEWART, AND JOHN HOUSEMAN. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS WAS DONE ON PURPOSE, OR AS SOME SORT OF CLEVERNESS BY THE NARRATOR, CRAID WASSON. I DID NOT CARE FOR IT EVEN THOUGH THE VOICES WERE DONE VERY WELL.

I enjoyed the story. The only thing I did not care for were the accents of the characters. The book takes place in Minneapolis/St. Paul area, but all the characters sounded like they were from New York. I think they could have picked up some character speech patterns from the movie Fargo. Otherwise, I really liked the book and looked forward to hearing it over a two day period.

Great Mystery With Lots Of Historic Value

This was a great book taking place in pre and post WWII Soviet Russia. I knew of the Stalin purges, but had no idea how tense everyday life was not knowing if you were the next one to be put to death or sent to the gulag for essentially nothing, but the "Greater Good" of the Soviet peoples. I am not sure what scared me most, the serial killer or the Soviet MGB. It's a wonder people could function as well as they did under the terror of the Stalin regime. Very scary book....!!! A must read for historians.

Very nice...! Great History Lesson

It was a real treat to learn a bit about WWII, geography, and a tragic plane crash.