Luck of the Draw
My Story of the Air War in Europe
Published on 5. October 2023
480 pages
978-1-78396-736-0 (ISBN)
Description
The captivating story of WWII Airman Frank Murphy, who features in new TV miniseries
Masters of the Air.
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"In the pursuit of authenticity, of accurate history and undeniable courage, no words matter more than, 'I was there.' Read Luck of the Draw and the life of Frank Murphy and ponder this: how did those boys do such things?" Tom HanksThe epic true story of an American hero who flew during WWII, featured in the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks TV Series, Masters of the Air.
Beginning on August 17, 1942, American heavy bomber crews of the Eighth Air Force took off for combat in the hostile skies over occupied Europe. The final price was staggering. 4,300 B-17s and B-24s failed to return; nearly 28,000 men were taken prisoner or interned in a neutral country, and a further 26,000 made the ultimate sacrifice. Luck of the Draw is more than a war story. It's the incredible, inspiring story of Frank Murphy, one of the few survivors from the 100th Bombardment Group, who cheated death for months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Now with a new foreword written by his granddaughter Chloe Melas, of NBC, and daughter Elizabeth Murphy.More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
10/2023
Elliott & Thompson Limited
€31.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Frank Murphy survived months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress. His bravery earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal. The incredible stories of Murphy and his 8th Air Force's 100th Bomb Group will be featured in the upcoming Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks TV Series, Masters of the Air.
Content
- Intro
- Title
- Contents
- The Crew
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Prologue
- 1 Combat Aircrews: Coming of Age
- 2 Before the War
- 3 The War Comes to America
- 4 Hendricks Field, Sebring, Florida
- 5 The 100th Bomb Group
- 6 The 100th Stumbles
- 7 The VIII Bomber Command
- 8 Combat
- 9 Dangerous Days, Desperate Hours
- 10 Münster
- 11 Stalag Luft III
- 12 Liberation
- Plates
- Epilogue
- Appendices 100th Bombardment Group
- A. Operational Summary
- B. Operational Losses, June 22, 1943-October 14, 1943
- C. Aircraft Markings and 100th Bombardment Group Aircraft History
- D. 418th Bomb Squadron Original Aircrews
- E. Operational Matrix-1943
- F. Personal Report on the Regensburg Mission, August 17, 1943
- Selected Sources
- Index
- About the Authors
- Copyright
