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elimcreighton's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Unheard stories about liberating POWs in the eastern theater. Very interesting, but also disheartening from a history standpoint.
foxandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!! This man is a hero... I don't use that word often, but in this case it is true. Not only did he fly bombers in WWII, but once her reached his 35 flights he was asked to do so much more. More than he was prepared for. He was able to get hundreds of POW's back home to their families. Hero!!
raldrich24's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoy WWII novels you will like this true story! The author did a great job of making it read less like a history book, and more like a fictional novel. This is a side to WWII stories that isn't often heard, and I found it fascinating and hard to turn off. The audio narration was excellent as well.
bmwpalmer's review against another edition
5.0
What a way to start off the year - reading about a good person doing noble things in the face of adversity and horror in the final months of World War II. If I had any quibble with this book, it's that it sometimes comes off as a bit amateur. But I'm not even willing to call it that - how about earnest, instead? This is a story that wants and needs to be told, so I'm willing to forgive its liberal interpretation of some of the sources, particularly where they touch on (or don't, as the case is more likely to be) individuals' inner thoughts and feelings during times of crisis. It's a common failing of narrative nonfiction and this book is no exception.
But this book is a gem. Go read it and then be inspired to help others within your circle of influence, even if you don't have to dodge any NKVD minders to do so.
Edited to add: I've since read a couple of reviews that question the truth of the story told in this book. I agree that there are some parts of the book that seem to fudge a bit on the details, but I chalked that up to memories getting fuzzy after 60 years rather than intentional deception. I think the book's introduction addresses this issue well enough and it is clear that the sources that exist support the story. Plus, I mean, he DID get medals from France and Russia.
Still, if you ever find out this story is not true, don't tell me.
But this book is a gem. Go read it and then be inspired to help others within your circle of influence, even if you don't have to dodge any NKVD minders to do so.
Edited to add: I've since read a couple of reviews that question the truth of the story told in this book. I agree that there are some parts of the book that seem to fudge a bit on the details, but I chalked that up to memories getting fuzzy after 60 years rather than intentional deception. I think the book's introduction addresses this issue well enough and it is clear that the sources that exist support the story. Plus, I mean, he DID get medals from France and Russia.
Still, if you ever find out this story is not true, don't tell me.
michaelkerr's review
4.0
Captain Robert Trimble, having completed his 35 mission tour of duty piloting a bomber over Germany, finds himself bamboozled into the OSS. He's officially supposed to be recovering downed American planes in Poland - now 'liberated' by the Soviets - but unofficially his task is to find Allied POWs and direct them to Odessa where they can be repatriated. Poland in 1944 is a harrowing place, and Trimble's experiences are traumatic. This is a non-fiction page-turner about an obscure and underreported piece of history, and one heroic man's journey from naiveté to horror to PTSD in an age when PTSD was not recognized.
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