I am a big fan of this book. The author was a human guinea pig who was sent to a front line fighter group with minimal training, as the government wanted to see how little training pilots could receive and still be effective and survive. This is not the usual account of a figher pilot, who normally tells you exactly how good he was. He candidly informs you how unprepared he was. The title says it all. I am also glad to hear about a unit and theater of war that is not often written about or published. The Eighth Airforce and the Fifteenth Airforce were partners that worked together to keep the enemy off balance. Together they did much to finish Nazi Germany. The Mighty Eighth is well covered in many books, especially a handful of groups. You could fit all that is written on the fifteenth on a short shelf. I found the author engaging and humorous. He also helps you see the ugly side of war, even though he flies the "glamorous" P-51 Mustang.

The author served in the same fighter squadron as the man that I was later named after, who like many others gave the ultimate sacrifice. I found this book very enlightening, because it is not just a recount of the military strategy and the tactics of air battles, but a broad description of the culture, technology, training and hardships of a very young man doing his patriotic duty with honor. Mr Curtis reveals some of the reckless and foolish things that he and others did, and the lucky and un-lucky pilots that he served with. His colorful descriptions of the pilot's life in P-51 Mustangs and in Italy paint an vivid picture. The long-distance love story with his one-and-only Myrt adds another dimension.

This is a well-written book with all the fears, mishaps and accomplishments of the young men who gave so much for us to be free!

This is a wonderful account of the truth of a mustang. The plane was a danger as much as a wonderful fighter. The story is also great of a life and time most people have forgotten.

My Grandma taught me that if I can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. God Bless Richard Curtis; he was smart enough to survive, and still lucky enough to get this book published. At the very least he contributed to the strength of our numbers at a time of World War, but he reveals precious little more about the times except to say that he was there, and lived to tell the tale. Perhaps that is all there was to tell; personally, I made a point of reading the book through to the very last page so I can be sure that I never buy the book again under the impression that it is substantive history of the time, and the war he went off to fight.

Well written but ultimately lacking any big set piece action. The author had a major upheaval in his life caused by the war and his wartime service, and he explains the nuts and bolts of learning to fly, then training on, and flying a cutting edge fighter - the Mustang - very well. But his wartime service in Italy appears to be mainly long spells of grinding boredom interspersed with brief spells of action. For anyone interested in the day to day routine of learning to fly, then operational life as a normal everyday pilot in a fighter squadron, this is a well written and good book. However for anyone interested in the "edited highlights" of the cut and thrust of combat only, this book will be a disappointment. There are also no particularly shocking or even exciting "confessions"

Well I have read in excess of 20 world war 2 pilots books and I very much enjoyed this one!
I was completely drawn in and read it straight through...I enjoyed reading about all Richards exploits and his ability to put you there with him during his time in the sky.
If you are a fan of the Army Air Force during WW2 then I highly recommend ready "Dumb But Lucky" and see how a regular guy managed to be very clever and yes a bit lucky as well!

I have read several books from WWII fighter pilots. I found this one lacking in any description of what combat was like except for a few episodes. Lt. Curtis flew 50 missions but most of them are glossed over and are very short in what actually happened. This book is mostly about living in Italy and what happens in his off time. Interesting enough though that is, there are better books out there. I would recommend, "Gabby" by Francis Gabreski, "Thunderbolt" by Robert S. Johnson, "Fly for Your Life", I think by Robert Stanford Tuck, and Douglas Bader's biography.

I enjoy reading WWII veterans stories about the war but this book just didn't grab me. In the preface the author gives away the whole premise of the book and what happens to him during the war.

I would pass this one by and look for a better story.