After completing a tour of duty (thirty-five missions) in B-17s, Bert Stiles transferred to a fighter squadron. Just four months later he was killed in action on an escort mission to Hanover, Germany, on November 26, 1944, at the age of 23. Serenade to the Big Bird achieved cult status among aviation enthusiasts for its honest depictions of bomber combat and also won favorable literary reviews for its spare, Hemingway-style prose and its anti-war sensitivity.

After completing a tour of duty (thirty-five missions) in B-17s, Bert Stiles transferred to a fighter squadron. Just four months later he was killed in action on an escort mission to Hanover, Germany, on November 26, 1944. Stiles' book was written in the period between his two tours. Serenade to the Big Bird portrays the tragedy of war, and specifically the loss to the world of a fine, sensitive, talented writer who had only a short time to prove his merit. He died at twenty-three.

Bert Stiles (1920-1944) was an American author of short stories who was killed in action during World War II while serving as a fighter pilot in the US Army Air Forces.His mother commemorated his memory by having his book published in 1947 in England (Lindsay Drummond Ltd.), with its first U.S. publication in 1952 (W.W. Norton & Company). Entitled Serenade to the Big Bird, the book achieved cult status among aviation enthusiasts for its honest depictions of bomber ...

After completing a tour of duty (thirty-five missions) in B-17s, Bert Stiles transferred to a fighter squadron. Just four months later he was killed in action on an escort mission to Hanover, Germany, on November 26, 1944. Stiles' book was written in the period between his two tours. Serenade to the Big Bird portrays the tragedy of war, and specifically the loss to the world of a fine, sensitive, talented writer who had only a short time to prove his merit. He died at twenty-three.

Second lieutenant Dick Curtis arrived in Italy in May 1944–twenty years old and part of a shipment of P-51 Mustang fighter pilots so desperately needed that they were rushed into combat with less than thirty hours of flight time in their new high-performance aircraft.Six of the twelve pilots assigned to the 52nd Fighter Group were shot down in the first two weeks. By his ninth mission, Curtis was the only one still flying. A maverick, he barely escaped court-martial with his high-f...

MUSTANG ACE: Memoirs of a P-51 Fighter Pilot by Robert J. Goebel + Easygoing and quick to learn, young Bob Goebel worked his way steadily through the phases of military flight training, and found in himself an aptitude for flight. Following months of rigorous operational flying in Panama, Goebel and his young companions found themselves in North Africa in the spring of 1944 with orders to the 31st Fighter Group in Italy. Just as the novices were about to join, the 31st traded its British-m...

Back from the Middle East, fighter pilot Hawk Hunter begins a campaign to reclaim America from Soviet occupation.The Soviet sneak attack crippled America, breaking the United States into an array of warring factions ruled by dictators, thugs, and thieves. In the western territories, democracy has survived—thanks to the efforts of Major Hawk Hunter, the greatest fighter pilot of his time, and the Pacific American Air Corps. After narrowly stopping a Soviet ground in...

**A classic from the New York Times bestselling author of The Things They Carried"One of the best, most disturbing, and most powerful books about the shame that was / is Vietnam."—Minneapolis Star and Tribune**Before writing his award-winning Going After Cacciato, Tim O'Brien gave us this intensely personal account of his year as a foot soldier in Vietnam. The author takes us with him to experience combat from behind an infantryman...

Sent to West Berlin to assist with the escape of Agent 272 from the East, British secret agent James Bond falls under the spell of a beautiful musician that he watches each night from his hide-out. But when the moment for the escape comes, Bond’s split-second decision may mean disaster for all.The Living Daylights is the fifteenth title in the James Bond spy series. It was adapted for the 1987 film starring Timothy Dalton as James Bond.

Five months after being drafted into the United States Army, I found myself in the middle of South Vietnam and wondering if I was ever going to go home again. This book will give the reader a view of what the Vietnam War was like for me. It has over 50 true stories and events that show different obstacles the soldiers faced and bizarre ways they died while in Vietnam.

A WW II EXPERIENCE OF AIR FORCE P.O.W.s IN GERMANY Like many WWII veterans, Richard Matheis had not discussed the details of his WWII flying experiences with either family or friends. All wanted more details as everyone was intrigued about this amazing part of his life. Following a great deal of cajoling by children and grandchildren--little by little a timeline of his very personal memories began to seep out. Pictures are included.

The Hawker Typhoon despite numerous technical flaws, was the finest ground support aircraft in Europe during World War II. At the same time the stories of the brave men who flew this difficult aircraft remain untold and unacknowledged. From his enlistment in Toronto through the final flights over Germany, this is the memoir of Jack Hilton, an RCAF fighter pilot, who successfully flew this challenging aircraft.