Candy Bombers

By: Andrei Cherny

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 24 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed author Andrei Cherny tells the gripping saga of a rag-tag band of Americans - with limited resources and little hope for success - keeping West Berliners alive in the face of Soviet tyranny, winning the hearts and minds of former enemies, and giving the world a shining example of fundamental goodness.

©2008 Andrie Cherny (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"[Written] with the flair of a novelist ..." ( strong Kirkus Reviews)

Good Read

First several chapters of bios is boring. I don't think they were necessary for the story. but once you get past that it's an amazing story.

More than just the Airlift

This book is a real surprise. Not only does it give a history of the Berlin Airlift, the men who dropped the candy to the children in Berlin and the men who planned and orchestrated the over 240,000 flights that saved the city from the Russian blockade. You meet the generals and civilians in charge and the others involved. It takes you to Berlin after the end of WWII and the savage and brutal treatment of the citizens of Berlin by the Russian troops. Cherny also describes the 1948 presidential election, the candidates and their campaigning, the infighting among the State Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Forrestal and Truman. Jonathan Davis is a terrific reader.

Feel good story

I normally don't listen to history books but I really liked this one. Jonathan does a very good job of narrating.

A Great Historical Read

This book was interesting throughout - I never tired of listening to it. It isn't just one story - it is a combination of several stories involving people, history, and and the impact of an often overlooked piece of history. So much background is provided that the reader gets an indepth and fascinating picture of the world and its political realities after WW2.
The narration is excellant and gives the book an edge that I don't think would be there in the print version.

GREAT HISTORY LESSON.....!

Excellent history of post-WW2 Germany, the Truman administration, and every day life in occupied Berlin.

A MUST LISTEN........!!!!!!

Excellent read

A superb book explaining the historical significance of the Berlin airlift to American politics.
A good explanation of how difficult the airlift was and an excellent insight into Truman the man

outstanding

Great story, and the best narration of a book I have heard yet! The author mad e the book very enticing to listen to. I had the honor of meeting Hal Halvorsen two years ago, and only had 15 minutes to talk to him. This book filled out so much more about him, and others. I highly recommend anyone interested in history to read this.

Food and supplies airlifted into Berlin, and little parachutes of candy and chewing gum.

At the end of WWII Germany, was divided into 4 sectors, with each of the 4 allies taking a sector to govern. They were supposed to be working together, but the Russians had a different plan than the others. Communism was infiltrating into the government and they were trying to get their sector to fall into that plan. They set up a blockade to prevent the other countries from taking supplies into their part of the country. Berlin, the capital city, was divided also. The US Air-Force and the British Air Corps flew supplies into Berlin to keep the citizens alive. Those ruled by the Russian soldiers had opportunities to receive aid from Russia, but the trust level was low and most relied on the Allied Forces for survival.
One of the pilots, Gail Halverson, interacted with a group of children through the fence at the air strip. He ha 2 sticks of gum in his pocket, which he shared with the children. Since that was not nearly enough for all, he promised to get more to them later, from his airplane. He set up a signal so they would know or was him. He had come to Germany with a cold and so brought a supply of handkerchiefs along. He fashioned a parachute from them, using the candy and gum from his rations, dropped the treats from his plane as he approached with the supplies. He convinced the other pilots to assist him with treats also. For several months he was able to drop the treats to the children. When his commanding officer found out what was happening, instead of being reprimanded, he was given support. Several candy companies in the US sent candy and gum, and textile companies sent fabric to be used for the parachute. He became known as the candy bomber.
I had the opportunity to meet this man near the end of his life. He was a sweet, unassuming hero. I enjoyed this book, but was not prepared for the depth of the history lesson on post-war Germany. It delved into the behind the scenes story of the beginning of the Cold War.

Just too long.....

So I must admit, I didn’t finish the book. I got about half way through and decided to return it. A good story but way too much detail. I lost interest.

I blame myself for this.

Would you try another book from Andrei Cherny and/or Jonathan Davis?

I certainly will listen to another book that is narrated by Jonathan Davis. Previous to this book I had only heard him read Dennis Lehane books, and those experiences have shown me that Mr. Davis has really marvellous skills. He has a very expressive voice with a lot of range and nuance, and you get very comfortable listening to him. Unfortunately, this kind of material is just not the kind of thing for me.

What was most disappointing about Andrei Cherny’s story?

I am not a naif. I have read and listened to a wealth of information about WWII and the Cold War, plus I've seen many movies on the topics, etc. I certainly knew going in that I wasn't going to be having much fun, Catch 22 and Hogan's Heroes notwithstanding. However, this book is just plain grim. The sample and the blurb made it seem a little bit upbeat, America's greatest triumph and all, but the hours and hours of slogging through the grotesque brutalization of Berlin, rubble rubble rubble, (out here in California the reporters cannot cover an earthquake, no matter how small, without using that key and unsettling word), I mean, I understand. History has never been my long suit, and politics even less so, so, like I said, I have no one but myself to blame. Plus, you have to admit, Spielberg had the final word on the entire topic of World War II, and what he did was so masterful, that unless you are really convinced that you have something even more powerful to say than that, then, please, don't.

What didn’t you like about Jonathan Davis’s performance?

I like just about everything Mr. Davis does. Even his little bitty Harry Truman is pretty good.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

For other people, who intrinsically appreciate this material in a way that I just don't, maybe. But, as some wise guy once said, history is bunk. I coulnda said it better.

Any additional comments?

Nope.