Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- Downloads：6900
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-04-18 17:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kevin Maurer
- ISBN：B092T8F47P
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Sherwood Smith
，
Major John "Lucky" Luckadoo was a WW II pilot who survived numerous missions。 He， like so many veterans， rarely， or never， talked about their experiences。In an afterword， we hear his voice directly: While being terribly proud to have served my country when called upon in time of need， I now view armed conflict as a sad commentary on adversaries' failure to reach a reasonable resolution of their differencesIt might be argued that there was no being reasonable with Hitler then， just as there is no Major John "Lucky" Luckadoo was a WW II pilot who survived numerous missions。 He， like so many veterans， rarely， or never， talked about their experiences。In an afterword， we hear his voice directly: While being terribly proud to have served my country when called upon in time of need， I now view armed conflict as a sad commentary on adversaries' failure to reach a reasonable resolution of their differencesIt might be argued that there was no being reasonable with Hitler then， just as there is no being reasonable with today's warmonger， sadly。 That said， I do wish there had been more from Luckadoo directly， though I can understand why he might be reluctant to relive it all again。Mauer does a workmanlike job， at his best with carefully researched details about the planes and the missions。 He's at his best when describing what it's like to be in the cockpit of a bomber under attack， while flying the skies。 These passages were terrifically evocative。Less successful， I felt， was dealing with personalities， some of whom might be alive today。 But for the reader who would like the vicarious thrill of danger in the cockpit of a bomber plane during that conflict， this is sure to make a gripping read。Copy provided by NetGalley 。。。more
Judy Naylor
，
Terrific book！ It's an exciting， inspiring read about John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who served with the 100th Bomb Group during the early days of the bombing of France and Germany from England in WW2。 Reading it， you feel as if you're right there in the plane along with the crew， wondering what will happen， will they survive to see another day， facing the challenges right alongside them。 The Afterword， written by Lucky， is a very moving and thoughtful part of the book。Thank you to St。 Martin's Press an Terrific book！ It's an exciting， inspiring read about John "Lucky" Luckadoo， who served with the 100th Bomb Group during the early days of the bombing of France and Germany from England in WW2。 Reading it， you feel as if you're right there in the plane along with the crew， wondering what will happen， will they survive to see another day， facing the challenges right alongside them。 The Afterword， written by Lucky， is a very moving and thoughtful part of the book。Thank you to St。 Martin's Press and Goodreads for the chance to read an advance reader copy of this wonderful book！ 。。。more
Michelle Taylor
，
The harrowing tale of a bomber pilot in World War II， Damn Lucky tells the story of John “Lucky” Luckadoo and his training and deployment with the 100th bomber force stationed in England。 Told in an accessible narrative style， this chronicle of one man tells of all those willing to fight and dreaming to fly。 I could have used more in-depth primary anecdotes and quotes， but it is well done and easy to get lost in。 Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my free copy。 These opinions are m The harrowing tale of a bomber pilot in World War II， Damn Lucky tells the story of John “Lucky” Luckadoo and his training and deployment with the 100th bomber force stationed in England。 Told in an accessible narrative style， this chronicle of one man tells of all those willing to fight and dreaming to fly。 I could have used more in-depth primary anecdotes and quotes， but it is well done and easy to get lost in。 Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my free copy。 These opinions are my own。 。。。more
Shirley McAllister
，
Divine InterventionA gritty and heroic story of a young WWII bomber pilot from Tennessee。 Once two young men， John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his friend Sully decided to join the Canadian Royal Air Force to fight the Germans in WWII。 The United States had not yet joined the war and they wanted to be fighter pilots。 This sounded so exciting to them both。 Sully's mother gave permission and he joined the Canadian Royal air Force as a fighter pilot。 Lucky's parents would not give permission so he had to w Divine InterventionA gritty and heroic story of a young WWII bomber pilot from Tennessee。 Once two young men， John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his friend Sully decided to join the Canadian Royal Air Force to fight the Germans in WWII。 The United States had not yet joined the war and they wanted to be fighter pilots。 This sounded so exciting to them both。 Sully's mother gave permission and he joined the Canadian Royal air Force as a fighter pilot。 Lucky's parents would not give permission so he had to wait until after Pearl Harbor and he was old enough to give his own permission and he joined the U。S。 Army Air Force and was trained as a bomber pilot。 With a bible in his pocket and his girlfriends silk stocking around his neck he went off to war。 He soon learned it wasn't as exciting as he had thought。 With little training the young men were thrown into action。 Many perished and the sights and sounds he heard were horrific for a young man。 He prayed each mission and he thought each time he returned that he was damned lucky to still be alive。 This is a story of war， of fighting and of one man's life as a bomber pilot。 This is the story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo。 It is the story of hope， faith， and loss。 It is also the story that once you read you will never forget and you will know that war is evil and it is life consuming。 It serves no purpose but the loss of life。 The narrator， Holter Graham did a wonderful job of telling the story， his voice was very pleasing to listen to and the annunciation was perfect。 I especially loved Mr。 Luckadoo's interview and words spoken about the book at the end。 It was as good as the whole book。 So many do not wish to share these experiences with us but I appreciate Mr。 Luckadoo sharing his life so that we might know how it felt to be a pilot in the middle of a war。 Thanks to Kevin Maurer for writing Lucky's story and to Lucky for sharing his story with all of us， to Holter Graham and John Luckadoo for the wonderful narration of the story， to MacMillan audio for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me。 。。。more
Donna Huber
，
As a big fan of WWII fiction， I've started to branch out to WWII nonfiction。 This is more memoir than history book and there are definitely details about flying bombers that I didn't know about。 Whether you are like me and just interested in WWII or you are an author writing about WWII this would be a great first-person account to read。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 As a big fan of WWII fiction， I've started to branch out to WWII nonfiction。 This is more memoir than history book and there are definitely details about flying bombers that I didn't know about。 Whether you are like me and just interested in WWII or you are an author writing about WWII this would be a great first-person account to read。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 。。。more
Toni Osborne
，
One Man’s Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation HistoryThis is a well-crafted biography of “Lucky” Luckadoo ‘s experiences during WW11 as a bomber pilot flying over Nazi-occupied France and Germany in 1943。 Drawing from extensive interviews with 99 years old Lucky at the time of the writing， journalist Kevin Maurer recounts each mission in cinematic details and the emotional toll it took by the air war。 Lucky and his team Eight Air Force 100th Bomb Group conducted high-altit One Man’s Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation HistoryThis is a well-crafted biography of “Lucky” Luckadoo ‘s experiences during WW11 as a bomber pilot flying over Nazi-occupied France and Germany in 1943。 Drawing from extensive interviews with 99 years old Lucky at the time of the writing， journalist Kevin Maurer recounts each mission in cinematic details and the emotional toll it took by the air war。 Lucky and his team Eight Air Force 100th Bomb Group conducted high-altitude bombing。 25 missions must be completed before their tour of duty ended。 Statistics shown chances of survival were 1 in 10。 They actually lived on borrowed time。 Lucky’s Group known as the “Bloody Hundredth” suffered high casualties。 Of the 40 men from his flying class that served in the 100th Bomb Group， only four completed a tour。 They experienced terrible things and saw terrible things happen。 Lucky was grateful to have survived。 This firsthand account not only uncovers astonishing feats of bravery it also represents an incredible portrait of a young man’s coming-of-age during the world’s most devastating war。Mr。 Mauner delivers an account with style; his words are clear， loud and lively。 This engaging read is well-thought out， well-written and flows well。 I loved passing time with this incredibly precise memory。On a side note （not included in this book）:March 2022， John “Lucky” Luckadoo， the last survivor of WW11 bombing group celebrated his 100th birthday。 I wish to express my thanks to St-Martin Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book。 。。。more
Sarah-Grace （Azrael865）
，
This amazing biography of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， is gripping from start to finish。 Fighter pilots were the romanticized career of the time， Lucky and his friend Sully wanted to be one。 WWII was still gearing up and Lucky was unable to enlist with Sully because at his age （18） he needed his father's concent。 Then Pearl Harbor was attacked and Lucky was on his way to becoming an Army pilot， but not as a fighter pilot。 He was assigned to be a bomber pilot instead。 From here on Lucky's story is a This amazing biography of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， is gripping from start to finish。 Fighter pilots were the romanticized career of the time， Lucky and his friend Sully wanted to be one。 WWII was still gearing up and Lucky was unable to enlist with Sully because at his age （18） he needed his father's concent。 Then Pearl Harbor was attacked and Lucky was on his way to becoming an Army pilot， but not as a fighter pilot。 He was assigned to be a bomber pilot instead。 From here on Lucky's story is a fight to survive the odds and make it home。 After 25 missions bomber crews tour of duty was considered over， because most didn't live to see the end of 25。 This biography is full of fascinating details of the time and reads more like a novel that a documentary。 It had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through。 Despite his humble arrived about what he didbin the War， Lucky is a hero。 He just celebrated his 100th birthday。 I enjoyed his personal note at the end of the book as well。 Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to experience this e-ARC biography。 And Happy Birthday 3/16/22， Lucky and thank-you for allowing your storybto be told。 。。。more
Kathy
，
Damn Lucky is an amazing read！ Author Kevin Maurer has put in the time and research to bring us the story of Lohn "Lucky" Luckadoo， an American bomber pilot during World War II。 I was stunned by the detail and swept away by the actions of Lucky， a member of the greatest generation， who is a hero in every way。 The fight scenes had me breathless reading in my easy chair - I can't begin to imagine what it was like to live through them！The reality of war， the sacrifices made， all are brought to ligh Damn Lucky is an amazing read！ Author Kevin Maurer has put in the time and research to bring us the story of Lohn "Lucky" Luckadoo， an American bomber pilot during World War II。 I was stunned by the detail and swept away by the actions of Lucky， a member of the greatest generation， who is a hero in every way。 The fight scenes had me breathless reading in my easy chair - I can't begin to imagine what it was like to live through them！The reality of war， the sacrifices made， all are brought to light here。 Don't miss this book！ Take your opportunity to read it and admire all that is within its pages。 My parents were members of the greatest generation， and I doubt there will ever be another one like it。 With our world seemingly gone mad， it would be wonderful if such a generation would rise again and "reset" our values and ethics。My sincere gratitude to St。 Martin's Press for publishing this fine book scheduled for publication on 4/19/22。 They allowed me the privilege of accessing and e-ARC via NetGalley。 All thouughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are given freely。 。。。more
Monica
，
John "Lucky" Luckadoo served in the Army Air Corps during WWII and was Lucky as his crew mates called him。 Kevin Maurer wrote Lucky's memoir and did a fabulous job。I love history and especially about WWII。 My grandfather was part of the greatest generation， and I enjoy reading books about WWII。 It gives me an insight into what he could have gone through while in the Marines。 So， this book was just up my alley。Maurer took me on Lucky's journey from when he first heard Pearl Harbor had been attack John "Lucky" Luckadoo served in the Army Air Corps during WWII and was Lucky as his crew mates called him。 Kevin Maurer wrote Lucky's memoir and did a fabulous job。I love history and especially about WWII。 My grandfather was part of the greatest generation， and I enjoy reading books about WWII。 It gives me an insight into what he could have gone through while in the Marines。 So， this book was just up my alley。Maurer took me on Lucky's journey from when he first heard Pearl Harbor had been attacked ending with him being in his 90's。 Lucky only had to fly 25 missions over Europe before he could come back to the USA。Maurer wrote so that I felt like I was right in the plane with Lucky。 Of course， he did some extra research， which you can tell。 As well as Lucky telling his story to Maurer。 I think my favorite part of the book was at the end， when Lucky wrote a message to the reader。 It so resonated with what is happening today in America。If you enjoy history or books about WWII， I recommend you read Damn Lucky。 It comes out April 19， 2022。Thanks to Netgalley， St。 Martin's Press and Maurer for the opportunity to read Damn Lucky。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Mary
，
Thanks to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me a digital ARC of this book。 The opinions are my own and freely given。This is the story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， 21-year-old Lieutenant of the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group。 When Pearl Harbor is bombed and America enters the 2nd world war， Lucky enlisted to become a pilot， something he has dreamed of becoming for years。 He becomes a pilot of the bomber planes， in charge of a 10-person crew。 The bombers are commissioned to fly 25 m Thanks to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me a digital ARC of this book。 The opinions are my own and freely given。This is the story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo， 21-year-old Lieutenant of the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group。 When Pearl Harbor is bombed and America enters the 2nd world war， Lucky enlisted to become a pilot， something he has dreamed of becoming for years。 He becomes a pilot of the bomber planes， in charge of a 10-person crew。 The bombers are commissioned to fly 25 missions and can return home。 Most don't make it to 25。 This book chronicles Lucky's life during pilot school， through to his arrival at the air strip in England。 The book starts at his 22nd mission， one of the bloodiest air battles during the war。 I honestly didn't know much about the air war during World War II and this book was very informative and taught me a lot。 I highly recommend， if you are interested in World War II， Americans role in the "air war" or any surviving veteran's story。 Thank you Lucky！ 。。。more
Brenda
，
Best friends John Luckadoo （Lucky） and Sully from Tennessee were desperate to become bomber pilots after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour during WWII。 At nineteen Lucky joined the US Air Force and Sully joined the Royal Canadian Air Force。 Based in England， their tour of duty took them into France and Germany where they faced constant horrors of war， abject fear and death。 They were required to serve twenty five tours but realistically most survived only eight to twelve。 Many survived fewer。 Bo Best friends John Luckadoo （Lucky） and Sully from Tennessee were desperate to become bomber pilots after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour during WWII。 At nineteen Lucky joined the US Air Force and Sully joined the Royal Canadian Air Force。 Based in England， their tour of duty took them into France and Germany where they faced constant horrors of war， abject fear and death。 They were required to serve twenty five tours but realistically most survived only eight to twelve。 Many survived fewer。 Bomber pilots faced four major enemies which are all described in this book。 After training Lucky became a B-17 pilot and flew through the dreaded Luftwaffe， experiencing fires， killed engines and comrades and shrapnel from flak funs。 But the author also describes ordinary daily functions from a war perspective such as going to the bathroom while flying。 Frostbite at sustained elevations was not uncommon but war made everything exponentially more difficult。 Lucky's scary missions and relationships with co-workers are highlighted。 The author ends describing Lucky's life after flying。Military History buffs would really be enthralled with this book but it would also appeal to those who study WWII in general。 The author wrote armed with first-hand accounts， media and other resources。 I like that he met Lucky himself a few years ago when he was in his nineties。 Telling such stories is very important。 Reading this story makes me feel smarter。 Amongst other things I learned more about the Norden bombsight and specific tours。My sincere thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this incredible story about spiritual， emotional and physical survival under nearly impossible circumstances。 。。。more
Lana
，
This is a well written book。 It is a very inspiring book。 The details of air combat are very interesting。
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
Joel Mitchell
，
My grandfather was the waist gunner in a B-17 during World War 2。 He rarely talked about it， but after he passed away we found a certificate declaring him a member of “The Lucky Bastard Club” for surviving 25 missions over Germany。 When I saw this book about a pilot （John “Lucky” Luckadoo） with the same experience I had to read it。The overall style of the book is a bit uneven。 Parts read like a relatively impersonal history book and other parts seem very informal and reads a bit like a “docudram My grandfather was the waist gunner in a B-17 during World War 2。 He rarely talked about it， but after he passed away we found a certificate declaring him a member of “The Lucky Bastard Club” for surviving 25 missions over Germany。 When I saw this book about a pilot （John “Lucky” Luckadoo） with the same experience I had to read it。The overall style of the book is a bit uneven。 Parts read like a relatively impersonal history book and other parts seem very informal and reads a bit like a “docudrama” in that the author seems to be filling in what his subjects “must have been thinking/feeling” （unless he’s working off amazingly detailed interviews from someone with an incredibly precise memory）。Stylistic oddity aside， I found the subject matter riveting。 The author manages to give a sense of the helpless doing-my-duty-and-waiting-to-die feeling of flying repeated WW2 bombing runs。 It’s truly amazing that anyone survived the “magic number” 25 missions！ This is well worth a read if you are into military history。 。。。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。
，