Four Miles High

The 50th anniversary of the arrival in England of the US 8th Air Force has generated many tributes to the thousands of American airmen who fought in the Second World War. But few books, if any, can equal this emotive study of the B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress crews who provided the daylight striking arm of the Allied "round the clock" bombing offensive over Germany and occupied Europe. These are stories told by men who were there.
Aviation author Martin Bowman has interviewed hundreds of survivors from both air and ground crews. Their vivid recollections - the fear and horror, heroism and comradeship - are undimmed by the passage of time. Two of Martin Bowman's previous titles, Castles in the Air and Fields of Little America, published by PSL more than 12 years ago, are still highly regarded today. In Four Miles High he combines many personal accounts and illustrations from those two volumes, updated with additional narrative plus more original photographs from private collections around the world.
From the first tentative steps in 1942 until final victory in 1945, the author recreates those years of savage aerial warfare, four miles above the earth -the dangerous flights deep into enemy airspace, sharp fear at the appearance of enemy fighters, the agony of seeing buddies' aircraft plummet in flames, the drama of bringing a crippled bomber home.
Colonel William Cameron of Ploesti fame, Beirne Lay Jr, General Curtis E. LeMay, Paul Tibbets and Colonel Myron H. Keilman are among the contributors to this fine book which portrays, like no other, the heroism displayed by those youthful American airmen.


by Martin Bowman
Published by PSL 1992 1st edition. 240pp prousely illustrated, some colour, index. 19x25 near fine, including d/j.





Note:
"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "new edition" "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.