In Deadly Sky: The American Combat Airman in World War II written John C. McManus, Air Corps men of all ranks speak speak freely on many of the aspects of their experiences during the air war of 1942 - 1945. From their missions, planes they flew, their enemies, food they ate, the barracks, the places they were stationed and the airmen they met, it is all covered in this excellent tale.

Their morale, fears, leadership and the aerial brotherhood that sustained them are easily reveled within the chapters. Revelations of their terrors and triumphs are shared in those dangerous skies, from their first dogfights over Europe to catastrophic Kamikaze attacks over the Pacific.

The experiences of America’s fighter pilots and bomber crews who were a remarkable assortment of men from all over the U.S. in nearly four years of air combat suffered over 120,000 casualties with over 40,000 killed.

My father Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson of the 95th Bomb Group was one of these men who flew bombers out Horham Airfield in England starting in early 1944. His tales like many in this book were gripping and terrifying to me as I was growing up, truly fascinated by what he accomplished in the war.

These stories span the earth into every corner of the combat theaters in both Europe and the Pacific. And the aircraft explored are as varied, tough, and legendary as the men who flew them­—from the heavy-duty warhorse that was the B-17 Flying Fortress to the sleek, lethal P-51 Mustang fighter.

Familiar tales of aerial heroism, the book captures the sights and sounds, their toil and the fears, the adrenaline and the pain of the American airmen who faced death with every mission. In the end one sees how Deadly Sky is the perfect title of this book. I have come to appreciate the extraordinary challenges my father and all the other airmen faced in the air war, and the extraordinary courage they demonstrated.