Keep 'em Flying WWII Recommended Reading List

(Updated 28 June 2020)

[Back to "Keep 'em Flying"]

Something Unique

David Buettner Banks is, as he describes himself, a disabled hobbyist. He lives in the UK and and has a website at http://www.jdbbooklets.org.uk. David has taken an interest the USAAF in WWII, out of which he has authored books commemorating the heroes of the USAAF, and indeed the RAF, and which he sells to raise funds for the Motor Neuron Disease Association (MNDA).

I have a copy of his book, Hands Across the Sea, which David has packed full of history, photos, stories, poetry, the names of dozens of airmen and heroes, and more. It is a very creative effort, unlike any of the many WWII history books I've acquired over the years. As a veritable medley of topics, it invites the reader to browse around to discover subjects both new and familiar.

David's books can be purchased as downloadable PDF files as well as printed and bound softcover books. Take a look and be sure that your purchase is also for a worthy cause.

U.S. Army Air Corps Personal Accounts from WWII:

  • Astor, Gerald. The Mighty Eighth: The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It. New York: Donald I. Fine. ISBN 1-55611-510-5.

  • Bowman, Martin W. 8th Air Force at War: Memories and Missions, England 1942-45.Patrick Stevens Limited, 1994. ISBN 1-85260-444-1.

  • Childers, Thomas. Wings of Morning. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wessley, 1995. ISBN 0-201-48310-6.

  • Comer, John. Combat Crew. New York: William Morrow, 1988. ISBN Unknown.

  • Cooper, Robert Floyd. Serenade to the Blue Lady: The Story of Bert Stiles.Fort Bragg, CA: Cypress House, 1993. ISBN 1-879384-21-3.

  • Crosby, Harry H. A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-016941-9.

  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. and Sand, Robert. T. Fighter Command. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1991. ISBN 0-87938-473-5.

  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. Bomber Command. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1994. ISBN 0-87938-920-6.

  • Farr, Frank. P.O.W.: A Kriegie's Story. AuthorHouse, 2004. ISBN 978-1418480417.

  • Fletcher, Eugene. Fletcher's Gang: A B-17 Crew in Europe, 1944-45. Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 1988. ISBN 0-295-96604-1.

  • Fletcher, Eugene. Mister: The Training of an Aviation Cadet in World War II.Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 1992. ISBN 0-295-97181-9.

  • Freeman, Roger A. Experiences of War: The American Airman in Europe. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1991. ISBN 0-87938-556-1.

  • Hawkins, Ian L. (ed). B-17s Over Berlin: Personal Stories from the 95th Bomb Group (H). Washington: Brassey's(US), 1990. ISBN 0-08-040569-X.

  • Lande, D.A. From Somewhere in England. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1991. ISBN 0-87938-448-4.

  • McGuire, William C., II. After the Liberators: A Father's Last Mission, A Son's Lifelong Journey. Boone, N.C.: Parkway Publishers, Inc., 1999. ISBN 1-887905-19-7.

  • Merrill, Sandra D. Donald's Story. Berlin, MD: Tebidine Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-9649541-4-1.

  • Novey, Jack. The Cold Blue Sky: A B-17 Gunner in World War Two. Charlottesville, VA: Howell Press, 1997. ISBN 1-57427-066-4.

  • O'Neill, Brian D. Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer: B-17s over Germany.Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1989. ISBN 0-8306-8385-2.

  • Pinkham, John H. Jack's Memoirs. E. Pinkham Enterprises LLC, 2008 (self-published at Lulu.com). ISBN: 978-0-578-00230-9.

  • Richards, Willard. Fear, Faith, Courage. Strasburg, OH: Willard Richards, 1993.

  • Smith, Truman. The Wrong Stuff: The Adventures and Misadventures of an 8th Air Force Aviator. St. Petersburg, FL: Southern Heritage Press, 1996. ISBN 0-941072-23-1.

  • Stiles, Bert. Serenade to the Big Bird. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1952. [The 1952 original US and other publications are out of print and hard to find. A true classic. The most recent publication is by Schiffer Military History, 2007. ISBN: 978-0764313967. Also see Cooper book for biography.]

  • Woolnough, John H. (ed.). Stories of the Eighth. Hollywood, FL: The 8th AF News, 1983.

U.S. Army Air Corps Histories from WWII:

  • Army Air Forces Aid Society. Target: Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1943.

  • Bowman, Martin W. Castles in the Air. Patrick Stevens Limited, 1984. ISBN 0-85059-786-2.

  • Bowman, Martin W. Fields of Little America: An Illustrated History of the 8th Air Force 2nd Air Division 1942-1945. Patrick Stevens Limited, 1977. ISBN 1-85260-130-2.

  • Freeman, Roger A. The Mighty Eighth. New York: Orion Books, 1970. ISBN 0-517-57691-0.

  • Freeman, Roger A. The Mighty Eighth Warpaint and Heraldry. London: Arms & Armour Press, 1997. ISBN 1-85409-373-8.

  • Havelaar, Marion H. with Hess, William N. The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourne: The 91st Bombardment Group in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1995. ISBN 0-88740-810-9.

  • Jablonski, Edward. Flying Fortress. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1965.

  • Kaplan, Philip and Smith, Rex Alan. One Last Look. New York: Artabras Publishers, 1983. ISBN 0-89660-012-2.

  • Kaplan, Philip and Saunders, Andy. Little Friends. New York: Random House, 1991. ISBN 0-394-58434-1.

  • Kaplan, Philip and Currie, Jack. Round the Clock. New York: Random House, 1993. ISBN 0-394-58921-1.

  • McCrary, John R. (Tex) and Scherman, David E. First of the Many. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944.

U.S. Army Personal Accounts from WWII:

  • Egger, Bruce E. and Otts, Lee MacMillan, Raley, Paul (ed.). G Company's War. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 1992. ISBN 0-8173-0566-1.

  • Gantter, Raymond. Roll Me Over: An Infantryman's World War II. New York: Ivy Books, 1997. ISBN 0-8041-1605-9.

  • Leinbaugh, Harold P. and Campbell, John D. The Men of Company K. New York: William Morrow, 1985. ISBN 0-688-04421-2.

  • Mauldin, Bill. Up Front. New York: Henry Holt, 1945.

  • Mauldin, Bill. The Brass Ring. New York: W.W. Norton, 1971.

  • Nichols, David (ed.). Ernie's War: The Best of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996. ISBN 0-671-64452-1.

  • Pyle, Ernie. Here is Your War. New York: Henry Holt, 1943.

  • Pyle, Ernie. Brave Men. New York: Henry Holt, 1944.

  • Pyle, Ernie. The Last Chapter. New York: Henry Holt, 1946.

  • Rooney, Andrew A. My War. New York: Times Books, 1995. ISBN 0-8129-2532-7.

  • Roush, Col. John H., Jr. (ed.). World War II Reminiscences. ISBN 0-9600830-3-6.

  • Tapert, Annette. Lines of Battle: Letters From American Servicemen, 1941-1945. New York: Times Books, 1987. ISBN 0-8129-1316-7.

  • Tobin, James. Ernie Pyle's War. New York: The Free Press, 1997. ISBN 0-684-83642-4.

U.S. Army Histories from WWII:

  • Gardiner, Juliet. Overpaid, Oversexed, & Over Here: The American GI in World War II Britain. New York: Canopy Books, 1992. ISBN 1-55859-408-6.

  • Hoyt, Edwin P. The GI's War. New York: DeCapo Press, 1988. ISBN 0-306-80448-4.

  • Kennett, Lee. G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1987. ISBN 0-684-18491-5.

  • Martin, Ralph, G. The G.I. War 1941-1945. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1967.

Photographic Reference Books:

  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. and Sand, Robert. T. Fighter Command. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1991. ISBN 0-87938-473-5.

  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. Bomber Command. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1994. ISBN 0-87938-920-6.

  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. The Victory Era in Color. Greendale, WI: Reminisce Books, 1994. ISBN 0-89821-127-1.

  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. There Once Was a War: The Collected Color Photography of World War II. New York: Viking Studio Books, 1995. ISBN 0-670-86044-1.

  • Freeman, Roger A. The Mighty Eighth in Color. Stillwater, MN: Specialty Press, 1992. ISBN 0-933424-57-4.

  • Freeman, Roger A. The Ninth Air Force in Colour. London: Arms & Armour Press, 1995. ISBN 1-85409-272-3.

  • Woolnough, Lt. Col. John H. The 8th Air Force Album. Hollywood, FL: The 8th AF News, 1978.

  • Woolnough, Lt. Col. John H. The 8th Air Force Yearbook. Alton, IL: The 8th Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation, Inc., 1981.

Miscellaneous Histories from WWII:

  • Bradley, James. Flags of Our Fathers. New York: Bantam Books, 2000. ISBN 0-553-11133-7.

  • Goodman, Jack. While You Were Gone: A Report on Wartime Life in the United States. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1946.

  • Litoff, Judy Barrett and Smith, David C. (eds.). Since You Went Away: World War II Letters from American Women on the Home Front. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. ISBN 0-19-506795-9.

Other Related Books:

  • Davidsmeyer, Jo. COMBAT! A Viewer's Companion to the Classic TV Series. Hillside, IL: R&G Productions, 1997. ISBN 0-9640338-4-4.

  • Jason, Rick. Scrapbooks of My Mind: A Hollywood Autobiography. Argoe Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0970162405.


[Back to "Keep 'em Flying"]  [E-mail: KeepEmFlying-at-acmedepot.com (replace -at- with @)]

Copyright © 1997-2008 Marc D. Weinshenker. All rights reserved.