Normally I never begin a book review like this—but allow me to just come right out and say it: this book is excellent. Steve Snyder’s Shot Down: The True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth is extraordinary. When the book arrived in the mail, I was expecting another narrowly focused monograph written by an adoring son about the experience of his father in World War II. What I got was so much more. Among other things, what makes Shot Down different is the broad context woven into the story. The experience of B-17 Susan Ruth and its crew is told squarely within the larger framework of the war. Nazi aggression in Europe, the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the push of General Patton’s Third Army into Germany are highlighted, providing a familiar backdrop to the unique episode of Lt. Howard Snyder and his crew. Author Steve Snyder’s grasp of history is solid and readily apparent.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE from the WarHistoryOnline.com website.