The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II

A reviewer

I do not typically read books about war and anything historical. I picked this book up because I had heard that one of the men written about in the book was from my hometown. I could not put this book down once I started it. For someone who doesn't have extensive knowledge of World War II, this book was written in such a way that was easy to understand and left you wanting to know more about this time in our history. For those who like to read about World War II, this is a story that hasn't really been told before.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Failure to study history condemns you to repeat it.

Just finished a great book called ¿The Forgotten 500¿ by Gregory Freeman. It recounts a risky rescue mission launched during WWII to save over 500 American and Allied flyers who had bailed out over Yugoslavia. The airmen were saved by the local Serbia people. The Serbs saved them from the Nazis at great personal risk. And fed from their meager rations. Many Serbs died for harboring US airmen. The leader of the Serbs was an anti Nazi guerilla Draza Mihailovich. With the help of Mihailovich¿s fighters a high mountain plateau is turned into a small landing field. The OSS in spite of British opposition mounts a rescue mission that involves landing C-47s on the short runway. The runway was prepared by the local peasants and downed airmen using rudimentary farm tools. The airstrip was only 12 miles from Nazi encampments. It is an exciting and tense drama. The book also recounts how the US and it¿s allies turned their back on Mihailovich. Primarily because of the disinformation provided by communists and their sympathizers in both US and British ranks. He points out ¿Far more numerous than the Communists, and infinitely more numerous that the committed agents, were the muddleheaded liberals who shares a nebulous feeling that they too were serving the cause of progress. This book is a must read for anyone interested in WWII missions or how the US lost the Eastern block to Stalin.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A must read for the youth of America,least we forget the people who kept us free.

The story is about a generation of people who sacrificed all to keep the world from going over the precipice of darkness.A must read for the younger generation.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A engrossing account of downed airmen and the true account to get them home.

A real tribute to the bravery to those people who fought to keep the world from going over the precipice of darkness in World War Two.Should be a must read for high school students.A part of American history that should be remembered and not forgotten.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Forgotten 500

Upon reading this book and being of Serbian heritage I have known about this story for years but the rest of the world had not known the whole story. The book reads in detail how the Serbian people help the American Soldiers to be protected until our troops could come in and get them.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Engaging story

I had no idea about this piece of WWII -- Yugoslovia. As engaging as the parts are about the American airmen being shot down returning from bombing runs from Italy to Romania, and having to ditch in Yugoslovia, the part that really enlightened me was the politics of the Serbs, General Tito, and General Mihailovich and how the power struggle affected the result after the war. A good read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Well Written Not a waste of time!!

The Forgotten 500 is a well written none fiction book. Written from the perspectives of several men who were downed over Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia and a few of the men trying to get airmen out. The down airmen had to convert a field into a makeshift runway with Nazi troops only a few miles away. I enjoyed learning what these men went through even if it was a heart wrenching story. The information was presented in a well organized manner. But it can be difficult to read at some points with the very different and diverse back stories that needed to be told in order to fully comprehend why certain people felt and acted the way they did. The story of the men and women involved in Operation Halyard should be made known to every one whether it is through reading this book which covers much of it, being told in class, or doing the research on their own.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Forgotten 500 was of particular interest as I know and worked with one of the men featured in the story.

The drama of getting the abandoned men out of harms way was good. The politics of the situation and todays world are similar. I recommend this book to anyone who knew people involved in WWII.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great story

I love ww2 books and this is a great story. If you are younger it might be alittle hard to follow but it is still a awesome story and people should know about these airmen and the people that risked thier lives.

Highly Recommended! Tom Hanks or Ron Howard need to bring this story to the Big Screen! School History classes need to teach this!

I really liked this book. I am a 1st generation Serbian-American. In fact, when my Dad was a pre-teen, he lived very close to that constructed landing strip; and my Mom (also a pre-teen at the time)lived in a nearby village of that same landing strip. I've grown up listening to my parents tell me about their childhood experiences in WW2. So, while reading this book, it occured to me that there were quite a few references in the book, that matched directly with some of the stories I heard my parents talk about- concerning their experiences of living that horrible time of their childhood. One story - My Mom remembers being given a piece of silk fabric from a parachute that was entangled in a tree-and sometimes seeing that saved soldier being whisked between houses when Ustashe were nearby. Another story- My Dad recalls hearing intermittent loud plane engines at nighttime. Said all of a sudden he'd hear a plane- like it was dropping out of the sky & might hit the hillside above him- and then the engines were cut off/turned off; a few minutes later-he'd hear a plane engine rev up suddenly- uptop of the same hillside and within seconds it was gone and all was quiet again. There are more stories - but these were told to me years before this book was ever written. This book stirs the soul. I am VERY thankful & fortunate, my parents were able to survive the war at such a tender age...and eventually were able to leave Yugoslavia with my sister and brother;and start a new life in JohnstownPA and have one more child. Also Thankful for those who risked & sacrificed to feed and hide 500 stranded airman - allowing enough time to rescue all 500 of them and bring them back to their families. Tom Hanks or Ron Howard need to read this book and produce a film for our children & future generations to REALLY see and appreciate the TRUE sacrifice of all involved in the rescue of the Forgotten 500! The school History textbooks need to include this event so it is never forgotten!

Good story

Just one more ww 2 stroy I did not know about....till now

Excellent read!!!!!

Well worth any time spent - very good read!

Just when you thought all the WWII stories had been told

This excellent book tells the story of the rescue of over 500 allied bomber crews lost over Yugoslavia while conducting bombing raids on the refineries of Rumania. These crews were gathered under the protection of anti-communist resistance leaders for eventual rescue. It tells the story also of the impact on British foreign policy by communist moles in British Intelligence that eventually led to Allied support of Tito and the post war domination of the Balkans by the Soviet Union.

Bravery, sacrifice and stubbornness of a handful of people saved a large number of individuals.

Highly Recommended So Informative

My husband and I are 84 and 74 young. We give The Forgotten 500 5 Stars. My husband is not much of a reader but may well become one due to this book.

Kit

Recommend

This is a very good book but you should also get "Red Tails" to complete the story.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

THE FORGOTTEN 500

Having read a number of books on World War II, I was surprised to hear about this rescue so recently. The book was well written, documenting the patriotism, the dedication, the heroism, and the humanity of the Airmen, their Serbian protectors, and the OSS operatives who put the rescue together.

Unfortunately, it also outlines the worse in treachery and stiff necked diplomacy, much of which cannot be blamed on the fog of war.

Along with the addendum THE RED TAILS I highly recommend this book.

Highly recommended

This is a very well written account of a little known event. Not only a great adventure, it is also the story of a terrible wrong done by the Brits to a Yugoslav patriot.

I consider this book an absolute must read.

Good work for WW II buffs

A very interesting episode, with plenty of well-researched historical background and personal details.

In a few places I think the author's political leanings peek through and are a little right-wing for my taste. But very good overall.

Great Read

As a woman I loved this book. It was a great read with a truly remarkable story of bravery. It should be required reading in high school history or made into a movie so the masses will know the story of these heroic men & women. I highly recommend it!

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