Jimmy Stewart Bomber Pilot
Jimmy Stewart Bomber Pilot by Starr Smith, published by Voyageur Press in April 2005, offers an in-depth look at the unique military service of the iconic actor during World War II. This first edition spans 288 pages and is presented in English. The book chronicles Stewart’s journey from a private in the Army Air Corps to a bomber pilot, detailing his struggles with military leadership and his eventual command of a squadron that participated in significant combat missions, including flights over Berlin.
Readers will find a detailed account of Stewart’s military career, highlighting his determination to serve despite initial resistance from the Air Corps. The narrative explores themes of history, military service, and the intersection of entertainment and wartime duty, providing insights into the life of a man who balanced fame with a commitment to his country. Through Smith’s perspective as an intelligence officer assigned to Stewart, the book sheds light on the experiences of a celebrated figure in both Hollywood and military history.
Official synopsis Publisher
Of all the celebrities who served their country during World War II -and they were legion -Jimmy Stewart was unique. On December 7th, when the attack on Pearl Harbor woke so many others to the reality of war, Stewart was already in uniform – as a private on guard duty south of San Francisco at the Army Air Corps Moffet Field. Seeing war on the horizon, Jimmy Stewart, at the height of his fame after Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and his Oscar-winning turn in The Phadelphia Story in 1940, had enlisted several months earlier.
Jimmy Stewart, Bomber Pilot chronicles his long journey to become a bomber pilot in combat. Author Starr Smith, the intelligence officer assigned to the movie star, recounts how Stewart’s first battles were with the Air Corps high command, who insisted on keeping the naturally talented pilot out of harm’s way as an instructor pilot for B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators. By 1944, however, Stewart managed to get assigned to a Liberator squadron that was deploying to England to join the mighty Eighth Air Force. Once in the thick of it, he rose to command his own squadron and flew twenty combat missions, including one to Berlin.
“My father would feel honored by this book.” —Kelly Stewart Harcourt, daughter of Jimmy Stewart
“We would have made Jimmy a group commander [equivalent to an army regiment] if the war had lasted another month.” – General Jimmy Doolittle.
“An excellent biography of a distinguished airman and fine human being.” – Roger Freeman, author of The Mighty Eighth: A History of the U.S. 8th Air Force.
“How wonderful it is that Starr Smith has finally directed a literary light on the personal history of Jimmy Stewart. . . . I welcomed Starr’s book. It is needed and wanted. Bravo!” – Gay Talese.
“This is a very well researched and written book. . . . It fills a place in history about no mere actor but a courageous and selfless man, Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart, USAF.” – General Michael E. Ryan, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
“I have met a few movie stars, but of them all, I think that Jimmy Stewart was most like those modest heroes he portrayed. Now journalist Starr Smith has raised the curtain on Stewart’s gallant service as a bomber pilot and air combat commander in World War II.” —Walter Cronkite, from the Foreword
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