Masters of the Air

Masters of the Air is the third of three books I plucked from Al Mohler’s list of suggested summer reading. It is the story of “America’s bomber boys who fought the air war against Nazi Germany.” I have long been fascinated with the Second World War and the air war in particular, perhaps because my grandfather was a proud member of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the War and, years later, used to tell me stories of his time in the service. I have fond memories of those times with him. During my years at college I enrolled in every course I could find that dealt with World War II and found that my interest in the subject knew no bounds. Even today I love to read books about this conflict second only to books on theology.

Written by Donald L. Miller, this book is “the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep.” Written to appeal to those who do not have encyclopedic knowledge of the subject matter, Masters of the Air will appeal to anyone with an interest in World War II. Reading the book is no small commitment as it extends through more than 500 tightly-packed pages. But it is a rewarding read. It focuses not just on events but also on the people who made those events happen. It is a personal look at a very personal war.

As I read, I was struck by how foreign it seems to read about a war in which the nation’s population was largely supportive. Today no war can begin without cries for an exit strategy, but in the Second World War the nation rallied behind the troops and the leadership and truly believed the war was both just and necessary. They knew that victory would be costly but also knew that the price had to be paid. While no foreign nation seriously threatened American soil, millions of Americans crossed two great oceans to battle for the cause of freedom. These bomber boys had one of the most dangerous jobs in the Armed Forces with mortality rates that almost guaranteed, especially in the early part of the war, that few of them would return.

Masters of the Air is the best book I’ve read dealing with the air war over Germany. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subject matter.