The Things Our Fathers Saw - The War In The Air Book One: The Untold Stories of the World War II Generation from Hometown, USA

Really some lovely information in here. Awesome perspective of the men who lived the action. However, this feels like what it is, a vet who is in the twilight of life talking to a couple of 17year olds. Monumentous things are glossed over or omitted that happened in and around these vets lives. At times I feel like these are simply some tales of nice old men who we sat down to have coffee with and then we asked them, "tell me about being in the war." This book is definitely ied the viseral imagery that many great WWII memoirs have. That doesn't take away from the fact that these are living breathing survivors or the greatest conflict the world has ever known or what they did in the air. Plus there are some true harrowing and heartbreaking tales to be read in this book.I guess the point being that there could be more substantive information shared if the interviewers knew the right questions to ask. But no doubt some of these stories were very painful still after 70 plus years. It is just food for thought.Overall, if you are looking for an entertaining read, this is a good book to pick up. I look forward to reading book number 3.

Stole that line from the bridges of Toko Ri. It’s hard to fathom. I was 30 years old when I saw Combat , I had pretty much lived my life by then , and had prepared my entire life for War.But these guys were just kids...After December 7 ..they flocked to enlist. And at a young age faced horrible Combat and death.A good book to savour.Semper Fi

This is a great short read derived from personal interviews with 90+ year old WW 2 veterans of the (Army) Air Force. First hand accounts where some of the "why's", "what's" and "where's" are shared by regular guys who went to war. If you have a relative who may have been part of it, you will find it illuminating. The author focuses on a bomber crew, and describes their jobs and training and the real subjects of the story -the veterans themselves-share their experiences and history. How real, regular people reacted, acted and played their part. No drama, just mundane heroics depending on each other, and the Box, for survival. Just doing a job.

Great book! My Dad served in Europe during WWII, U.S. Army Infantry. Like so many others, he never talked about his experiences. I have some old photos, but his Army records were destroyed in the fire at the records center in 1972. We tend to forget that The Greatest Generation were just every day Americans who responded to their nation's call to fight. Some were good, some bad, some rebellious, but they served and did their part with the goal of not letting their friends down in the heat of battle. Thank you Mr. Rozelle, for preserving this history and I am looking forward to your next book.

I have to thank the author for this book, and the previous book about the Pacific War. Getting to know the individuals and they're personal stories, experiences, and training they went through was very interesting and gratifying for me, I had family that served in WW2 but never knew they're stories, many vets do not wish to remember those days of they're lives. The stories in these books have provided glimpses into the lives of the WW2 veterans and only served to strengthen my respect and love for them, all Americans should take the time to know them and increase they're knowledge of The Greatest Generation.

The author tells the stories of seven or eight survivors of Europe’s air war over Germany during WW II. By using direct interviews with these men telling their stories it really brings to light the unbelievable commitment it took to perform their duties. The stories usually start with their home town experiences and follow through the labyrinth system that took them into service and trained them. He focuses on the skills required to be a gunner at various positions, navigator, bombardier, Flight Engineer, Radar man and Pilot and the details of how these were imparted. The author is also careful to include the aftermath of these men’s experiences on the rest of their lives. Very insightful book. Well worth the read. Could we do it again?

After having read quite a few of the accounts of men who participated in the air war over Europe and Italy this one added some perspectives that were interesting as well. On the one hand, I agree with some of the quibbles here regarding perhaps a more effective interview style, but on the other hand, listening to the basic, raw unvarnished recollections have their important rewards as well. I was really struck by how some recounted this period with a level of casualness I never imagined. But it takes all kinds, and perhaps it was this kind that could best survive and live their post-war lives the most successfully. I wouldn't put this book at the very top of my list, but i would never take away anything from these great men.

I have read many first-hand accounts of WWII veterans, and I never tire of them. These are indeed the things our fathers saw. The author deserves great credit for reaching out to these aging veterans and hearing their stories, and especially for bringing them into contact with high school students. Unlike many such accounts, these include details of the lives in "Hometown USA" before going into the service, as well as perspectives on how the veterans view their service so many years later. They are not just interesting stories; they are lessons in endurance, sacrifice, and commitment well worth hearing by the children and grandchildren of these veterans.The (thus far) four books are interrelated, but can be read independently. My special interest is in the European air war, as I had several relatives who served there, but I expect to read them all eventually.Readers of Rozell's books should also read the work of Thomas Childers, the gold standard of books of this type.

Not really what I would call a riveting read , not what I expected; all of these guys were incredibly brave but the book seemed to focus more on their pre war days or the lead up to it which I personally found difficult to read after the third of fourth story .

The generation that responded to the challenge.

Il secondo libro della serie di memoriali scritti da Rozell narra le vicende dei veterani dell' Air Corps in servizio sui bombardieri durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.Molto belle, toccanti e che fanno riflettere le varie storie narrate dagli ex piloti, tecnici, navigatori e artiglieri. Le testimonianze fanno riflettere e comprendere l'inferno della guerra. Davvero toccante quella di Kenneth Carlson.Ciò che ho trovato negativo è che alcuni veterani, non tutti per fortuna, sembrano farci capire di essersi arruolati in aviazione solo per un "divertimento". Inoltre l'impaginazione, edizione tascabile, risulta essere un po' superficiale.Nonostante tutto resta un buon memoriale.

Bought this for a friend. He loved the book and enjoyed the personal stories of the soldiers.