The Savage Sky Book

More Than the Average Combat Narrative ...", February 3, 2011

World War II's air war over Europe always seemed to conjure thoughts of sheepskin-clad knights battling in modern steel horses ... chivalrous and clean, to a degree. The reality of events is that the battles being fought in the skies high above the European continent were anything but clean ... they were just as dangerous, if not more so, as the battles being fought on the front lines. Mainly because the enemy was only one of the multitudinous deadly hazards facing the men; those steel horses became steel coffins for many. George Webster has penned a superb memoir of his days on board a B-17 bomber and struggling to cope with life between missions.

Webster doesn't waste any time introducing the reader to the trials and tribulations he experienced as a radio operation on a Flying Fortress ... the first chapter starts with one of his most dangerous missions: getting the plane and crew across the Atlantic Ocean to its eventual base in Britain. A flight wrought with storms, gale force winds, poor visibility, a rapidly depleting supply of fuel and navigating on instinct alone, we immediately wonder if Webster's memoir would begin with him being plucked from the Atlantic following a crash landing. So descriptive and eventful the recollection, we feel we're on board with the crew, sweating our way over a seemingly endless ocean, hoping the pilot and crew can instill enough confidence to suppress the growing sense of doom everyone must have felt. The drama of the first chapter alone sets the tone for the remainder of the book as Webster's writing style allows the reader to not only see, but feel what it was like to walk in his shoes.

While I was expecting a simple combat narrative, I was pleasantly surprised to get the whole experience of life in the Army Air Corps, whether it was relaxing between missions in a Quonset hut, freezing in the skies high above Germany or on leave in London. The life of Webster and the men that flew with him was not simply relegated to surviving German fighters and flak, they faced much more ... enough to give thought that conducting the war from a foxhole may have, at times, offered better odds of survival. The fear and misery of life for soldiers on the ground is well-documented; Webster paints no less a picture about combat on board a lumbering, vulnerable heavy bomber. While flak and German fighters were the obvious threats, the delicate balance of sustaining life at such high altitudes was echoed as being an ever-present danger on each and every mission, from start to finish. It was explained that breathing a few simple breaths outside the oxygen mask was enough to kill a man. Or a few seconds of exposed skin would almost instantly initiate the onset of frostbite and a few more seconds could require a digit to be amputated. Common issues such as a malfunction/short circuit in the heating system in the flight suit or an improperly fitting oxygen mask could mean certain death ... all prior to facing the dangers of Germany's defenses. And if a man was wounded or a bomber was damaged, the hazards of flying at such a high altitude remained at least until safety was somewhat assured by getting plane and crew across the English Channel ... assuming a crash landing was not required. Webster paints a bleak picture of his outlook on surviving the war and continually supports his rationale with the depressing fact that the average length of service of a bomber and crew was only 12-13 missions ... even though 25 missions were required. The mission number generated just as much fear as the mission itself ... Webster's sense of doom is overwhelming throughout the book. The missions that Webster experienced are recalled in the same gripping manner as that initial trip across the Atlantic Ocean.

What separates "The Savage Sky" from most air-war accounts is that we are introduced more to the personal side of the airman's life, away from the arena of combat. It becomes apparent that these men viewed time "on the ground" as a precious and lived life to the fullest when possible. The most enjoyable chapters of Webster's experience were his visits to London and his "live for today" attitude when it comes to the women he encountered. Being very young and naïve, Webster takes the reader along his journey to manhood and his first true love. What makes this part of his story so compelling is that Webster is so open and honest when describing his innocence and naiveté. We feel the nervous anxiety he experienced in anticipation of visiting his girlfriend and we sense the dread he felt knowing the relationship had a possibility of ending every day he flew a mission. Webster's growing affection for the woman in London served as a major subplot for me as I found myself anticipating the war's end, the ensuing marriage and a future in small-town America. But, just when the reader seems assured of the outcome, the war interferes and everything changes.
"The Savage Sky" is one of the most enjoyable books I've read about an airman's experience of World War II. I found the author to be genuine and open with his story of being an innocent "kid" forced to become a man under wartime circumstances. The book is more than a run-of-the-mill combat narrative and has all the necessary ingredients to consistently keep the reader interested and excited about what will happen next.