Widow Maker: A Novel of World War II

Six young Americans have been assigned to fly the Martin B-26 Marauder in combat during World War II. The B-26-dubbed Widow Maker by the press and the aircrews who flew her-was one of the most controversial aircraft produced in the United States during the war. These young men find themselves confronted not only with doubts about the airplane they are given to fly, but also the sometimes fatal choices made by a military organization unprepared to employ them in combat. Against the setting of World War II Europe, the hearts and minds of the young members of the aircrew are revealed as they are forced to take a swift and frequently terrifying journey into manhood. The differences between them, seemingly irreconcilable at first, melt away as they form the ancient bond between men whose lives must depend upon one another in combat. But even after these young Americans make the transition to seasoned warriors, they are still faced with the grim reality that some of them will survive-and some will not.