Steve Snyder asked me to read his historical book, "SHOT DOWN". It is about the author's father, Howard Snyder, and how he survived being shot down over Germany-occupied France during WWII.
The blurb states that this is about Howard Snyder's experience but it reads more like a biography of him with a focus on the WWII mission and its aftermath. It also includes a lot of information about other subjects, such as Howard's military training and other missions he went on before the one where he was shot down. There's also a section about members of the French Resistance and other individuals who sheltered downed pilots.
It's all interesting stuff. I had no idea the pilots had to wear so much gear during their missions. There's armor to protect against shrapnel, winter clothing for the altitude and air masks for oxygen. I thought all they had to worry about was enemy fire. It makes what they did a lot more impressive for its bravery. The process of take-off and landing and the formations they had to assume, and how dangerous these were, was also interesting. I can only imagine what it must have been like to see an allied airplane slip out of formation or, of course, to be on that plane.
Besides that, I enjoyed reading about the Comet Line. These guys are the heroes of this particular story. When they see a plane go down in their area, it is a race against the Nazi to get to the plane first, find survivors and hide them. Then of course to continue hiding them while feeding and then getting them out. In addition to courage, resourcefulness and organization, they also had to be clever because the Nazi would have their own pilots crash in a sting-like operation.
Primary sources are fantastic. Included in the book are many illustrations of planes, locations, wreckage and the people involved. The author even included letters and journal entries that his father wrote during his time as a soldier.
This book is factual information with a keenly human experience.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "SHOT DOWN" an A+
This was a free book review. The author requested an honest review so I provided one.
Click here for my next book review (for fun): Chronicles of the Crusade
Click here for my previous book review (a request): Enaro
Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback
The blurb states that this is about Howard Snyder's experience but it reads more like a biography of him with a focus on the WWII mission and its aftermath. It also includes a lot of information about other subjects, such as Howard's military training and other missions he went on before the one where he was shot down. There's also a section about members of the French Resistance and other individuals who sheltered downed pilots.
It's all interesting stuff. I had no idea the pilots had to wear so much gear during their missions. There's armor to protect against shrapnel, winter clothing for the altitude and air masks for oxygen. I thought all they had to worry about was enemy fire. It makes what they did a lot more impressive for its bravery. The process of take-off and landing and the formations they had to assume, and how dangerous these were, was also interesting. I can only imagine what it must have been like to see an allied airplane slip out of formation or, of course, to be on that plane.
Besides that, I enjoyed reading about the Comet Line. These guys are the heroes of this particular story. When they see a plane go down in their area, it is a race against the Nazi to get to the plane first, find survivors and hide them. Then of course to continue hiding them while feeding and then getting them out. In addition to courage, resourcefulness and organization, they also had to be clever because the Nazi would have their own pilots crash in a sting-like operation.
Primary sources are fantastic. Included in the book are many illustrations of planes, locations, wreckage and the people involved. The author even included letters and journal entries that his father wrote during his time as a soldier.
This book is factual information with a keenly human experience.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "SHOT DOWN" an A+
This was a free book review. The author requested an honest review so I provided one.
Click here for my next book review (for fun): Chronicles of the Crusade
Click here for my previous book review (a request): Enaro
Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback
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