I had never heard about this mission but I was thoroughly engrossed with the story of how they built a runway and then rescued the airmen. This was like reading some type of make-believe book but it was based on real events and over 500 airmen were rescued. Plan was drawn up and done by the OSS which makes this story even better and worth the read.

Thank you for the advance reader copy of this historical fiction novel. Great historical detail and research.

Tom Young https://tomyoungbooks.com is the author of ten books and novels. The novel Red Burning Sky: A WWII Novel Inspired by the Greatest Aviation Rescue in History was published in February of 2022.

Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as ‘R’. The novel has two main characters. US Army lieutenant Bill Bogdonavich is the bombardier on a B-24. US Army Lieutenant Drew Carlton was formerly a bomber pilot. Now he is working with the OSS.

The Allies have finally made their landing in Normandy. War is still being fought aggressively in Italy and Eastern Europe. US Army B-24 bombers out of bases in Italy are hitting targets behind the German lines. On one of these missions, the plane with Bogdonavich on board is shot down over Yugoslavia. He parachutes to safety and connects with the local resistance, the Chetniks.

Carlton had been a bomber pilot out of the UK. But scrubbed missions found him assigned as a training pilot. He is offered the opportunity to join the OSS and get back into the fight. Thought dangerous, he jumps at it. Now he is flying defenseless transport aircraft on clandestine missions behind German lines.

Over the months of the war, hundreds of Allied pilots and crew have been shot down over Eastern Europe. The OSS devised a plan, Operation Halyard, to rescue them. In the novel, Carlton is the pilot of one of the transport aircraft that carries out the evacuation of the downed airmen.

Before they can be evacuated, the downed airmen and Chetniks must carve an airfield out of the forest. They do this under the nose of the German and Axis forces while also evading the communist resistance forces under Tito. The novel has Bogdonavich as one of the downed airmen preparing the field.

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 300-page WWII-era historical novel. I had not heard of this operation before reading this novel. Surprisingly, though operation Halyard successfully rescued more than 500 Allied airmen, it has not been well-publicized. The author does take some artistic license, but he portrays the general story of the operation. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.3 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Another great historical WWII offering by T. Young! In this book I learned of action taking place in 1944 in Yugoslavia during WWII, & specifically, Operation Halyard....a huge secret rescue mission. Young talked about the civil war going on in Yugoslavia at the same time WWII was going on.
I've actually read some of Tom Young's books prior to this, & he always does an excellent job of describing the weaponry & vehicles/aircraft of the time period....& does it in a way that any reader could appreciate. He's really good at making this history interesting.......I would read anything by Tom Young! I consider myself pretty well read, re WWII......but I sure learned something in reading this.....so I give 5 stars! As usual, his Historical Notes at the end tell the reality of what the book is based on... & is definitely worth reading!
I received an e-ARC from publisher Kensington Books via NetGalley after offering to read it & post my own fair/honest review.

This book was beautifully written and brilliantly researched. Tom Young places his readers in the cockpit, into hiding in Serbia, into rescue missions, and most of all into the mind of Lt. Bill Bogdonavitch. This is a story of a too-little-told aspect of WWII and a wonderful addition to the genre.

I know a historical fiction is good, when after reading, I personally carry out my own research.
Red Burning Sky by Tom Young was really good. This book was based on Operation Halyard, known in Serbia as Operation Air Bridge.
As recorded, this was an allied air lift operation that took place during World War 2. Over five hundred american air men were secretly rescued out of Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, with the help of the local Serbian people.

The story is told from multiple point of views. It follows Lieutenant Bill Bogdonavich, who immediately connected with the Yugoslav locals, because his father was born there. The lieutenant was able to speak their language. One of the other characters was Lieutenant Drew Carlton, an amazing US pilot who've made a few mistakes and trying hard to do better.

My favourite character was Vasa, a young local in the militia, helping the americans to get home.

I respected the author for remaining as close to the true story as possible. I was amazed at the selflessness and kind nature of the Yugoslavian people, to total strangers. Outside of the German war, these people were also dealing with their own civil war. They risked literal death to help those airmen.

The book was well researched, even the technical descriptions were easy to understand.
However, I wish there was a little more tension in the novel. Something to make my heart beat a little faster. After all, these men were in Nazi territory.

Despite all that, the pace flowed effortlessly and there was even a small "brush" of romance. There were lessons about sacrifice, strength and community. I truly enjoyed this book.

Thank you to author Tom Young, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy. Thank you for showing me a part of history that if not for this book, I never would've known. In return I've given my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HAPPY READING!❤

Red Burning Sky brings a little known part of history alive with the story of Operation Halyard during World War II. Hundreds of Allied airmen were shot down and trapped behind enemy lines. This is the story of their survival with the help of Serbian men and women who were fighting a civil war while a world war raged within their country. The book depicts the heroics of the men who risked their lives to fly behind Axis lines to participate in the largest rescue mission of American Airmen in US history. It also reminds us of the horrors and atrocities of war, something that should never be forgotten. I recommend this book for those who wish to learn more about our history during World War II.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to receive this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The “Miss Carolina’s” mission is to disrupt the oil field and production of fuel for the Nazi’s, but the flight path is over Yugoslavia where they are also in the midst of a civil war between the Partisans led by Marshal Tito and the Chetniks.

The B-24 has taken heavy fire and many of the crew are dead. The plane shudders and reports of burning wings and engines cause the pilot to order the evacuation of the plane.

Bogdonavich leaves the plane and wonders how many men were able to exit the aircraft. Cutting his parachute cords he approaches a tree line and sees three people approaching him; a young boy, an old man, and a pretty young lady. They take him to a farmhouse. The 17-year-old boy named Vasa the Wolf is part of the Chetnik group that is aiding downed allied aircrew. They supply hiding places, food, and medical assistance to the airmen at the peril of instant death.

Nearly 500 US and allied airmen are rescued by these freedom fighters, classified top secret during the war! The final reward for the rescue of the pilots was silence. No air medals nor ribbons for bravery were ever awarded. That 500 airmen could have been rescued by the Chetniks and never recognized seems unthinkable.

I recommend this book as a means of understanding the sacrifices for anyone who is a war buff. The writing will help to understand some of the unsung heroes of WWII. 4.5 stars - CE Williams

I have read many WWII books, but this is the first I’ve read about these 500 men that were trapped behind enemy lines. This is one of the better WWII books, well written and kept true to the story it represents. I am always amazed at the heroism, courage, dedication and honor our military men/women were and still are when they defend our country. And then we can’t leave out the courage and sacrifice of the unknown people that risked their lives to protect, hide and help get our boys/women home.
This is a really good read; the story has a good flow, and I didn’t find any lull points. The descriptions of the planes landing, and flying was great. The research was excellent. I highly recommend.
Received an ARC from Kensington Books and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with high 5 stars.

historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, family, family-dynamics, friendship, factions, facing-death, rescue, WW2, Europe, resistance-efforts, action-adventure, survival*****

Neither fiction nor pure fact, this entwined account (really, aside from Anne Frank who records conversations for posterity) captures the international politics of one struggling country during a very nasty war. The characters are aggregates of real people facing real dilemmas and acute dangers as a consequence of their beliefs. The part (aside from the history) that most impressed was the immersion of the reader into a past reality previously unknown to me. Excellent read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

“We must be better than our enemies”
“One must be wise, as well as brave”
“You seek vengeance for yourself, Vasa concluded. You seek justice for everyone else.”
These few quotes stood out to me the most in this book. They provide a good idea of the high morals, kindness, and bravery that each character displays throughout the novel.

The book starts slow introducing our three main characters, already capturing my attention as I love reading novels with multiple POV’s.

Bogdonavich, Drew, and Vasa all three from different circumstances but brought together for the same mission to save all the fallen soldiers in Yugoslavia. One is a solider stranded with no way home, a local kid in the guerrilla who wishes nothing more than to return home to his village, and a pilot looking for redemption.

We as readers are given an in-depth look into how complex a mission is in war and how long and difficult it can become especially when they are unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Each move has to be taken with every precaution as to not alert enemies and also provide a safe landing and loading zone.

We see friendships form, a romance bloom, loss, and an incredible journey of hard work and strength amongst troops and local people in the community.

Each page left you wanting to learn more about the small but important mission of this war, the characters and if they would succeed. This book does an incredible job of tying everyone’s ending in so that you are left at peace with how their story has ended.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington books, and Tom young for giving for the opportunity to read this arc. I am very grateful to have had the chance to read and review this novel so that other people are able to enjoy this book as much as I have!

I thank netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with this e book in exchange for my review.

This historical fiction is inspired from real life events from a little known part during the later part of WWII. This inspiration for story draws from event that not many would know, but will be known to the world due to this book. This is one of the reasons I love when fiction/non fiction books come on history, we learn about events that a handful people know about and Tom Young has written a very good one.

Bill Bogdonavich's plane has been shot down in Yugoslavia, and fortunately, he knows Serbian, since his father is one and had taught him. He, along with other American troops have been sheltered by the one of the group factions, while fighting against the other.

In another part of a distant continent, Drew Carlton volunteers to save and bring American soldiers back home.

Tom Young's writing is good and brings forward a part of history that would have been shadowed and only few people would have remembered. Now it is out throughout for all to know.

“Red Burning Sky” is a well-researched, very well-written WWII novel about the real-life effort to rescue hundreds of American airmen shot down over Yugoslavia. Based on real events, billed as a “historical thriller,” it is a fictional tale that fans of films like “The Great Escape” and “12 O’Clock High,” and books such as “Unbroken” (the Louis Zamperini story), “Flyboys,” or “Beneath a Scarlet Sky” may well enjoy.

When his B-24 is shot down, bombardier Lieutenant Bill Bogdonavitch parachutes into his father’s Serbian homeland where he is rescued by guerilla fighters. Able to speak the language, Bill soon learns that he is not the only American airman Serbs are hiding. There are 500 more, some sick or wounded, all in need of repatriation. Their first challenge? Getting word to the US Army Air Force that they need to be rescued.

Meanwhile in Texas, Lieutenant Drew Carlton trains other men to fly the bombers he did not have the fortitude to fly in combat. Thought of as a coward, and struggling to regain his self-respect, Carlton volunteers to return to Europe to fly unarmed C-47s through German-held skies and onto barely land-able fields to bring the airmen home.

Author Tom Young has written an absorbing tale of rescue and redemption. I was particularly impressed by the high level of historical detail, both with respect to flying the aircraft of the period and conditions on the ground in Serbia and Italy (where the rescue missions are staged). Having been a combat pilot, Young adeptly places his readers into the cockpits of the aircraft being flown. And he ably describes the politics affecting, and the hardships faced by, Serbian guerillas and citizens at war not only with the Germans but also Yugoslavian communist “partisans.”

My one criticism would be that, although this is billed as a “historical thriller,” in some places it lacks the “edge-of-your-seat” tension and suspense that thrillers require. Yes, there are battles and perilous missions. But, particularly in the scenes depicting guerilla enclaves and the hiding of airmen, a sense of danger—of catastrophe waiting just around the corner—seems to be missing

Nevertheless, all in all, I found “Red Burning Sky” a worthwhile read.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Although I don't often venture into the mainstream of traditional historical fiction, once in awhile a title will tempt me because of its underlying context. This is what brought me to request an ARC of Tom Young's "Red Burning Sky" soon to be offered under the Kensington imprint. Since the book is set in Yugoslavia late in WWII and is based upon the underlying history of the region and a specific and little known event that occurred there, I was quickly hooked. The story revolves around a number of characters, principally airman involved in the bombing campaign in Europe. It relates a fictionalized narrative about a mass rescue of downed Allied airmen being sheltered by the resistance in Yugoslavia. Of course, this brings us into the complicated relationships between warring partisan groups in that region as well as the Allied nations supporting them. In essence the country, like much of Europe, was fighting an intense civil war, even as all sides were also opposing their German occupiers. This has always fascinated me. The author skillfully uses his characters to illustrate some of the many challenges confronted by both the resistance on the ground as well as Allied airmen evading capture and flying in to facilitate their escape by air under less than optimum conditions. It is worth reading, from my point of view, primarily for its insights into this troubled regional struggle that looms large in the Balkans to this day.

An outstanding novel with a background of a little known true event in WW2. The story and the characters were compelling and I find this book hard to put down once I started it. This is a great read. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Picking up the book “Red Burning Sky” by Tom Young and looking at the cover, it seems pretty obvious that it is a book about large aircraft of the WW II vintage. A parachute coming down helps to convey that feeling.

What is interesting about the book is that it was based on actual happenings and the courage and fortitude of not only American fliers but of allied friends in Yugoslavia. The almost civil war among those who supported the Communist Tito and those who did not like the communist ideals is a sidebar to the story of hundreds of American fliers shot down and rescued by one band of the Yugoslavs called Chetniks (not the Communist Partisans).

The story follows one bombardier, Lieutenant Bill Bogdonavich, whose father was from Yugoslavia and he makes a connection with the locals who are all too thrilled to have someone who can speak their language, at least somewhat. The other primary American is another Lieutenant Drew Carlton who is a natural as a pilot but has had a series of mishaps that let some in the USAAF to think he might be a coward.

Carlton and Bogdonavich have stories that parallel and intertwine those of the local peoples. It is about courage, redemption, and fear. I would guess unless one has had the experience of being put to the test of life and death that this might be as close to what it must feel like. Young does a masterful job of storytelling in this book.

There are up and downs but the ultimate goal of flying into a Nazi controlled area to rescue over 500 American aviators (enlisted and officers) in an unarmed transport plane is the goal. Unlike planes today that have a much better track record for success the cargo planes of WW II are not always dependable.

There are real figures from the time as well as those made up in conglomerate and these are explained in the afterword. But all in all, the story of overcoming fear, comradeship, and courage ring through the story. If you want to vicariously experience some of these emotions and maybe many others, then this book is for you.