The Wild Blue

The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany

By: Stephen E. Ambrose

Narrated by: Jeffrey DeMunn

Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The very young men who flew the B24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were an exemplary band of brothers. In The Wild Blue, Stephen Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship.

Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and chose those few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. These are the boys - turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and gunners of the B24s - who suffered over 50 percent casualties.

Ambrose carries us along in the crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous B24s as their crews fought to the death through thick, black, deadly flak to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine or else went down in flames. Twenty-two-year-old George McGovern, who was to become a United States senator and a presidential candidate, flew 35 combat missions (all the Army would allow) and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. We meet him and his mates, his co-pilot killed in action, and crews of other planes - many of whom did not come back.

As Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers portrayed the bravery and ultimate victory of the American soldier from Normandy on to Germany, The Wild Blue makes clear the contribution these young men of the Army Air Forces stationed in Italy made to the Allied victory.

©2001 Stephen E. Ambrose (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Brilliant.... It is a terrific story." (Larry King, USA Today)

" The Wild Blue is right on target...[the book] finally gives those men of the 15th Air Force the tribute they so richly earned." ( The Dallas Morning News)

cobbled-together story but great details

fantastic day today details of the Army Air Force but the story felt cobbled together

Long live those that flew and maintained the B-24

Great book, these stories of those that gave of themselves in the service of others are remarkable in every sense of the word.

Good old guy story

It is like listening in on a conversation between a bunch of old veterans at an American Legion. Think about the old guy with the red hat in your church and knowing that he was once very young and doing incredible things.

Readers 1st stop forAmbrose's WWII works

this is a great place to start if you want to get into Ambrose World War II works

Awe inspiring

What to say... if you like Stephen Ambrose, World War II History, thrilling storytelling, or anything in between, you will not be disappointed with this book. I especially enjoyed that it tells about the 15th Air Force; as pointed out in the book,most of what we know and learn about is the 8th Air Force based in England (the 15th was based in Italy).

Great listen

Very good insights of bombers lives in Europe during WWII. Highly recommend this. Thanks for providing.

A Classic

Ambrose is America's Historian, His work especially on WWII will preserve the triumphs and hardships of the most consequential war for generations to come.

if Ambrose wrote it, one should read it.

The Other Bomber of WWII

I admitted it, I’m an air plane nut (enthusiast) and a student of all things World War II. I’ve read much about the men on the ground; island hopping in a tropical hell hole and storming the beaches of Normandy. I wondered if there was a history that covered the strategic action in the air and that’s how I came across this book.
Ambrose did his usual thorough job in telling the story of the men flying missions out of Africa and Italy into the “soft underbelly of Europe”. He does with words what Ken Burns does with images; focus on individual stories of individual events in rich detail.
George McGovern, US Senator, presidential candidate and anti-war activist is followed through training to fighting. His story is surprising considering his political stands of the 1970’s. He is heroic in the most understated way. His service is deserves our profound respect and gratitude.
The B 24 comes alive as a fighting machine. It’s weight and lumbering maneuverability a constant challenge to their pilots. The Italian air bases and the communities they occupied are described very well. This gives needed comparison points to the bases of England that have been covered extensively.
Planes are lost. Young men are killed. The horrors of war are written of in unvarnished accounts. The men, the mission, the planes and destruction are carefully and completely described. In the end the story is well told and the horror of aerial strategic warfare is fully displayed.
Wars are sometimes unavoidable but they are always filled with human tragedies.

George McGovern 35 Missions, DFC

Ambrose built his history of strategic bombing around the B-24 and pilot George McGovern who would become US Senator from South Dakota and 1972 candidate for president against Richard Nixon. He ran as a liberal Democrat on an unequivocal US out of Vietnam platform. He lost in a landslide but Nixon’s paranoia had spawned the Watergate break-in and his second term soon ended in disgrace. Very little was said about McGovern’s heroic service as a bomber pilot. He was that kind of quiet, patriotic American. The book is well worth the time if only to hear the story in the last page of the book. Amazing that!

WWII from the B-24

Another great listen on the aircraft and bomber crews of WWII. Enjoyed learning more about the B-24 instead of the B-17 which seems to get all the coverage.