Steve Blake

P-38 Lightning Unforgettable Missions of Skill and Luck Steve Blake

Dramatic, Heart-wrenching and Humorous  The P-38 National Association wants to put YOU in the cockpit of the greatest combat airplane of World War II, the  Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
  
Someone described this book as "Chicken Soup for the P-38 Soul" and that pretty much says it all.  If you love the Lockheed Lightning and enjoy hearing stories about it from the people who were there during its glory days, this book is an absolute must for you.  Although the stories are about the P-38, it is a good read for any fan of WWII aviation.  It's a very easy read, with over 200 pages of short stories compiled from the archives of the P-38 National Association membership publication, "Lightning Strikes."   "P-38 Lightning: Unforgettable Missions of Skill & Luck" contains amazing stories told by the combat pilots, ground crews and other personnel who had hands-on experiences with the P-38 Lightning.
Filled with numerous historical photos of the personnel and the plane, this book is filled with tales of bravery and humor which took place before, during and after the war.  Evolution of the P-38 LightningThe book also includes stories about the design, development and production of the "plane that changed the course of history."  No other combat aircraft of the time had the depth and versatility of the Lightning.  Contrary to what some think, the P?38 was not just a fighter, although it was the fighter of choice for many pilots, including all of the top "Aces" of the war.  It could also be a bomber and a photo recon airplane, with such range that it operated in all theaters of operation during the war...from the humid jungles of the South Pacific to the arctic tundra of Alaska to the sandy plains of Africa -- the P-38 could do it all.
  
The stories here were compiled and edited by noted aviation author, historian and "Lightning Strikes" editor Steve Blake and author and historian Dayle DeBry. There's also an introduction by then P-38 National Association President, Bob Alvis, who offers compelling reasons why we should all value the P-38 and its place in history.