The Ragged Irregulars: The Eighth Air Force Series, Book Two (Volume 2)

This is the second book in the series and it follows the story line from book 1, The Children's Crusade. The Ragged Irregulars is a fast-paced, suspenseful and often astounding novel about B-17 bomber crews in action over Europe in World War II, buttressed by enlightening technical details and multi-dimensional characterizations of pilots, bombardiers, navigators, gunners and ground crews -- all based on first-person interviews with USAAF veterans who experienced many of the actual events. It is a gripping book that I found impossible to put down, as my emotions ranged from the merely expectant to the overwhelming. It has a perfect match of idiom and tone for the historical era and for the situations that young American airmen faced.