Clean Sweep

VIII Fighter Command Against the Luftwaffe, 1942–45

By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, BrigGen Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson USAF (Ret.) - foreword

Narrated by: Lance C. Fuller

Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A vivid narrative history, packed with first-hand accounts, of the US Eighth Air Force's VIII Fighter Command from its foundation in 1942 through to its victory in the skies over Nazi Germany.

On August 7, 1942, two events of major military importance occurred on separate sides of the planet. In the South Pacific, the United States went on the offensive, landing the First Marine Division at Guadalcanal.

In England, 12 B-17 bombers of the new Eighth Air Force’s 97th Bombardment Group bombed the Rouen–Sotteville railroad marshalling yards in France. While the mission was small, the aerial struggle that began that day would ultimately cost the United States more men killed and wounded by the end of the war in Europe than the Marines would lose in the Pacific War.

Clean Sweep is the story of the creation, development and operation of the Eighth Air Force Fighter Command and the battle to establish daylight air superiority over the Luftwaffe so that the invasion of Europe could be successful.

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver has had a lifelong interest in the history of the fighter force that defeated the Luftwaffe over Germany. He has collected many first-hand accounts from participants over the past 50 years, getting to know pilots such as the legendary “Hub” Zemke, Don Blakeslee and Chuck Yeager, as well as meeting and interviewing leading Luftwaffe pilots Adolf Galland, Gunther Rall and Walter “Count Punski” Krupinski. This story is told through accounts gathered from both sides.

©2023 Thomas McKelvey Cleaver (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

The European air war from 1942 to 1945 is a daunting subject, but Tom Cleaver’s study of VIII Fighter Command contributes to our broader knowledge of ‘The Mighty Eighth’ with detailed coverage of personalities and events, plus insightful analysis. (Barrett Tillman, author of 'When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945')

Drawing from USAAF and Luftwaffe post-combat reports, technical manuals, and personal accounts, Cleaver’s work has a crackling immediacy, giving the reader a genuine sense of what these pilots and ground crews experienced, along with providing historical context to the decisions and actions taken by the combatants throughout the air war. (Lynn Ritger, author of 'The Messerschmitt BF 109')

The brilliance of Tom Cleaver’s latest effort – Clean Sweep – rests on the back of his grub-around-in-every-corner-and-under-every-rock research. He brings shiny gems to us – accounts, recollections, facts and perspectives that are fresh, and that complete a story that is too often told with soulless numbers and numbing narratives. Heartily recommended. (LtCol Jay A. Stout, USMC (Ret.), author of 'Fighter Group: The 352nd "Blue-Nosed Bastards" in World War II')

Could not stop listening to!

The amount of research that went into this book, is staggering. Highly recommend. You ad though you wee in the cockpit!!!

Lots of firsthand detail

Overall, I did enjoy this book even though it is very similar to a couple of others I have read that cover the same part of the war. I know it's raining a bit because of some of the gaffe's made by the narrator. Some of these he cleaned up toward the end of the book.

Outstanding!

An absolute companion to 'Masters of the Air! The author was very comprehensive in accounting for events significant to both the American & German air operations.

Compared unfavorably to Masters of the Air

Although the story benefitted from interviews with many of the subjects in the book, it seemed like the author simply rehashed flight logs and official histories of the units with not much in the way of original commentary. It was also struck by the fact that there is no mention at all of the Tuskegee Airmen, which strikes me as a notable omission.

A great review of WWII aviation

The history of WWII aviation is interesting but sometimes hard to follow because of the constant changing numbers units

Very comprehensive and enjoyable

A very comprehensive and enjoyable to listen to.
Good factual stories and first hand accounts make it easy to listen to. Great reference to historical events told from both sides. My only criticism is the error regarding General Frank Maxwell Andrew’s death as his did not die in Greenland but his airplane crashed into a mountain called Fagradalsfjall near Keflavík Iceland.

may be factual but poorly written

maybe factual but poorly written. it just consisted of a lot of facts and very poor composition.