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Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History

Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History

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  • Create Date：2022-03-18 17:21:41
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Kevin Maurer
  • ISBN：1250274389
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Summary

From Kevin Maurer—the #1 New York Times bestselling， award-winning coauthor of No Easy Day—comes the true story of a World War II bomber pilot who survived twenty-five missions in Damn Lucky， “an epic， thrillingly written， utterly immersive account of a very lucky， incredible survivor of the war in the skies to defeat Hitler” （New York Times bestselling author Alex Kershaw）。

“We were young citizen-soldiers， terribly naive and gullible about what we would be confronted with in the air war over Europe and the profound effect it would have upon every fiber of our being for the rest of our lives。 We were all afraid， but it was beyond our power to quit。 We volunteered for the service and， once trained and overseas， felt we had no choice but to fulfill the mission assigned。 My hope is that this book honors the men with whom I served by telling the truth about what it took to climb into the cold blue and fight for our lives over and over again。”
—John “Lucky” Luckadoo， Major， USAF （Ret。） 100th Bomb Group （H）

Pearl Harbor， Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga， Tennessee。 But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7， 1941， he didn’t hesitate to join the military。 Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force， Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts， England。 Between June and October 1943， he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine。

With a shrapnel torn Bible in his flight jacket pocket and his girlfriend’s silk stocking around his neck like a scarf as talismans， Luckadoo piloted through Luftwaffe machine-gun fire and antiaircraft flak while enduring subzero temperatures to complete twenty-five missions and his combat service。 The average bomber crew rarely survived after eight to twelve missions。 Knowing far too many airmen who wouldn’t be returning home， Luckadoo closed off his emotions and focused on his tasks to finish his tour of duty one moment at a time， realizing his success was more about being lucky than being skilled。

Drawn from Luckadoo’s firsthand accounts， acclaimed war correspondent Kevin Maurer shares his extraordinary tale from war to peacetime， uncovering astonishing feats of bravery during the bloodiest military campaign in aviation history， and presenting an incredible portrait of a young man’s coming-of-age during the world’s most devastating war。

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Reviews

Casey Wheeler ，

This book tells the story of John “Lucky” Luckadoo and his quest to be a fighter pilot， but ended up copiloting and piloting bombers over Germany in World War II。 It also contains some information on his best friend from his childhood in Chattanooga， Tennessee， Leroy “Sully” Sullivan。 Sully joins the Canadian Air Force to get involved in the war early， but their paths cross when both are stationed in England。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with This book tells the story of John “Lucky” Luckadoo and his quest to be a fighter pilot， but ended up copiloting and piloting bombers over Germany in World War II。 It also contains some information on his best friend from his childhood in Chattanooga， Tennessee， Leroy “Sully” Sullivan。 Sully joins the Canadian Air Force to get involved in the war early， but their paths cross when both are stationed in England。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon， Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog。 。。。more

Marilyn ，

This book provides a very realistic account of what life was like in aviation during WWII in England。 It gives the reader a good sense of the trials and tribulations of what it was like being in the air core during the war。 Most importantly， it reminded us of the bravery and sacrifices of the many individuals who fought in the skies in the name of freedom。

Steve ，

The Story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo's experience as a B-17 pilot in World War II based on his firsthand recollections and personal thoughts as told to author Kevin Maurer。 A great story that showed the bravery and commitment of the Army aviators even under the high casualty daylight bombing strategy of the US bomber forces （the British bombed at night） and seemingly arbitrary 25 mission tour of duty。 The high crew losses， and absurdity of some actions， such as having a co-pilot stationed in the t The Story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo's experience as a B-17 pilot in World War II based on his firsthand recollections and personal thoughts as told to author Kevin Maurer。 A great story that showed the bravery and commitment of the Army aviators even under the high casualty daylight bombing strategy of the US bomber forces （the British bombed at night） and seemingly arbitrary 25 mission tour of duty。 The high crew losses， and absurdity of some actions， such as having a co-pilot stationed in the tail gun without training when his seat was taken by a mission leader， were eye opening and Lucky's conflicts with his fellow aviators and the brass of the Army Air Force and later Air Force weren't glossed over。 A well written book that conveyed the bravery of flying bombing missions over Europe out of Thorpe Abbots， England with the 100th Bomb Group facing the extreme conditions of the bombers and stiff Nazi resistance as well as the honest feelings of one young pilot who made it through the war。 I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley。 。。。more

Dawn ，

A perfect first hand account for those interested in WWII。 A quick， straightforward and interesting read。

Amy ，

A compelling tale of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， a bomber pilot for the Bloody 100th Air unit during WWII。 This work of non-fiction gives you a glimpse into what it was like to fly bombers over Europe during the early years of American's involvement in WWII。 Told in 3rd person， we are taken through Lucky's early years， training days， and finally some of his missions。 Beautifully told and written。 A compelling tale of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， a bomber pilot for the Bloody 100th Air unit during WWII。 This work of non-fiction gives you a glimpse into what it was like to fly bombers over Europe during the early years of American's involvement in WWII。 Told in 3rd person， we are taken through Lucky's early years， training days， and finally some of his missions。 Beautifully told and written。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this memoir of a World War II pilot。Kevin Maurer in his book Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History， tells of the exploits of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who joined the service after the attack on Pearl Harbor。 Trained as a pilot Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group flying out of England over France and Germany between June and October o My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this memoir of a World War II pilot。Kevin Maurer in his book Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History， tells of the exploits of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who joined the service after the attack on Pearl Harbor。 Trained as a pilot Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group flying out of England over France and Germany between June and October of 1943。 The average crew lasted only about nine to twelve missions， and with a tour of duty lasting twenty five missions， Lucky as he was called， would soon be testing that nickname quite a bit。 Major Luckadoo， was not just a lucky pilot， but a hero to his crew and those he inspired later。 His forward， his afterword and many of the accounts come from his own words an are inspiring and full of real emotion。 The writing of the book does not live up to this。 The book is just ok， not historical， not a memoir， sort of a mix of British boy's own and men's adventure。 Lucky is used way too much in the book， something again from the Wingman adventure novels， plus considering the man is around to write a pretty decent afterward， the reader just does not get a good sense of who the man was。 Not to take away Major Luckadoo， but the writing does a disservice。The book is a ok overview of the air campaign against the German forces， with a bit of information on what it was like to be a pilot during the war。 A nice father's day gift for uncles and grandparents who aren't too in to history but like to read about World War II and the men who fought in it。 。。。more

Stacey ，

This isn't the kind of book I usually read but when I read the description I found it to be very interesting。 And it was。 If you are an aficionado of World War II， you will love this book。 And if you are someone who is interested in the life story of a very interesting man， you will love this book。 Damn Lucky is an account of Lucky's 25 missions that he survived。 And stories of those who didn't。 Superb book！ This isn't the kind of book I usually read but when I read the description I found it to be very interesting。 And it was。 If you are an aficionado of World War II， you will love this book。 And if you are someone who is interested in the life story of a very interesting man， you will love this book。 Damn Lucky is an account of Lucky's 25 missions that he survived。 And stories of those who didn't。 Superb book！ 。。。more

Steve ，

Excellent book。 I really enjoyed it。

Kristen Perry ，

I received this as an ARC through Netgalley。 Damn Lucky is a memoir about one pilots journey from flight school in WWII to after the after war。 Lucky sure lived up to his name， surviving 25 flight missions over Germany。 I loved how even though there were details and facts about the planes， it was not overwhelming by any means。 I felt very privileged to be able to read a first hand account of Lucky's experience during WWII。 Not many of the greatest generation left and not many that want to talk a I received this as an ARC through Netgalley。 Damn Lucky is a memoir about one pilots journey from flight school in WWII to after the after war。 Lucky sure lived up to his name， surviving 25 flight missions over Germany。 I loved how even though there were details and facts about the planes， it was not overwhelming by any means。 I felt very privileged to be able to read a first hand account of Lucky's experience during WWII。 Not many of the greatest generation left and not many that want to talk about it。。 If you're interested in WWII fiction and non fiction and want to read a first hand experience， pick up Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer， you will not be disappointed。 。。。more

Donald ，

So far， so good。 A no frills style of writing which I appreciate。 It’s realistic and you get the feeling of being in the cockpit。

Ashley Reel ，

What an amazing story！ I read this in one sitting - not something that typically happens for me with WWII books。 The text was simple to read and captivating。 I wish the novel included photos regarding the events。 Also the last two chapters were really rushed。 Loved the book regardless。

Pascale ，

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review。Very often， military books allow us to know about battles as a whole， or maybe some very well-known figure。 Damn Lucky gives us a glimpse at the life of a bomber pilot （you read that right， bomber， not fighter）， his training as well as his sometimes gruelling missions。 It definitely helped me get a better understanding of what these men must have felt， so high in the air。This titl I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review。Very often， military books allow us to know about battles as a whole， or maybe some very well-known figure。 Damn Lucky gives us a glimpse at the life of a bomber pilot （you read that right， bomber， not fighter）， his training as well as his sometimes gruelling missions。 It definitely helped me get a better understanding of what these men must have felt， so high in the air。This title would definitely be a great addition to an military avion buff’s bookshelves！ 。。。more

Eric ，

This is a true story of a WWII Pilot who survived 25 flights， before heading back home to the US。 The story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo is a very interesting and important wartime story， delving into what WWII pilots had to endure。 I couldn’t imagine the stress that being a bomber pilot。 Thank You to NetGalley for my advanced copy to read and review。 This is a true story of a WWII Pilot who survived 25 flights， before heading back home to the US。 The story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo is a very interesting and important wartime story， delving into what WWII pilots had to endure。 I couldn’t imagine the stress that being a bomber pilot。 Thank You to NetGalley for my advanced copy to read and review。 。。。more

Carl ，

Damn Lucky is a damn fine book。 I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway program， but the book is still wonderful。 Great story about a man from Tennessee who serves his country in WWII as a navigator and pilot in Europe。 Funny， insightful， entertaining， historical， and quite the story。 Highly recommend for those interested in memoirs， WWII， flying， and history。

Autumn Danner ，

This is the most interesting and well written war memoir that I have read to date。 The layers of the story blend well。 You feel the humility and bravery of a soldier， the purpose and resolution of a Division， and the strategy of the war machine。 The style of writing is so crisp -- it reads like a relative telling you a story。 I am amazed at the strength of this generation -- the commitment， the dedication， the ability to go and do even when the outcome was so uncertain。 The words at the end real This is the most interesting and well written war memoir that I have read to date。 The layers of the story blend well。 You feel the humility and bravery of a soldier， the purpose and resolution of a Division， and the strategy of the war machine。 The style of writing is so crisp -- it reads like a relative telling you a story。 I am amazed at the strength of this generation -- the commitment， the dedication， the ability to go and do even when the outcome was so uncertain。 The words at the end really touched my heart and stick with me。 Lucky's comments have changed my outlook on our present national instability。 I recommend this memoir to readers of all genres。 The book tells a story， but the story reaches inside you to help you determine what you are made of， and it has you reaching out to be part of something bigger than yourself。 。。。more

Shelly ，

As an oral historian， I recognize the volume of work that went into crafting this narrative of John "Lucky" Luckadoo。 Thank you to all involved in capturing this story and making it available。 We get an insiders view to the attitude and opinion of pre-World War II America， watching the conflict from a distance。 Then we follow Lucky through training， deployment， missions， leadership， grief， and returning stateside。 But the story doesn't end there， as the author includes the post-war challenges of As an oral historian， I recognize the volume of work that went into crafting this narrative of John "Lucky" Luckadoo。 Thank you to all involved in capturing this story and making it available。 We get an insiders view to the attitude and opinion of pre-World War II America， watching the conflict from a distance。 Then we follow Lucky through training， deployment， missions， leadership， grief， and returning stateside。 But the story doesn't end there， as the author includes the post-war challenges of returning pilots and their future careers。 Lucky's story and experiences must not be forgotten。 This is a valuable read to understand what this Greatest Generation underwent and sacrified for us。 Students may be shocked to read of ordinary men being put in overwhelming circumstances， being responsible for others' lives， being shot-at， seeing friends' planes be shot-down， knowing that life and death in war seems completely random at times。 I also appreciated Lucky recounting some of his struggles to form friendships with his fellow officers and his willingness to fall behind in mission number rather than be assigned to a position where he has no training。 Highly recommend， especially for middle and high school students to put themselves in the pilots seat of the B-17 Bomber during WWII missions。 。。。more

J。S。 ，

John “Lucky” Luckadoo wanted to be a fighter pilot after the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II。 However， at 6'3" he was too tall to fit into the cockpit of the fighter planes， and he ended up flying a B-17 bomber from the countryside of England to German targets on the continent。 As a crewmember of a bomber， all you had to do was complete 25 missions in order to be sent back home and assigned something else。 Unfortunately， this was at a time when living through 10 John “Lucky” Luckadoo wanted to be a fighter pilot after the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II。 However， at 6'3" he was too tall to fit into the cockpit of the fighter planes， and he ended up flying a B-17 bomber from the countryside of England to German targets on the continent。 As a crewmember of a bomber， all you had to do was complete 25 missions in order to be sent back home and assigned something else。 Unfortunately， this was at a time when living through 10 missions meant you'd already beaten the odds and were on borrowed time。This is a very absorbing read of one man's experience as a bomber pilot in the European theater of WWII。 It's not written like a standard history but is a much more personal account of one man's experience。 I often wondered just how accurate the details were - and it's quite detailed - but that detailed viewpoint also brings more of a 'you-are-there' feeling。 You feel the anxiety of flying through antiaircraft flak as it peppers the plane Lucky is flying， tearing holes in it and sometimes the human crew。 You feel the stress of German fighters who challenge the massive formations of bombers。 And it all makes it a rather difficult to put down book sometimes。 However， the less formal writing isn't without its flaws， and I was a little annoyed at some references （like Chapter 12， which is October 1943 and it says "It looked like the fighters were aiming for the bombers like Japanese kamikazes。" Kamikazes didn't happen until a year later。）。 Still， it was a fun and excellent read。 （I received an advance electronic copy via NetGalley。） 。。。more

Teresa Grabs ，

Damn Lucky takes modern readers and plunges them into John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his friend's lives as they leave Tennessee and head off to war。 Told through first-hand accounts and interviews， Maurer's book humanizes the tales many have seen in the movies or grown up with being handed down through the family。 Yes， people are people and not everything they did was glamorous， but it happened。 This is a must-have for personal history， military， and aircraft crew tales lovers。Thank you NetGalley and Damn Lucky takes modern readers and plunges them into John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his friend's lives as they leave Tennessee and head off to war。 Told through first-hand accounts and interviews， Maurer's book humanizes the tales many have seen in the movies or grown up with being handed down through the family。 Yes， people are people and not everything they did was glamorous， but it happened。 This is a must-have for personal history， military， and aircraft crew tales lovers。Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy。 。。。more

Mary Vogelsong ，

Chances were， John Luckadoo wouldn’t make it back。 “Lucky” needed to complete 25 bombing runs before going home or taking another assignment。 Most bomber crew members only accomplished ten missions before being wounded， shot down， or killed。Lucky’s original crew completed the required number of missions before he did， so he had to make his last few flights as the senior man with an unfamiliar crew。 This made the odds of Lucky completing all 25 missions even steeper。Lucky’s memoir， written by Kev Chances were， John Luckadoo wouldn’t make it back。 “Lucky” needed to complete 25 bombing runs before going home or taking another assignment。 Most bomber crew members only accomplished ten missions before being wounded， shot down， or killed。Lucky’s original crew completed the required number of missions before he did， so he had to make his last few flights as the senior man with an unfamiliar crew。 This made the odds of Lucky completing all 25 missions even steeper。Lucky’s memoir， written by Kevin Maurer and published by St。 Martin's Press， explores the relationship dynamics of B-17 bomber crews， as well as Lucky’s personal fears and loss of faith。 Lucky and his boyhood friend dreamed of being fighter pilots。 His friend enlisted first， joining the Canadian RAF before America’s official involvement in World War II。 Lucky enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor， and then almost washed out in his quest to become a pilot。 On the brink of failure， Lucky got the backing of a patient instructor， and Lucky found the confidence to complete the qualification requirements。 This instructor would again figure prominently in Lucky’s life。Lucky dealt with a cowardly leader who thrust him into harm’s way， and experienced red tape that stymied him in the progress toward his goals。 Lucky also experienced devastating loss， and so avoided becoming too close to the men he worked with。 At times， the text has more tell than show， conveying facts and setting up for snippets of dialogue。 But if you enjoy military memoirs， you’ll like Lucky’s story。Now available for pre-order on Amazon。 。。。more

Linden ，

John "Lucky" Luckadoo served for 25 missions as a B-17 bomber pilot in World War II。 These pilots had almost unimaginable losses--all hoped to return， but realized that a large number did not。 They took off from bases in Britain and bombed German targets; many pilots either died in combat or were captured as POWs。 The author is a journalist who interviewed Lucky and did a tremendous amount of research。 Lucky's story is told in a "you are there" style， as we follow him through training （with both John "Lucky" Luckadoo served for 25 missions as a B-17 bomber pilot in World War II。 These pilots had almost unimaginable losses--all hoped to return， but realized that a large number did not。 They took off from bases in Britain and bombed German targets; many pilots either died in combat or were captured as POWs。 The author is a journalist who interviewed Lucky and did a tremendous amount of research。 Lucky's story is told in a "you are there" style， as we follow him through training （with both good and incompetent instructors） to England， and the details of what transpired there。 Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in World War II history。 。。。more

Candy ，

Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation Historyby Kevin MaurerThank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。This is the incredible true story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who survived 25 missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot in WWII。 The book is written from first-hand accounts and interviews the author had with 99-year old Lucky。Right after Pearl Harbor， 18-year-old Tennesseans Lucky and his best Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation Historyby Kevin MaurerThank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。This is the incredible true story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who survived 25 missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot in WWII。 The book is written from first-hand accounts and interviews the author had with 99-year old Lucky。Right after Pearl Harbor， 18-year-old Tennesseans Lucky and his best friend， Leroy “Sully” Sullivan， are determined to answer the call to duty by becoming fighter pilots。 While the United States required two years of college， the Royal Canadian Air Force only requires parental consent for those under 21。 Lucky’s father refuses to give consent， but Sully’s mother says she will sign if he feels it is the right thing for him to do。 Sully is off to war， and Lucky attends college， signing up as soon as he is able。As part of the 100th Bombardment Group， Lucky and his team conducted high-altitude bombings。 The statistical chances for a heavy bomber crew to be lost on a mission were 1 in 10。 A 25-mission tour of duty means that once a flyer completes 10 missions， they are literally on borrowed time。 The group earned the nickname Bloody Hundredth because when they lost， they lost big。Lucky’s detailed accounts of his missions are harrowing， and it is amazing that any flyer reached 25 missions。 Lucky describes flying through a storm of jagged metal shrapnel from the anti-aircraft flak guns， evading bombardment from the fighter jets as well as avoiding the steel cables the enemy trailed through American plane formations in order to fowl props or cut off the wings。 All this， while dealing with high-altitude loss of oxygen and below zero freezing temperatures。 On one mission， a hole in the plane caused the cold air to rush in at Lucky’s feet， which were frozen stiff。 When it came time to land， Lucky had to use his hands to lift his black and blistered feet in order to stand on the brake。In his afterword to the book， Lucky states his hope that this book honors the men that served with him， telling the truth about what it took to climb into the cold blue and fight for their lives over and over again。 It may be difficult to read， but it is an amazing portrayal of the courage， selflessness and sacrifice demonstrated by these brave men。The author suggests the website www。100thbg。com for further reading。https://candysplanet。wordpress。com/ 。。。more

Marilyn ，

To those who wish to learn what it was like to be a combat pilot during WWII， then this book should be required reading。 The author captured what it was like to live during that time。。。especially during combat over France and Germany。 But the reader will also learn about the "hurry up and wait" routine of military life during wartime。These men were young and naive if they managed to finish the training。 Once over in Europe， they were quickly checked out and put into combat。 Some died during thei To those who wish to learn what it was like to be a combat pilot during WWII， then this book should be required reading。 The author captured what it was like to live during that time。。。especially during combat over France and Germany。 But the reader will also learn about the "hurry up and wait" routine of military life during wartime。These men were young and naive if they managed to finish the training。 Once over in Europe， they were quickly checked out and put into combat。 Some died during their first mission， while others hoped that they would be lucky enough to live through the required 25 missions before they were sent back home to the U。S。。。。their combat assignment complete。 During that time they grew up quickly and found that the only way to survive mentally was to not get attached to anyone。。。making some of them appear that they did not care for others。 From other WWII family members， I can attest that this book is very accurate in what did and did not happen during the time the subject was in training and in England， as well as after the war。Even if one is not a fan of war stories/memoirs， a reader can learn much about the human spirit from this work。 。。。more

Mary ，

"Damn Lucky，" written by Kevin Maurer， is the memoir of Major John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who flew as a pilot and copilot with the 100th Bomb Group during WWII。 I've read many WWII books， and specifically books about the air war over Europe， but "Damn Lucky" contained all sorts of first-hand information that I hadn't encountered before and that only someone who was actually there could provide。 Maurer apparently conducted exclusive interviews with the 99-year-old John Luckadoo， and his combat recolle "Damn Lucky，" written by Kevin Maurer， is the memoir of Major John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who flew as a pilot and copilot with the 100th Bomb Group during WWII。 I've read many WWII books， and specifically books about the air war over Europe， but "Damn Lucky" contained all sorts of first-hand information that I hadn't encountered before and that only someone who was actually there could provide。 Maurer apparently conducted exclusive interviews with the 99-year-old John Luckadoo， and his combat recollections--particularly about the extreme cold at high altitudes and about what a Fokker plane streaking toward you would actually look and feel like from the cockpit of a B-17--are what makes "Damn Lucky" come alive。 The centerpiece of the book， a sequence detailing the 100th Bomb Group's ill-fated October 1943 mission to Bremen， was absolutely gripping。 I only wish that Maurer had not chosen to include some very unflattering details about members of Lucky's first crew， given that these men， identified by name， are most likely not alive to defend themselves and that their families may be reading the book。 WWII and aviation buffs will definitely enjoy regardless。Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review。 。。。more

Rose ，

I have just finished reading Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer。This is a true story of a WWII Pilot who survived 25 flights， before heading back home to the US。The story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， is told through the writing of Kevin Maurer。The book is of a very interesting and important wartime story， delving into what WWII pilots must endure。 It is simply written and told well。Thank You to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Author Kevin Maurer for my advanced copy to read and review。#netgalley I have just finished reading Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer。This is a true story of a WWII Pilot who survived 25 flights， before heading back home to the US。The story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， is told through the writing of Kevin Maurer。The book is of a very interesting and important wartime story， delving into what WWII pilots must endure。 It is simply written and told well。Thank You to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Author Kevin Maurer for my advanced copy to read and review。#netgalley 。。。more

Homerun2 ，

An amazing story of a young man who joined the Army Air Corps and participated in some incredibly dangerous operations， including the daylight "precision" bombings in Germany。 The losses of the Eighth Air Force were staggering -- the big bombers were vulnerable and many times entire crews were lost with overall casualty rates of 60-70%。In an afterword， John Luckadoo comes across like many WWII veterans -- he did not talk about his war for years。 Eventually a desire to recognize the achievements An amazing story of a young man who joined the Army Air Corps and participated in some incredibly dangerous operations， including the daylight "precision" bombings in Germany。 The losses of the Eighth Air Force were staggering -- the big bombers were vulnerable and many times entire crews were lost with overall casualty rates of 60-70%。In an afterword， John Luckadoo comes across like many WWII veterans -- he did not talk about his war for years。 Eventually a desire to recognize the achievements of his fellow warriors but also to call out strategic command errors that cost lives led him to put together a memoir。The incredible drama of the story overcomes writing that at times is trite and repetitive。 Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more

Nic ，

Many， many thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an ARC of this memoir。“We were young citizen-soldiers， terribly naïve and gullible about what we would be confronted with in the air war over Europe and the profound effect it would have upon every fiber of our being for the rest of our lives。”During WWII， the skies over Europe were a terrible and deadly place to serve during the Second World War。 American bomber crews in particular suffered high losses because their bombing raids took pl Many， many thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an ARC of this memoir。“We were young citizen-soldiers， terribly naïve and gullible about what we would be confronted with in the air war over Europe and the profound effect it would have upon every fiber of our being for the rest of our lives。”During WWII， the skies over Europe were a terrible and deadly place to serve during the Second World War。 American bomber crews in particular suffered high losses because their bombing raids took place in broad daylight。I do not think there is anything equivalent today to what the men who flew daylight bombing raids over Europe during WWII endured。 They climbed into a tin can and flew for hours in bone-chilling temperatures only to find German fighters and deadly flak waiting for them。 Early on， they did not have Allied fighter planes， “little friends，” that could accompany them。 They relied on the firepower of their Flying Fortresses’ guns and a lot of prayer。 They watched friends and comrades shot down。 Fortresses fell from the sky or exploded with such force that they seemed to disintegrate in mid-air， many with crew still trapped inside。 Those who made it back to English soil knew only one thing: that until they completed the required 25 missions， they would be flying into the same hell day after day， never knowing if that was the day their ticket would be punched by flak or by the Luftwaffe。John “Lucky” Luckadoo was first a B-17 co-pilot and later a pilot in the 100th Bomb Group， a group that would suffer some of the worst losses of the air war over Europe。 In October 1943， over a three-day period， the 100th lost 87 Flying Fortresses and almost 900 men。 Lucky flew through it all。 His memoir is not only a tribute to those who were lost and those who accomplished their missions and came home， but it also tells of the terrible mental and emotional toll that such missions had on the crews who flew them。 Lucky recounts the terrible attacks on their formations by German fighter planes， such as the Focke-Wulf 190s and Messerschmitt 109s， how they seemed to slice right through the tightly arranged B-17s， how he watched other B-17s begin to crash while his crew tried to count how many parachutes floated from the doomed bomber。 He watched friends die， saw entire crews obliterated in explosions， and later sat through debriefings listening to how many 100th Bomb group planes and crews didn’t make it back。“No memorial service。 No closure。 The casualties were too numerous to stop and mourn everyone， leaving those still fighting to continue onward。”I think every American should have to read an account of a B-17 crewman in the air war over Europe。 What these men did was so important to the war， to Allied Victory， and to the freedom of every person lucky enough to grow up in this country。 People need to understand the toll that victory took on the men who carried out those missions。 They need to know what those men sacrificed for this country and its people。 Lucky’s memoir is an excellent account of this。 I think the part that struck me the most is the Afterword written by Lucky himself。 He talks of the terrible things going on in this country today， of how divided we are， and asks us to remember that we are Americans first and to not squander the sacrifices made by his generation。 I couldn’t agree with him more。After reading his Afterword， I did wish that he had written the memoir himself， from his own first personal point of view。 I think it would have been even more gripping and impactful。 There were a few minor things I questioned， like why the loss of his first B-17 was mentioned as an afterthought and not something discussed when it happened， and I wondered about some of the stories of other planes and crews that， until that point had never been mentioned before and were not mentioned again。 Their accounts almost seemed out of place， but perhaps they were included by request of John Luckadoo。 However， these are very minor things， and overall， I very much enjoyed reading about Lucky's service。 I am glad this account has been recorded and that we will have it as a part of our history， so that we can always remember what Lucky and his generation did for us。If you would like to learn more about the 100th Bomb Group， please visit: https://www。100thbg。com/ 。。。more

Patricia Romero ，

One Man’s Courage During The Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation HistoryThe incredible true story of John “Lucky” Luckadoo， who survived 25 missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot in WWII。John “Lucky” Luckadoo truly was damn lucky。 He and his best friend enlisted together。 With John having a college degree， he was put into a bomber。This guy flew 25 missions in combat。 This was a pretty amazing stat considering what the odds were of him coming home alive。The story is written from his firstha One Man’s Courage During The Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation HistoryThe incredible true story of John “Lucky” Luckadoo， who survived 25 missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot in WWII。John “Lucky” Luckadoo truly was damn lucky。 He and his best friend enlisted together。 With John having a college degree， he was put into a bomber。This guy flew 25 missions in combat。 This was a pretty amazing stat considering what the odds were of him coming home alive。The story is written from his firsthand accounts by Maurer。 The actions scenes were incredible and the bravery of this generation is inspiring。There was a lot of nail-biting going on in this read。 Comparing the planes we have now to what they had then， I’m surprised anyone signed up for that job and came home。Heartbreaking， inspirational， and a darn good read！NetGalley/ April 19th， 2022 by St。 Martin’s Press 。。。more

all_day_dream_about_books ，

I would like to thank St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a complementary copy of the ebook。 I thank Stephen Erickson from St。 Martin's Press for reaching out to me regarding this amazing book。John "Lucky" Luckadoo was indeed Damn Lucky among the fighters who survived the WWII。 Raised in well to do family in Chattanooga， Tennessee， and dreaming about being a soldier， and then almost failing one of his air force exams， Lucky ， just 22， was a B-17 pilot who became a part of 100t I would like to thank St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a complementary copy of the ebook。 I thank Stephen Erickson from St。 Martin's Press for reaching out to me regarding this amazing book。John "Lucky" Luckadoo was indeed Damn Lucky among the fighters who survived the WWII。 Raised in well to do family in Chattanooga， Tennessee， and dreaming about being a soldier， and then almost failing one of his air force exams， Lucky ， just 22， was a B-17 pilot who became a part of 100th Bomb Group， and completed 25 combat missions， in which he felt it was his luck that helped him survive all of them， which otherwise was very rare。 The book describes in vivid details the horrors of the war， conditions of the pilots， mental emotions faced by everyone。 I recently read Lightning Down by Tom Clavin， which was also sent to me by St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley and both these books provided me with a different perspective about the WWII。 While I have mostly read fiction based on true events of WWII survivors of holocaust， these two books provided a different viewpoint， although Lightning Down was also about surviving holocaust。 Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer provided me with the viewpoint of the bombers and those who manages to survive， who otherwise were destined to die。 The horrors Lucky faced were so much that he didn't speak about them for over half a century。Kevin Maurer has described the events with his writing style that brings the scenes infront of the eyes of the reader。 The language， style of writing and presentation of the details and true events are what I found interesting as a critic of the book。This book releases on 19th April， 2022。 I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves to read about military， WII and life of fighter pilots。 。。。more

Library Next Door ，

One of the most thrilling books I've read this year has described the View of a Pilot in one of the darkest times of mankind， with the light of Hope and Freedom， and the compassion and trust of Soldiers and those on duty。 I really enjoyed this book， and I'd recommend taking this great adventure as there is so much that can be learned about World War 2 history， the unsung heroes of the war， as well as what their fears and dreams were during this period。 One of the most thrilling books I've read this year has described the View of a Pilot in one of the darkest times of mankind， with the light of Hope and Freedom， and the compassion and trust of Soldiers and those on duty。 I really enjoyed this book， and I'd recommend taking this great adventure as there is so much that can be learned about World War 2 history， the unsung heroes of the war， as well as what their fears and dreams were during this period。 。。。more

David ，

The story of Second Lieutenant John “Lucky” Luckadoo， a B-17 pilot with the 100th Bomber Group in WWII。 Lucky flew 25 raids from England to Europe in 1943， before the fighters obtained belly tanks that allowed them to escort the bombers for the entire mission。 Most bomber crews were shot down within 8-10 missions。 The chance of surviving through the 25th mission and earning a trip home was about 25%。 Lucky lived up to his nickname and survived the war and is still alive and telling his story at The story of Second Lieutenant John “Lucky” Luckadoo， a B-17 pilot with the 100th Bomber Group in WWII。 Lucky flew 25 raids from England to Europe in 1943， before the fighters obtained belly tanks that allowed them to escort the bombers for the entire mission。 Most bomber crews were shot down within 8-10 missions。 The chance of surviving through the 25th mission and earning a trip home was about 25%。 Lucky lived up to his nickname and survived the war and is still alive and telling his story at age 99。 The story is well written by a professional writer。 It gives the inside story about bomber missions， including the extreme temperatures endured。 One ball turret gunner had to urinate and suffered front bite when his rear end froze to the plexiglass turrent。 He was awarded a Purple Heart but refused the medal because he didn’t want to have to explain how he got it。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0