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Thunderbolt
- Narrated by: Clay Lomakayu
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
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Thunderbolt
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Publisher's summary
Thunderbolt is the incredible true life story of Robert S. Johnson, one of America’s leading fighter pilot aces in World War II. His memoir is an action-packed account of how a young man from Lawton, Oklahoma went on to amass 28 enemy kills, the first US Army Air Force pilot in the European theater to surpass Eddie Rickenbacker's World War I tally of 26 enemy planes destroyed.
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- By: Arthur Gould Lee
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 86
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Story5 out of 5 stars 85
Author of three books, this is by far his best. Lee puts you in the cockpit in a riveting account of life as a fighter pilot at the front. At times humorous and dramatic, this thoughtful, enlightening, true account is a classic to be ranked with Winged Victory by W. V. Yeates, also published by Grub Street.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Really great insights into WW1 air combat!
- By B Taub on 12-21-16
By: Arthur Gould Lee
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Enduring Courage
- Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed
- By: John F. Ross
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 259
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 234
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 230
At the turn of the twentieth century two new technologies—the car and airplane—took the nation's imagination by storm as they burst, like comets, into American life. The brave souls that leaped into these dangerous contraptions and pushed them to unexplored extremes became new American heroes: the race car driver and the flying ace. No individual did more to create and intensify these raw new roles than the tall, gangly Eddie Rickenbacker, who defied death over and over with such courage and pluck that a generation of Americans came to know his face better than the president's.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A true ace, and an example for us all.
- By Gotta Tellya on 08-20-14
By: John F. Ross
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Midair
- By: Craig K. Collins
- Narrated by: Craig K. Collins
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 56
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
Midair is a true account of one of the most remarkable tales of survival in the history of aviation - a midair collision at 30,000 feet by two bomb-laden B-52s over a category 5 super typhoon above the South China Sea during the outset of the Vietnam War.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Riveting Story of Survival
- By Jean on 02-01-17
By: Craig K. Collins
-
Wingman #1
- Wingman
- By: Mack Maloney
- Narrated by: Terence Aselford
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 146
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 107
Disarmed and leaderless, the United States is united no longer! Evil Russian warlords have reduced the Capitol to a smoking pile of radioactive rubble. While the destitute citizens are frozen in a state of panic, one man steps forward to seek retribution. He is a brilliant ace fighter pilot: Hawk Hunter, a lone warrior on a mission to keep alive the indomitable spirit of a forgotten dream called "America".
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5 out of 5 stars
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Interesting
- By Audiobook Addict on 02-14-11
By: Mack Maloney
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Duel Under the Stars
- The Memoir of a Luftwaffe Night Pilot in World War II
- By: Wilhelm Johnen, James Holland
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 111
Listen to this captivating memoir by Wilhelm Johnen who flew his first operational mission in July 1941, having completed his blind-flying training. In his first couple of years he brought down two enemy planes. The tally went up rapidly once the air war was escalated in spring 1943, when Air Marshal Arthur Harris of the RAF Bomber Command began the campaign dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The best pilots in history
- By Nick Broms on 06-16-18
By: Wilhelm Johnen, and others
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Angels in the Sky
- How a Band of Volunteer Airmen Saved the New State of Israel
- By: Robert Gandt
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 77
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story5 out of 5 stars 68
Angels in the Sky is the gripping story of how an all-volunteer air force helped defeat five Arab nations and protect the fledgling Jewish state. It is the exhilarating account of a ragtag band of volunteer airmen from around the world who fought for Israel during the war of independence. They arrived from America, Canada, Britain, France, and South Africa. Almost all were World War II combat veterans. Many, but not all, were Jewish, and many knowingly violated their nations' embargoes on the shipment of arms and aircraft to Israel.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Truly excellent story - highly recommended
- By Shimon on 03-21-19
By: Robert Gandt
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Viper Pilot
- The Autobiography of One of America's Most Decorated Combat Pilots
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,024
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,841
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,843
Sure to rank as one of the greatest aviation memoirs ever written, Viper Pilot is an Air Force legend's thrilling eyewitness account of modern air warfare. From 1986 to 2006, Lt. Col. Dan Hampton was a leading member of the Wild Weasels, the elite Air Force fighter squadrons whose mission is recognized as the most dangerous job in modern air combat. Weasels are the first planes sent into a war zone, flying deep behind enemy lines purposely seeking to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery. They must skillfully evade being shot down - and then return to destroy the threats, thereby making the skies safe for everyone else to follow.
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5 out of 5 stars
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FINALLY A Pilot Tells it Like it is!!
- By aaron on 10-26-12
By: Dan Hampton
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A Thousand Shall Fall
- The True Story of a Canadian Bomber Pilot in World War Two
- By: Murray Peden
- Narrated by: Anthony Haden Salerno
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
During World War II, Canada trained tens of thousands of airmen under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Those selected for Bomber Command operations went on to rain devastation upon the Third Reich in the great air battles over Europe, but their losses were high. German fighters and anti-aircraft guns took a terrifying toll. The chances of surviving a tour of duty as a bomber crew were almost nil.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant account of WW2 flying
- By John on 06-14-17
By: Murray Peden
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A Higher Call
- An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
- By: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9,456
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8,643
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Story5 out of 5 stars 8,635
Four days before Christmas in 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a 21-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. It was their first mission. Suddenly a sleek, dark shape pulled up on the bomber’s tail - a German Messerschmitt fighter. Worse, the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber with the squeeze of a trigger.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Absolutely Incredcredible Audiobook!
- By JerryL on 03-23-13
By: Adam Makos
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The Night Stalkers
- By: Michael J. Durant, Steven Hartov, Lt. Col - Ret Robert L. Johnson
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,224
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 984
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 982
Here are thrilling, never-before-heard stories of the Army's elite aviation unit - the most daring and professional helicopter crews in the world. Special Operations pilots are notoriously reticent; they don't talk about their missions, at least not to anyone outside their small community. But now, with the publication of The Night Stalkers, Durant and Steven Hartov shed a fascinating light on these mysterious super commandos and take readers into a world they have only imagined.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A book that does justice
- By Robert on 10-05-07
By: Michael J. Durant, and others
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Taking Fire
- The True Story of a Decorated Chopper Pilot
- By: Ron Alexander, Charles W. Sasser
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 267
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 235
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 233
Nicknamed "Mini-Man" for his diminutive stature, a mere five-foot-three and 125 pounds in his flight boots, chopper pilot Ron Alexander proved to be a giant in the eyes of the men he rescued from the jungles and paddies of Vietnam. With an unswerving concern for every American soldier trapped by enemy fire, and a fearlessness that became legendary, Ron Alexander earned enough official praise to become the second most decorated helicopter pilot of the Vietnam era. Yet, for Ron, the real reward came from plucking his fellow soldiers from harm's way, giving them another chance to get home alive.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Unnecessarily vulgar - returned it
- By Jess Henderson on 07-08-20
By: Ron Alexander, and others
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Damn Lucky
- One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- By: Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, John Luckadoo
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 226
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 224
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn’t hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
must read
- By td godfrey on 10-06-22
By: Kevin Maurer
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Carrier Pilot
- By: Norman Hanson
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 269
In 1942, Norman Hanson learned to fly the Royal Navy's newest fighter: the US-built Chance Vought Corsair. Fast, rugged, and demanding to fly, it was an intimidating machine. But in the hands of its young Fleet Air Arm pilots, it also proved to be a lethal weapon. Posted to the South Pacific aboard HMS Illustrious, Hanson and his squadron took the fight to the Japanese. Facing a desperate and determined enemy, Kamikaze attacks, and the ever-present dangers of flying off a pitching carrier deck, death was never far away.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Absorbing
- By Jean on 11-26-17
By: Norman Hanson
-
Finish Forty and Home
- The Untold World War II Story of B-24s in the Pacific
- By: Phil Scearce
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
During the early years of World War II in the Pacific theatre, against overwhelming odds, young American airmen flew the longest and most perilous bombing missions of the war. They faced determined Japanese fighters without fighter escort, relentless anti-aircraft fire with no deviations from target, and thousands of miles of over-water flying with no alternative landing sites.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Pretty Good!
- By Robert on 02-01-13
By: Phil Scearce
-
To the Limit
- An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam
- By: Tom A. Johnson
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 677
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 623
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 619
From June 1967 to June 1968, Tom Johnson accumulated an astonishing 1,600 flying hours piloting the UH-1 "Iroquois" - better known as the "Huey" - as part of the famous First Air Cavalry Division. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the Vietnam War, and helped redefine modern warfare. Johnson's riveting memoir takes us into key battles and rescue missions, including those for Hue and Khe Sanh. In harrowing detail, he tells of being shot down in the battle of A Shau Valley, of surviving enemy attacks during the Tet Offensive, and of a death-defying nighttime river rescue.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Huey pilot's perspective of the 67-68 Vietnam war.
- By Jim on 10-15-18
By: Tom A. Johnson
-
The Mighty Eighth
- The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It
- By: Gerald Astor
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 351
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 320
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 318
Europe has fallen. Pearl Harbor is in flames. Enter: the Eighth. In 1941 the RAF fought a desperate battle of survival against the Luftwaffe over Britain. Then, from across the Atlantic, came a new generation of American pilots, gunners, and bombardiers, a new generation of flying machines called the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
A Good Listen with 1 problem
- By Matthew Schuller on 08-23-19
By: Gerald Astor
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 132
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 123
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Saburo Sakai became a living legend in Japan during World War II. Pilots everywhere spoke in awe of his incredible exploits in the air. Of all Japan’s aces, Saburo Sakai is the only pilot who never lost a wingman in combat. For a man who engaged in more than 200 aerial combats, this was an incredible achievement. His remarkable book Samurai! written by Martin Caiden but with the assistance of Sakai and Fred Saito is a brilliant account of life as a Japanese pilot in the Second World War.
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Clean Sweep
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- By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, BrigGen Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson USAF (Ret.) - foreword
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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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.
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3 out of 5 stars
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may be factual but poorly written
- By Bill Mackey on 01-08-24
By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, and others
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Above the Reich
- Deadly Dogfights, Blistering Bombing Raids, and Other War Stories from the Greatest American Air Heroes of World War II, in Their Own Words
- By: Colin Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 111
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
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They are voices lost to time. Beginning in the late 1970s, five veteran airmen sat for private interviews. Decades after the guns fell silent, they recounted in vivid detail the most dangerous missions that made the difference in the war. Ed Haydon dueled with the deadliest of German aces - and forced him to the ground. Robert Johnson racked up 27 kills in his P-47 Thunderbolt, but nearly lost his life when his plane was shot to ribbons and his guns jammed. Cigar-chomping Curtis LeMay was the Air Corps general who devised the bomber tactics that pummeled Germany's war machine.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Mostly excerpts from other books
- By R. Denton on 04-08-22
By: Colin Heaton, and others
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Wings of War
- The World War II Fighter Plane That Saved the Allies and the Believers Who Made It Fly
- By: David Fairbank White, Margaret Stanback White
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
Wings of War is the incredible true story of the P-51 Mustang fighter and the unlikely crew of designers, engineers, test pilots, and army officers who brought it from the drafting table to the skies over World War II. This is hardly a straightforward tale of building an airplane—for years, the team was stymied by corruption within the defense industry and stonewalled by the Army Air Forces, who failed to understand the Mustang’s potential.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Disappointed
- By David Kocol on 06-22-23
By: David Fairbank White, and others
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To Fly and Fight
- Memoirs of a Triple Ace
- By: Clarence E. Bud Anderson
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 27
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Bud Anderson is a flyers flyer. The Californians enduring love of flying began in the 1920s with the planes that flew over his father's farm. In January 1942, he entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic!!!
- By chris johnson on 07-24-23
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Black Thursday
- The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid
- By: Martin Caidin
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 213
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 184
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 184
On Thursday, October 14, 1943, 291 B-17 Flying Fortresses set out for a strategic bombing raid on the factories in Schweinfurt. Sixty of those planes never returned and 650 men were lost during the course of that mission. It was the greatest failure that the United States Air Force had ever suffered and became known as "Black Thursday". Martin Caidin's Black Thursday: The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid is a brilliant account of that day that should never be forgotten. This audiobook uncovers in thrilling detail the build-up to that fateful raid.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Best Look at Bomb Groups of the 8th
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By: Martin Caidin
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Samurai!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 132
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 123
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Story5 out of 5 stars 123
Saburo Sakai became a living legend in Japan during World War II. Pilots everywhere spoke in awe of his incredible exploits in the air. Of all Japan’s aces, Saburo Sakai is the only pilot who never lost a wingman in combat. For a man who engaged in more than 200 aerial combats, this was an incredible achievement. His remarkable book Samurai! written by Martin Caiden but with the assistance of Sakai and Fred Saito is a brilliant account of life as a Japanese pilot in the Second World War.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Interesting But Worst Narration Ever!
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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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.
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3 out of 5 stars
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may be factual but poorly written
- By Bill Mackey on 01-08-24
By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, and others
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Above the Reich
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- By: Colin Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 111
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They are voices lost to time. Beginning in the late 1970s, five veteran airmen sat for private interviews. Decades after the guns fell silent, they recounted in vivid detail the most dangerous missions that made the difference in the war. Ed Haydon dueled with the deadliest of German aces - and forced him to the ground. Robert Johnson racked up 27 kills in his P-47 Thunderbolt, but nearly lost his life when his plane was shot to ribbons and his guns jammed. Cigar-chomping Curtis LeMay was the Air Corps general who devised the bomber tactics that pummeled Germany's war machine.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Black Thursday
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 213
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On Thursday, October 14, 1943, 291 B-17 Flying Fortresses set out for a strategic bombing raid on the factories in Schweinfurt. Sixty of those planes never returned and 650 men were lost during the course of that mission. It was the greatest failure that the United States Air Force had ever suffered and became known as "Black Thursday". Martin Caidin's Black Thursday: The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid is a brilliant account of that day that should never be forgotten. This audiobook uncovers in thrilling detail the build-up to that fateful raid.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Best Look at Bomb Groups of the 8th
- By Nicholas Robinson on 09-19-18
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-
The Cactus Air Force
- Air War Over Guadalcanal
- By: Eric Hammel, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrated by: Adam Henderson
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
In The Cactus Air Force, Pacific War expert Thomas McKelvey Cleaver worked closely with Eric to build on his collection of diary entries, interviews and first-hand accounts to create a vivid narrative of the struggle in the air over the island of Guadalcanal between August 20 and November 15, 1942.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Book!
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By: Eric Hammel, and others
-
Fighter Pilot
- The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
- By: Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,022
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,571
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,566
A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Top Notch Audiobook
- By R. A. Frank on 10-08-10
By: Robin Olds, and others
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Hogs in the Sand
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- By: Buck Wyndham
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 499
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 439
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 437
The mighty, iconic A-10 Warthog was first thrust into battle in Operation Desert Storm. The men who took it through walls of flak and surface-to-air missiles to help defeat the world's fourth-largest army were as untested as their airplanes, so they relied on personal determination and the amazing A-10 to accomplish their missions, despite the odds.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Weak
- By KL on 12-29-22
By: Buck Wyndham
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A Wing and a Prayer
- The “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II
- By: Harry H. Crosby
- Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 211
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 202
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 202
They began operations out of England in the spring of '43. They flew their Flying Fortresses almost daily against strategic targets in Europe in the name of freedom. Their astonishing courage and appalling losses earned them the name that resounds in the annals of aerial warfare and made the "Bloody Hundredth" a legend. Harry H. Crosby—soon to be portrayed by Anthony Boyle in the miniseries Masters of the Air developed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg—arrived with the very first crews, and left with the very last.
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5 out of 5 stars
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love love love the history
- By Kindle Customer on 01-20-24
By: Harry H. Crosby
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Above the Pacific
- Three Medal of Honor Fighter Aces of World War II Speak (American War Heroes)
- By: Colin Heaton
- Narrated by: Colin Heaton, Steve Hendrickson, Gary Bennett, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Three legendary fighter pilots from the Pacific War—all recipients of the Medal of Honor—tell their own stories in this remarkable collection.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Personal accounts
- By Amazon Customer on 03-23-24
By: Colin Heaton
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Gunslingers
- Allied Fighter Boys of WWII
- By: James P. Busha
- Narrated by: Steve Menasche
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story5 out of 5 stars 10
There have been volumes of books written about the development of US airpower and the technological specifications of each American or Allied aircraft. This is not one of them. This book focuses on the young men who answered the call to duty and were literally transformed from “farm boys to fighter pilots.”
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5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping Narrative
- By Byrdman on 07-21-23
By: James P. Busha
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Race of Aces
- WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky
- By: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,412
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,256
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,251
In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" - the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker - offered a bottle of bourbon to the first US fighter pilot to break his record of 26 enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Boring, confusing storyline, some technical details wrong
- By ATM on 04-09-20
By: John R. Bruning
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Luck of the Draw
- My Story of the Air War in Europe
- By: Frank Murphy, Chloe Melas, Elizabeth Murphy
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Murphy, Jonas Moore, Chloe Melas
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Story5 out of 5 stars 44
Beginning on August 17, 1942, American heavy bomber crews of the Eighth Air Force took off for combat in the hostile skies over occupied Europe. The final price was staggering. 4,300 B-17s and B-24s failed to return; nearly 21,000 men were taken prisoner or interned in a neutral country, and a further 17,650 made the ultimate sacrifice. Luck of the Draw is more than a war story. It’s the incredible, inspiring story of Frank Murphy, one of the few survivors from the 100th Bombardment Group, who cheated death for months in a German POW camp.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Personal Accounting that the Narrator Destroyed
- By David Sajben on 03-09-23
By: Frank Murphy, and others
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The Fight in the Clouds
- The Extraordinary Combat Experience of P-51 Mustang Pilots During World War II
- By: James P. Busha
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story5 out of 5 stars 10
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang first started appearing in real numbers in 1943, at the climax of the Allied campaign in World War II. Able to fly long ranges, it would go on to provide pivotal air support on D-Day, and by the end of the war, it would be responsible for nearly half of all enemy aircraft shot down. In The Fight in the Clouds, aviation writer and EAA Warbirds of America editor James P. Busha draws on interviews conducted with dozens of veteran P-51 pilots to trace the progress of war through the men’s exciting, chronologically organized experiences.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great could not put the book down!
- By Don Rottiers on 03-17-23
By: James P. Busha
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The Mighty Eighth
- The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It
- By: Gerald Astor
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 351
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 320
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 318
Europe has fallen. Pearl Harbor is in flames. Enter: the Eighth. In 1941 the RAF fought a desperate battle of survival against the Luftwaffe over Britain. Then, from across the Atlantic, came a new generation of American pilots, gunners, and bombardiers, a new generation of flying machines called the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Good Listen with 1 problem
- By Matthew Schuller on 08-23-19
By: Gerald Astor
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Damn Lucky
- One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- By: Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, John Luckadoo
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 253
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 226
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Story5 out of 5 stars 224
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn’t hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine.
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5 out of 5 stars
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must read
- By td godfrey on 10-06-22
By: Kevin Maurer
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Combat Crew
- The Story of 25 Combat Missions over Europe from the Daily Journal of a B-17 Gunner
- By: John Comer
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 346
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 318
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Story5 out of 5 stars 316
John Comer kept a journal of the 25 missions he flew in 1943, when the casualty rate on his base was close to 80 percent. His book is handwritten history, recorded within hours after the battles occurred. Comer vividly creates his experiences as top-turret gunner/flight engineer in a B-17 squadron that was thrown against the best pilots the Luftwaffe could offer.
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5 out of 5 stars
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great details behind the flying
- By Rowerwet on 05-12-15
By: John Comer
What listeners say about Thunderbolt
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- dwillia26
- 12-07-23
Exceptional Story
This is the second time I have encountered this book. The first time was back in 1976 when I owned a copy as a boy. I loved it then and I loved it now as I learned much more of Johnson’s story of flying combat in WWII than when I was a kid. Of course this should be the case after serving in two combat tours myself since that period. Now I can appreciate the humility, joy, and agony of loss as Johnson relates it here. Well worth anyone’s time at any age!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JS
- 05-24-22
Excellent book, bad narrator
This book is awesome and is an excellent read for any fan of aviation or military history. However, the narrator isnt the best, and fails to capture the tone of the story. Also, the narrator can't pronounce aircraft names and the author got several aircraft names wrong.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-07-23
Great book!
If you like books about WWII fighter war this is your book! You will enjoy it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael D Coulombe Jr
- 12-13-22
a great story and so very true it is
I read this book a long time ago and paperback but I decided to hear it as an audiobook and it was very awesome the narrator did a very excellent job kept you on the edge of your seat it it beats reading the book because when you hear the voices change and all that it's something special reading the book is great and stuff but just to hear the physical voice describing everything it's special it's a great addition and back it's a very true story
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MStewart
- 12-09-21
Excellent book!
Excellent book, narrator not the best, if I had to hear him miss pronounce Folke Wulf 190 instead of pronouncing it Folk Wulf 190 as the e is silent and other words one more time! Other than that it’s an amazing story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Richard C. Allred
- 10-15-23
Worth reading
Good insight into the air war in Europe. A little to much self back patting for me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. H. Moore
- 10-07-21
My favorite flying book of all time.
Bob Johnson and George Preddy are my 2 favorite US aces. I have read thunderbolt 6 times through my life. It is simply one of the best ever written. Up there with Closterman and Bader. If you like aerial combat stories this one is full of them. It gave me the wrong impression as a kid. I thought all flying books were this action packed and most are not. This one is light on the barrack life and London shenanigans it’s just all flying and fighting.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Craig D. Prestininzi
- 11-05-21
Heroic story, mediocre reading
Seriously, how many mispronouncing is allowed without an editor asking for corrections? Loved the story, would have liked to know more about after the war, though.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mike Griffith
- 07-08-22
Nice History
If you are looking for a gentle poetic reading of the 56th fighter group in the beginning of the Second World War, this is for you. However if you’re looking for a statistic filled history of the P-47 this isn’t it. While often ponderous the writer takes most of the sharp edges off of 1940s army life. This is a good introduction to the era’s history and should be read.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- melville barr
- 12-23-21
The P47
A great book about my favorite WW2 Aircraft. Just a terrible narration. This man knows nothing about the Aircraft in the book. Someone should review these books before their release.
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1 person found this helpful