Product Description

Containing an abbreviated operational history for each of the 12,731 B-17s that flew in World War II, this is a volume devoted to the Flying Fortress. The text also contains information on the evolution and testing of the plane and its powerplant and performance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1093259 in Books
• Published on: 1998-04-02
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 319 pages

About the Author
As a boy, Roger Freeman watched from his father's farm as the 8th Air Force took off for its missions over Germany; he has had a lifelong interest in the Mighty Eighth ever since, and now lectures on USAAF history, both here and in America.

Customer Reviews

A superb resource for the Fortress enthusiast.
Only 69 pages of this volume are dedicated to the history and developement of the B-17. The rest of the 319 pages relate a brief history for every single one of the 12,731 Fortresses built! As usual Roger Freeman's lifetime labour of love in researching the US 8th AAF has resulted in the publication of a volume that will be greatly valued by the veteran, enthusiast and general reader alike. Clearly and authoritatively presented this may well prove to be a "must have" for your library.

This book is an excellent reference source on the B-17.
Anyone familiar with the history of the B-17 and, in particular, the Eighth Air Force, knows the name of Roger Freeman. Author of the reknowned series beginning with "The Mighty Eighth", Freeman and co-author David Osborne assembled a new volume entitled "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story." This new book fills a gap in the literature about the Flying Fortress. The first quarter of the book covers the type in general, from initial design through production and modifications. Included here are excerpts from technical orders and operating manuals. Also included are a selection of somewhat rare photos and a special section on the Wright R-1820 engine. Of greater significance to the student of the B-17, however, are the last three quarters of the book. This section provides individual aircraft histories for each of the 12,700-odd B-17s produced by the consortium of Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed between 1935 and 1945. This massive undertaking was apparently performed by Osborne reviewing each of the individual military record cards available and tying that information to other available sources. Thus, having the military serial of a particular B-17 (say, for example, from a photograph) enables a reader to see where that aircraft came from and its eventual disposition. The information is, by necessity, brief but usually contains specifics on an aircraft if it was lost in action. There are a few noted errors, surpisingly, for those B-17s which survived to enjoy civil service as that information is available elswhere in detailed form. Other editing errors (i.e. the book refers to the 'Reclamation Finance Centre' (RFC) vs. the actual 'Reconstruction Finance Corporation') may appear but such minor things can be overlooked in such a gigantic effort.