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/

My goodness. As a frequent reader of World War Two history, it is fortunate that many veterans in recent years have decided to write their memoirs. It is not often to read such an amazing account like this well-written and astonishing story.

Mr. Luckadoo tells a story that many Americans of his generation can tell, but his story is rather extraordinary, He becomes a flyer and ends up flying B-17 bombers over the skies of Europe early in the war, when 25 missions was a target for completion that few ended up able to dream of achieving due to the vagaries of so many factors.

The account here is fantastic. I found myself really feeling the terror and tension of the flights described as "Lucky", his obvious nickname goes through the war.

Since this is written by Kevin Maurer and not the pilot, I kept thinking the title referred to either the pilot becoming a POW, or dying on his last mission, but came to realize perhaps the man might make it through, I won't destroy the wonderful tension in the narrative that its built up, but certainly this is not a book without horrible and sad stories, As, of course, the air war killed so many young American boys. As the point is made, there was a strange deal to insulate the veterans as they went along cheating death, which was not to get involved with the new crews, But we learn in this account why that was a helpful piece of armor with a tragic death.

This is a really well-written book, and the account that is told to the reader is truly suspenseful and exciting, It is also sad as we learn that the Lucky man is still haunted bu the tragedies and losses of so many, '

An extraordinary account, and well-worth reading. Highly recommended,

Despite what they say, they are/were “The Greatest Generation”. This is the story of another one of those heroes. Thank goodness there are writers still digging out their stories so that “we may never forget” their sacrifices and heroism.
This book is DAMN LUCKY by author KEVIN MAURER. The subject of this true story is John “Lucky” Luckadoo from Chattanooga, Tennessee. An important secondary character is Leroy “Sully” Sullivan from the same town. They were best friends and grew up together. When WWII broke out, they both wanted to become fighter pilots. It was not to be.
Sully joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a fighter pilot. Lucky entered the United States Army Air Corps as a B-17 bomber pilot. Both ended up in England not far from each other. It took a while before they realized how near they were to each other. They spent a very memorable weekend in London in 1943. Lucky met Sully’s girlfriend Lady Peggy who owned a private club in London, and polo horses.
The Eighth Air Force was the U.S. overall command unit for American air forces in Europe. Among its early leaders were Generals Curtis LeMay, Billy Mitchell and Jimmy Doolittle, icons of the world of military aviation before, during and after the war.
It was decided by the American and British commanders that American bombers would conduct high altitude, daylight, “precision” bombing. The British would do nighttime saturation bombing. U.S. bomber personnel had to fly 25 missions before they could return to the United States. Their life expectancy was about 10 raids. Losses were extremely heavy at times. Everybody wanted so-called “milk runs” over less heavily defended targets.
During the course of the story, the reader gets to feel the terror of flying over targets with German fighter planes and German antiaircraft cannon fire all around the bombers. The American bombers had an aid called the Norden Bombsight that allowed the bombardier to control the final approach to a target. Unfortunately, it was NOT as accurate as it was claimed to be. Lucky’s missions took him over submarine bases in France, V-1 rocket sites, the city of Berlin and more. The reader is right there in the planes with Lucky and his crews. The British thought they were “Overpaid, oversexed and over here!”
Not only is this a war story, it is also the story of the men who were on the frontlines and their families at home. Some of the men that flew with or commanded Lucky were great people. Others were unfit to command but that is what war does. Even after the war, Lucky had issues with the Air Force but managed to overcome them. He met his future wife in Bryan, Texas. She was the daughter of an American Ambassador. Her father never approved the marriage of his daughter to a pilot. She was destined for bigger fish.
The author was fortunate to be able to actually talk to Lucky when he was nearing 100 years old. He also used other sources, which he documents at the end of the story.
If you are a fan of biographies, war stories, history and/or human interest, then this is a book for you. If I could, I would give this book more than five stars. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!

One Man’s Courage During The Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History

The 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

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 Lightening 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 Lightening 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.

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.

I found John "Lucky" Luckadoo's story really interesting. it was an amazing read because of how interesting the story was done. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

War is hell. Except air war, which is flying hell. Maurer tells the story of one WW2 B-17 pilot and his experiences in the skies over Europe. 2nd Lt. (at the time) John Luckadoo lost many compatriots to the aerial battles he was involved in, yet he survived.

A non-fiction biography, “Damn Lucky” illustrates both the dangers faced by bomber crews and the make-up of their non-combat lives. It is well told by Maurer from a series of interviews with Maj. (ret.) Luckadoo, who still lives.

I rate this book 4 stars. While there are areas that are romanticized, “Damn Lucky” takes an honest look at what life was like for B-17 crews. My memory of having once met a B-17 pilot was recalled; I now have even more respect for him and his fellow airmen.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.

This was a book about the life of one bomber pilot during World War Two. It is gritty and describes many details of air combat, as well as the day to day lives of the airmen. I feel like I got to know “Lucky” Luckadoo and was given a small taste of what he experienced.
There were times when I was almost afraid to read what would happen during battle and times when I was upset about decisions made by higher level officers. Not enough romance for me, but since it is non fiction I wasn’t looking for it.
Thanks St.Martins Press via Netgalley.

Damn Lucky is a compelling and thrilling story that puts you inside a B-17 bomber while it flies dangerous missions in Europe during WWII. It's a heart-pumping and heart-wrenching account about how ordinary men signed up to do the extraordinary in order to bring the fight to the Nazis.

This book focuses on the life and career of B-17 "Flying Fortress" pilot Second Lieutenant John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his exploits during WWII. The reader is along for the ride as Lucky enlists, goes through training, gets shipped off to the United Kingdom and flies mission after mission into the teeth of the enemy. Attempting to buck the odds and get to 25 missions in order to complete his requirements and get sent home, Lucky faces harrowing flights through German anti-aircraft flak while dodging German fighters in order to drop his payload on the designated target. It's an astonishing look at what the pilots and crew had to endure and how they drum up the courage to keep putting themselves in harms way when in all likelihood they will be killed or taken prisoner.

Highly recommend this book. I've read a lot of WWII nonfiction and this one is up there with the best. A fascinating story about a tremendous individual.

This biography of Lucky was fascinating, and I hope the published copy includes photographs! I live an hour away from where Second Lieutenant Maurice Beatty grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio; what a small world.

Thanks to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The story follows Second Lieutenant John “Lucky” Luckadoo, a naive 21 year old boy from Chattanooga, Tennessee who enlisted in the Army Air Corps wanting to be a pilot and looking at war as a grand adventure. It follows him through flight training and very minimal training in a B-17 heavy four engine bomber. He went from there to an Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group base in England and straight into the bloodiest airwar in history. Lucky’s view of war as an adventure was quickly wiped away in his first clash with the German Luftwaffe fighters and with the clouds of deadly flak that blanketed their targets. And then there was the stress of being responsible for the lives of nine other crewmen as a pilot/co-pilot. At that time air crews had to complete 25 missions before they could be sent home.

From the publisher: “The statistical chances for a heavy Bomber crew in Europe to be lost on a mission were 1-in-10. At a 25-mission tour of duty, statistically, once a flyer made it to 10 missions they were literally on borrowed time. Anyone who served a full tour and survived was remarkably lucky.”

The author does an excellent job of providing details on life and death in a B-17, from the routine to the nightmare of battle. His descriptions of the battles in the air over France and Germany are vivid. The once naive Lucky describes how he now expected to die with every mission. One raid against Bremen, Germany was one of he darkest days in the history of the Eighth Air Force. In Lucky’s squadron 13 planes entered the mission and only 6 returned, many of those badly shot up. In another only one plane out of ten returned, and it landed as it’s last remaining engine expired.

The courage that it took for these men to fly a mission when they knew their chances of returning were so low is incredible. Their chances of dying or becoming prisoners of war in a German stalag were greater than the chance of returning to base. And they had to endure that mission after mission. I cannot imagine being in their shoes. To have survived 25 missions, Lucky indeed lived up to his name.

I highly recommend this book both for it’s description of the more mundane facts of military life such training, the duties of the crew of a B-17 and life at an airbase in England, but also for it’s incredibly vivid portrayal of aerial combat in skies of World War II.

This is an interesting story about an average young guy who went off to war and learned first-hand the meaning of the word courage. It’s a worthwhile story that tracks how he matures from being nice but rudderless, to becoming a man who just wants to survive long enough to make it home. I definitely respect him for what he went through.

This book, however, needs some rewriting. Rewriting for continuity, clarity, and flow as well as more than a few aviation corrections. I spent many years of my life as a flight instructor and worked as an airline pilot… so some things I saw in the text really jumped out at me.

At the very beginning the nosewheel landing gear is mentioned. “Gear,” not “gears.” Also it’s a “pre-flight walk around” not a “pre-flight walk.” These could’ve been typos. But at about 9% of the manuscript it is stated that Lucky failed his “controlled stalls.” What? There are power-on stalls, power-off stalls, accelerated stalls, and if you are doing aerobatics, Hammerhead stalls. Reading the text later, it sounds like a power-on stall was performed by “Blackie,” Lucky’s pinch-hitter instructor. An “uncontrolled” stall will result in a spin and that can be fatal if you don’t do a proper recovery.

The description of stopping a spin is terrible. You DO NOT need to build up speed to stop a spin! You pull back the power smoothly while stepping on the correct rudder to stop the spin, (depends on the direction of the spin!) then SMOOTHLY apply back pressure to return to straight and level flight while watching your airspeed and NOT over-stressing the aircraft. Then you apply power as required.

Likewise, the text stating that he kicked the left rudder to break a spin to the left is incorrect. In some aircraft it might result in your becoming inverted (bad idea).

There is a common yet egregious mistake at about 10% of the book that said that that during the stall maneuver “the engine stalled.” NO NO NO! The engine is just fine. What happens is that the laminar airflow separates from the airfoil, (wing) and the airfoil is no longer producing lift. That HAS to be corrected.

Of the more minor issues in the beginning of the book, is that at 4% of the book, the heading is “June 1940,” but the narrative starts talking about December 7, 1941. Confusing.

Also near the beginning, at about 8% of the book, Lucky is in college and is 19 in 1941, but in the next chapter it is 1942 and it says that he had been dreaming about being a pilot “since his college days.” Isn’t he still in college?

Later, Lucky taxis out to the end of the runway before his flight with Blackie and then calls the tower. A slight rewrite would be good as I’m not sure that the author meant that Lucky’s plane was actually ON the end of the runway or waiting to taxi ONTO the runway. (This is pretty minor.)

I found it interesting that the full name was given of the lead pilot on Lucky’s crew that got gonorrhea from a member of the British WAAF during the stay in Canada. Sweet! Somewhere in middle America his grandkids are discovering that grandpa got the clap during the war. A book with a hidden surprise inside.

I felt that comparing the ball turret on the B-17 to a single testicle was amateurish. I don’t think you’re going to attract the 18-34 crowd that likes that sort of description with a book on WWII.

The author made a lot of assertions with which historians would argue. The Allied bombers didn’t have JUST German Fighter planes to worry about, they had the Wehrmacht (mainly des Heeres (the army)) anti-aircraft artillery to contend with too, as seen later in the narrative.

I thought it a precarious position for the author to state that “…there was no other battlefield in World War II more hostile than the skies over the Third Reich….” I think the Battle for Stalingrad would top it. As far as battles involving the U.S., the Battle of the Bulge is a contender for #1.

The chapter on Sully was good and Chapter 10 was interesting. Also, the “birth of the checklist” story was good. To add detail to what was in the book, on October 30, 1935 a prototype Boeing Model 299, the future B-17, crashed on takeoff from Wright Field, Ohio. Military aviator and test pilot Maj. Ployer Peter Hill was killed and others were taken to the hospital. Boeing test pilot and observer Les Tower died later.

The author states at about 85% of the manuscript that the V in V-1 Rocket is a “so-called vengeance weapon.” Actually the V stand for Vergeltungswaffen. This translates as Vergeltungs = Vengeance and Waffen = Weapons. Literally a Vengeance Weapon.

Also around 85%, the Dampferzeuger’s description needs to be reworked. It was more of a steam-powered catapult that launched the V-1 Rocket up a ramp that was a part of the system. It was not water steam, it was high-pressure steam generated by mixing hydrogen peroxide and sodium permanganate.

Finally, the part at about 85% that talks about when the V-1 was first used against London needs to be changed. The first use of the V-1 Rocket against London was on June 13, 1944. Lucky’s raid at this point in the narrative is BEFORE this (February if I recall correctly). One would think from the wording that the V-1 had already been used to terrorize London.

With some corrections, the chapters from about Chapter 8 on flow fairly well. The beginning chapters are a little bit choppy. The narrative hops backwards and forwards in time, as well as pausing for historical narrative. The historical aspect can be helpful but the transitions are a bit rough throughout. Also, many things are stated repeatedly such as how small the ball gun turret on the tail was.

I really did like the afterward written by Lucky. It was well-thought-out and well-written. It should be read by everyone.

A thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Kevin Maurer, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book pre-publication. I received nothing for my review and my opinions are my own.

The events recounted were interesting, but the way the author structured the narrative was confusing: hopping back and forth in time and putting in information about people who really don't play much of a role in the story as an aside. After reading Lucky's afterward, I feel that the book might have been much better if he had written it himself.

Yes, Second Lieutenant John "Lucky" Luckadoo is "Damn Lucky" to have survived World War II. Luckadoo, raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was at first too young to volunteer to be a pilot in World War II, but by the time Pearl Harbor was bombed he volunteered to be one of the thousands of young men that would train in a multitude of jobs in support of the air war in Europe. His story is amazing. After training, he was sent to England as a pilot/copilot of the B-17s. B-17s were the heavy bombers that flew the skies of Europe seeking and destroying targets that the Allies deemed .essential to the Natzi regime. Including the pilots, the B-17 carried a nine-man crew that consisted of two pilots, one navigator, one bombardier, and three machine gunners, and of course the heavy bombs. The safety of all those men was in the hands of the young pilots. The odds were against them. One in ten of the aircraft was lost. Crews were required to complete twenty-five missions to return home. With that percentage, most didn't make it back.

Lucky's story is incredible and author Kevin Maurer does an amazing job recounting the journey of young John Luckadoo. His narrative brings to life the raw descriptions of the challenges of young men fighting to remain in the sky as they bravely did their jobs. It is also the sad story of the United States at war, fighting it from the air, losing and injuring young men. It is the description of what flak, rockets, and artillery fire do even to a monster of a plane like the B-17. It is the struggle of young pilots grabbling with gravity, fuel, and fire as they fly the skies that were dominated by experienced German pilots determined to kill them. It is also the story of survival and victory, the return home, and the memories of a world war that tested a generation's mettle.

This is a story worth telling and worth reading for we all must remember what this type of war does to a nation and its young people who are the pilots and soldiers. Yes, John Luckadoo was "Damn Lucky" but not only are we lucky, be we are honored to read this tale of bravery and honor. Thanks to John Luckadoo for his service and sacrifice and to Kevin Maurer for writing this well-documented story. Also thanks to #DamnLucky#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This story is a detailed behind-the- scenes look at an American pilot who flew bombers in WWII - the story is exciting and filled with exploits and escapes. I totally recommend it to any reader who enjoys personal, gritty adventures filled with battles and challenges.

This memoir tells the story of Second Lieutenant John "Lucky" Luckadoo in WWII. Reading what these warriors had to go through is enlightening, scary and awe-inspiring. Behind the scenes and behind the man views are presented. It's a riveting and thought-provoking read. Thank you Kevin Maurer and NetGalley for the chance to experience this book.

Capt. John ‘Lucky’ Luckadoo’s story is a harrowing tale of courage in the face of the most horrendous circumstances imaginable. The odds against a B-17 bomber crew completing their required 25 missions were so high as to make their job arguably the most dangerous of any American Serviceman serving during World War II. What Capt. Luckadoo and his fellows endured in their efforts to end the war is something we should all learn about and understand. I personally cannot comprehend what kind of courage is required to climb into a bomber every day knowing the chances you and the 9 crewmen with will return are less than 50-50. And yet these men did it, not once but again and again until they completed 25 missions or, more likely, their luck ran out.

It’s difficult to read about this subject without addressing the morality of aerial bombardments and this book does not shy away from it. It discusses the whole topic of aerial bombing campaigns and their proponents, from Italian General Guilio Douhet, who first suggested bombing population centers to reduce popular support for the war (it didn’t work) to American Billy Mitchell, who advocated pinpoint strikes against the enemy’s industrial production facilities. Also covered were the differing strategies advocated by the RAF, which favored low altitude night-time bombings vs. the Americans’ preference for high altitude daytime raids. It didn’t take Lucky long to sour on war in general and what had one been an enthusiastic desire to strike at the enemy soon evolved into a single-minded drive to just survive and make it home. He summed up his thoughts beautifully in the afterword to the book that he penned himself
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.
While proud that he had served his country in time of need, he came to believe that war was a futile and foolish ’commentary on adversaries’ failure to reach a reasonable resolution of their differences’.

In this afterword, he not only shares his beliefs about war but also shares his attitudes about the current political climate in the United States. If, while reading this book, you pictured Lucky as an embittered hawk spouting war stories at the VFW hall, you would be very mistaken. In his summation, this 99 year-old veteran gives me hope that our country can once again become a nation deserving of such fine soldiers as he.
Having survived such folly, I now fear the freedoms bought with the lives and blood of my generation are being squandered by the current generation. I am appalled that we stand today on the precipice of a civil war. We are, actually, the Dis-United States of America. We are witnessing the betrayal of our cherished values from within—as well as without.
Never forget that we are all first and foremost Americans. We should look for common goals and seek compromise, rather than conquering the other side, which serves only to divide us. As private citizens, we can do something to alter our perspective. United, we’ve done amazing things: we defeated fascism, put a man on the moon, and created a cultural and economic empire that is the envy of the world.
Somehow, we’ve forgotten that. America will never be perfect. It will always have problems. But the only solution is to stay together and find common ground. Stay united. We proved that in World War II, and we can prove it again.

The only issue I have with this book is not with Capt. Luckadoo or with his story. I found that the biggest problem with it was in the way the author chose to write it. Books about actual events are generally written from a historian’s perspective or as a memoir. The style that author Maurer chose is more of a mishmashed amalgam of the two that reads like an old veteran telling war stories around the cracker barrel at the general store. While that might have worked if he had ghost-written the book from Lucky’s POV, it fails if you are trying to pass yourself off as a historian. One thing that irked me no end was that after providing Capt. Luckadoo’s correct name on page one of the book, he never referred to him by anything other than Lucky, his nickname. This is a history book, not a remake of Topgun. Capt. Luckadoo should be afforded the respect that his rank and service entitles him to. Several lines in the book, while written to sound folksy, are just plain inaccurate. In chapter 8, he writes ‘There was no reason to not answer an interphone call. If a crew member nodded off, it was a sure sign of oxygen deprivation.’ Without being an authority on the subject, I can immediately think of several reasons why anoxia isn’t the sure sign that the author contends. A few possibilities that were already suggested in the book are that he could be dead, wounded, asleep, frozen, or hungover. The interphone itself could also have been damaged. My point is that a good historian checks his facts and does not say something is certain or ‘sure’ unless it is. Capt. Luckadoo deserves more.

Bottom line: We should all strive to learn the stories of those who risked their lives for the betterment of all of us. We owe it to Capt. Luckadoo and to all of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served and did not return to understand and appreciate their sacrifice. For this, and for his excellent Afterword, I highly recommend this book.

*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the style, and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693304-damn-lucky
https://www.librarything.com/work/27001968/book/205374356

I would say Major Luckadoo was ‘Damn Lucky’, thus the title. As with millions of other young men John Luckadoo volunteers for the war effort. Since he has some college under his belt, he ends up with a commission and flying B-17 bombers. Life flying bombers was no luxury, just watch the ‘Twelve O’clock High’ movie. Luckadoo is one of the few to survive during the early days of the war effort. Maurer does an excellent job bringing out the challenges of flying bombers during the early part of the war. I have read many different memoirs or biographies from those on the front lines, this one ranks near the top. Over all an excellent work. Highly recommended…SLT

memoir, adaptation, WW2, Europe, air-war, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, nonfiction*****

Just staying alive doing daylight raids over Europe in these huge bombers made them into heroes.
This is an amazing transformation of a bomber pilot's memoirs into a readable/comprehensible format is filled with demonstrable historical facts from other sources as well. The amount of detail that is served up as if to pilots is astonishingly understandable to this nonpilot. Too many of the pilots and crew were served up as cannon fodder, just like any war ever. Good reading, but one could wish that it was fiction.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!