An Emotional Gauntlet: From Life in Peacetime America to the War in European Skies

An Emotional Gauntlet: From Life in Peacetime America to the War in European Skies

by Stuart J. Wright
ISBN-10:
029920524X
ISBN-13:
9780299205249
Pub. Date:
03/21/2008
Publisher:
University of Wisconsin Press
ISBN-10:
029920524X
ISBN-13:
9780299205249
Pub. Date:
03/21/2008
Publisher:
University of Wisconsin Press
An Emotional Gauntlet: From Life in Peacetime America to the War in European Skies

An Emotional Gauntlet: From Life in Peacetime America to the War in European Skies

by Stuart J. Wright

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Overview

Stuart J. Wright tells the gripping story of a World War II American aircrew flying missions from England in a B-24 Liberator bomber they nicknamed Corky. This is a true account based on years of research and correspondence with crewmembers and their families. Wright adds a dimension rarely explored in other World War II memoirs and narratives, beginning the chronicle during peacetime when the men of the aircrew are introduced as civilians-kids during the 1920s. As they mature through the years of the Great Depression to face a world at war, questions are raised about "just" and "unjust" wars, imperialism, and patriotism. Jingoistic sentimentality is resisted in favor of objectivity, as the feelings and motivations of the crewmembers are explored: the Chinese American air gunner had hoped to serve in the U.S. Army Air Force to fight against the Japanese invaders of his homeland; the Jewish navigator felt compelled to join the battle against Nazi Germany.
In recounting the harrowing conditions and horrors of bombing missions over Europe, An Emotional Gauntlet emphasizes the interpersonal relationships within the crew and the spirit these men shared. Corky's crew served under Operations Officer Major James Stewart (the Hollywood movie star.) They often returned from arduous bombing missions to sleep in half-empty huts--their friends in other planes had not been so lucky. Pilot Jack Nortridge regularly assured his crew, "If you fly with me, I'm going to bring you home." This book is a testament to their strength and determination.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780299205249
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
Publication date: 03/21/2008
Edition description: 1
Pages: 358
Product dimensions: 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Stuart J. Wright is a writer and musician based in London. He has flown in the last flying B-24 in the world. This is his first book.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrationsxi
Forewordxv
Acknowledgmentsxvii
Introductionxviii
Part 1The Meeting of the "Loveable Bastards"
1Shadows on the Horizon3
2Boise, Idaho22
3A League of Nations37
4Pocatello, Idaho46
5Riverside, California56
Part 2"If You Fly with Me, I'm Going to Bring You Home"
6On the Road to the Big League69
7Somewhere in England88
8In the Air and On the Ground106
9At Dawn for Gotha116
10Prisoner of War128
Part 3Flak/Fighters
11Hosts in the Sky151
12Jimmy Stewart, Leadership, and the Liberty Run176
13The Battle of Brunswick202
14"Our Prayers That Night Were Shared"218
15Paris and London229
Part 4Fear/Faith
16Milk Runs and Maximum Efforts241
17Flame Leap258
18"Great Crusade"269
19Hamburg and Berlin278
20Homecoming290
Epilogue: Twilight's Last Gleaming297
AppendixCrew Personnel311
Notes314
Glossary318
Bibliography321
Index327
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