When 17-year-old Richard Moulton joined the Army Air Corps in 1943, he little dreamed of the yearlong, life-and-death drama he would endure. Shot down over Slovakia, he was imprisoned, released and finally hidden in a cave with six other Americans. Recaptured by the Germans, subjected to torture by the Gestapo, who claimed he was a Russian spy, he was finally liberated by General Patton’s 3rd Army. The story of Moulton’s return to Slovakia more than a half-century later is a touching tribute to the hospitality, kindness and courage of the many Slovakians who fed him and hid him from the Nazis, always at the risk of their own lives.
Young children will love reading the sweet rhyme and watching the puffy bugs disappear at the turn of each page. This tactile book offers plenty for young children to look at and explore, helping in their early learning!
A thorough look at this turning-point WWII aerial battle, with eyewitness accounts, maps, and rare photos: “incredibly well-researched” (Aircrew Book Review). By late summer 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered all its opponents on the continent, including the British Army itself, which was forced to scramble back aboard small boats to its shores. A non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in hand, Hitler had only one remaining object that season—the British Isles themselves. However, before he could invade, his Luftwaffe needed to wipe the Royal Air Force from the skies. History’s first strategic military campaign conducted in the air alone was about to take place. This book contains a large number of dramatic eyewitness accounts, even as it reveals new facts that will alter common perceptions of the battle. For example, the twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 was actually a good day fighter, and it performed at least as well in this role as the Bf 109 during the battle. The Luftwaffe’s commander, Hermann Göring, performed far better than has been believed. The British night bombers played a more decisive role than previously thought; in addition, this book disproves that the German 109 pilots were in any way superior to their Hurricane or Spitfire counterparts. The author has examined records from both sides and provides surprising statistics that shatter much conventional wisdom—laying out the Battle of Britain as seldom seen before. Includes color photos of the relevant aircraft.
