Robert Morgan (3) (1918–2004)

Riveting firsthand account of World War II pilot Robert Morgan, his crew, and the legendary Memphis Belle—written with Ron Powers, cowriter of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers.

A powerful chronicle of loyalty, love, and heroism under fire, this is the unforgettable memoir of a member of the Greatest Generation who fought in America’s greatest battles—and of the war one man waged both in and out of the skies. High-spirited, young Robert Morgan was transformed from a fast-living, privileged playboy who grew up hobnobbing with the Vanderbilts into a steel-nerved pilot forged in the cauldron of World War II’s most dangerous and desperate aerial encounters. This is the triumphant tale of that transformation—and of the airplane and crew that never failed to bring him back home.… (mere)

If you wish to know what it was like to fly a bomber over Occupied Europe in WW II, this is the book for you. Morgan's vivid descriptions of the constant terror, the technical skills required to fly the plane, navigating to the target and fight off the attacking fighters are some of the best I have read. The bonus is after his tour of duty over Europe ended, he flew B-29's over Japan including leading the first bombing of Tokyo since the Doolittle raid. Included as well is his descriptions of life in England between raids and the US war bond tour he embarked on after Europe. For those of you who have seen the 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle, Morgan takes you behind the scenes to illustrate how the film was made including stories about the cameramen who actually flew missions over Europe in the Belle & other bombers to get the necessary film footage. Great stuff.… (mere)