Hell's Angels
The True Story of the 303rd Bomb Group in World War II
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Hell's Angels
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Narrated by:
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Robertson Dean
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Written by:
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Jay A. Stout
About this listen
The true story of World War 2’s legendary Hell’s Angels—the 8th Air Force’s 303rd Bomb Group.
Although the United States declared war against Germany in December 1941, a successful assault on Nazi-occupied Europe could not happen until Germany’s industrial and military might were crippled. The first target was the Luftwaffe—the most powerful and battle-hardened air force in the world. The United States Army Air Forces joined with Great Britain’s already-engaged Royal Air Force to launch a strategic air campaign that ultimately brought the Luftwaffe to its knees. One of the standout units of this campaign was the legendary 303rd Bomb Group—Hell’s Angels.
This is the 303rd’s story, as told by the men who made it what it was. Taking their name from their B-17 of the same name, they became one of the most distinguished and important air combat units in history. The dramatic and terrible air battles they fought against Germany ultimately changed the course of the war.
©2015 Jay A. Stout (P)2023 Penguin AudioWhat the critics say
“[An] epic tale of the World War II aerial campaign over Europe...Hell's Angels is a gripping and awe-inspiring book.”—Nathaniel Fick, author of One Bullet Away
“It's all there—the boredom, the devotion, the horror and even the humor in an industrial war fought on a global scale that we'll never see again. Unit histories just do not get any better.”—Barrett Tillman, author of Whirlwind and Forgotten Fifteenth.
“Jay Stout is a triple-threat aviation historian—an experienced combat aviator, a meticulous researcher and a compelling story teller. His uncanny eye for authentic detail allows Hell’s Angels to be the incredible story of the 303rd Bomb Group and the bombing campaign that crippled Nazi Germany. Stout makes a hard-ridden topic seem fresh and new again. Highly recommended.”—Walter J. Boyne, Author/Historian
What listeners say about Hell's Angels
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2022-04-17
Exemplary War Story Collection
There is nothing particularly noteworthy about Jay A. Stout's compendium of stories from men assigned to a legendary B17 bomber squadron based out of England. Essentially, Stout compiles wartime anecdotes gathered through interviews with surviving combatants, letters written contemporaneously, German documents Re: POWs, and entries from War Diarists embedded with the USAAF fighting in the European Theatre. Stout acts more as a curator than a historian - not really offering any insight into strategies/objectives but rather sticking to the direct experiences of the airmen in the squadron (prior to serving, during training, on base, touring England, while on missions, after being shot down, etc). As long as you don't set your expectations on edification, the result is a compilation of WWII memoirs that is effective & enjoyable.
As to the performance: the reading from Robertson Dean is solidly professional - but unspectacular. His diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are commendable and sound quality is excellent - but Dean reads too slowly (consume this recording at 1.20X), intermittently takes loud inhalations (avoid earbuds), and demonstrates pretty bad voice-acting at times (his impression of Winston Churchill is straight-up chuckleworthy, for example). The narration is overall "adequate".
Taken altogether, I rate 'Hell's Angels' 8.5 stars out of 10. It's status as an offering in the 'Plus' catalogue (and hence included for free as part of my subscription) doubtless enhances my impression, but - regardless - it's an entertaining listen. True, you won't really learn anything from this book, but you'll definitely gain respect for outwardly ordinary men that went through extra-ordinary experiences.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- clueso
- 2021-12-23
loved it
just the facts, no hyperbole required to tell the story of bombing Germany. the flying descriptions make the sorties come alive
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