Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth
For the first time, the full and complete story of the B-17 Flying Fortress Susan Ruth is shared in unbelievable detail. Author Steve Snyder’s story of his father, Lieutenant Howard Snyder, and the Susan Ruth crew, provides in-depth details about many aspects of World War II few understand or know about including the:
• separation for young families as men went off to war;
• training before heading to foreign soil;
• military combat operations;
• underground and resistance and what Lt. Snyder did when he joined it;
• German atrocities toward captured crew and civilians;
• behind-the-scenes stories of the Belgium civilians who risked all to save American flyers who were in the air one moment, spiraling down in flames the next;
• creation and dedication of the monument to the Susan Ruth and its crew located in Macquenoise, Belgium in 1989
Shot Down was created from the vast number of letters and journals of Howard Snyder; diaries of men and women on the ground who rescued, sheltered and hid the crew; and interviews conducted by historians. Centered around the 306th Bomb Group in Thurleigh, England, it is informative, insightful and captivating.
For most, 70 years is a long time ago. World War II fades in importance as each year goes by. Shot Down moves history out of the footnotes into reality, keeping the stories of real people alive as they experience being shot down. You are there, almost holding your breath as Lt. Snyder gets his crew out of his B-17 when bailing out over Nazi occupied Europe.
Reviews (184)
This is a book which takes 70% of its pages detailing statistics before it gets to anything
First Person this isn't..not for the first 70% of the book anyway, then you sort of get a third person view but little is fleshed out, I was thinking when I paid $8.95 for this that it was an account beginning to end of a particular crew and plane, but got instead a long page after page review of everything the author researched, with constant repetition proving that the Editor who reviewed this must have told the author his own memories were too little to write a book on and to "pad it out". As a past senior professional editor myself and author, I really can't see the need to dump a lot of extraneous 8th Air Force facts nd statistics (especially given in the dry deadpan manner this author does) regarding other planes and crew (except you know in a few paragraphs here or there to give it the flavor needed to make a book out of just a bunch of military obituary notices. My father was in the ASAAF in WWII and I was in the USAF in the Cold War and I was looking for more of the "story" here but there wasn't much of that. As for the author, well- memories are interesting things, and not always exactly reliable 60+ years later. To really understand this era and the 8th Air Force don't read just this book, read a variety, and then decide. .
A short story that was unnecessarily added to
A nice idea for a story whose description caught my eye and decided me on buying it. However, the actual story of being shot down and the aftermath takes up about a third (at most) of this book. Many of the extraneous pages deal with the makeup of various models of the B-17, names of others in the U.S. Army Air Corps who were not at all germane to the story (names easily forgotten) and so many photographs leading me to feel as if the story became captions of the photos. It is a somewhat awkwardly written book, with numerous misspellings, grammatical mistakes, and wrong terms (e.g., National Aeronautical and Space Administration should read Aeronautics; referring folks from Belgium as Belgium people instead of Belgians; to name a couple). To me it is a nice idea for a story that in its being submitted for publication was deemed too short, so much was added to enlarge the book to 300+ pages versus the original 100 or so. The publication information page includes the editor's name, so I guess it was indeed edited, but my comments would indicate that it was a cursory task and that the author didn't get his money's worth, whatever the cost.
Fascinating read that needs to be shared with the younger generations.
I love learning things but I'm not one to have the patience to sit and read an entire book. In fact, I haven't read a book cover to cover, literally, in decades. However, I had to change my tune when I became aware of this biography of a WWII pilot and crew that, coincidentally, belonged to the same bomb group as my own father, albeit about a year earlier. The 306th bomb group based in Thurleigh, England had the dubious distinction of being the very first bomb group to take the war to the skies over Germany. Yes, nearly every old WWII clip you see of B-17's in combat, being shot up and going down, it all started with the 306th. (The famous movie, "12 O'Clock High" was also heavily based on the 306th BG.) I'm not going to go into details because there are many reviews already so there's no point in being redundant. I'll just say that for the first time in eons I couldn't put a book down until I got to the back cover. The author tells a fascinating story that takes us back to the greatest days of The Greatest Generation, where these men came from and how they ended up where they did. Starting with the training, life on the numerous bases scattered all over the English countryside that were built in such short order - a monumental effort in its own right - then on to the actual combat these "kids" had to survive at least 25 times. At this point the story has become established and now we get to see another picture, the picture of what it's like not to be the lucky ones to return to base. Now we get to see what it's like to have your Fortress shot out of the sky 25,000 feet over enemy territory, to parachute down behind enemy lines, the new battle for survival and great details about what can happen to individuals of a crew and what it takes for them to get back to friendly lines...or not. One little tidbit most are not aware of, with the ferocity of the war in the skies over Germany the 8th Air Force had a higher attrition rate and lost more men than any other unit in the US military during the war! This isn't just a story, it's history, a history that needs to be revisited time to time lest we forget. A history that needs to be passed on to future generations of this great country lest they never learn why it was great or what it took to achieve that greatness. Buy. Read. Experience. Learn. Remember.
or heartache at being away from loved ones, missing births and other milestones in the ...
Meticulous and endearing tribute to the crew of the B17 Flying Fortress, the Susan Ruth during World War II. Complied by letters and records left behind, author Steven Snyder, son of the pilot, Howard Synder, recounts the exploits of the crew from their family background, to training to the fiery crash that caused them to parachute and survive in enemy territory. In a clear and crisp voice, Synder describes both his father and the world he lived in. The budding romance with his mother, courtship and finally marriage is tenderly told through personal letters that paint a vivid picture of their relationship. Training, deployment to England and the grueling and dangerous conditions are described in harrowing details. This is how we should learn about war, through the eyes of those who sacrifice so much to keep others safe. The book tells of their insecurities and fears, the heartache from being away from loved ones, missing births and other milestones in the home front. I loved this band of brothers, their camaraderie and courage, and when I read the parts of the outcome, the unfair vagary of fate, I was saddened by the wastefulness of war. Heartbreaking and poignant, families and wives at home, showed equal bravery and support. This was a memoir, a love letter from son to father, honoring him for his quiet dignity and courage. It is a wonderful snapshot of people preforming admirably under the worst of conditions, where some gave everything they had to give.
Riveting in its detail
I have just finished reading Shot Down and cannot thank you enough for this remarkable book. My father flew B-17s out of Deopham Green...35 missions, mostly as co-pilot, and for the first time I understand his story which he was never able to communicate. By the time I was old enough to have been deemed "worthy" of hearing his story, he had suffered a stroke and lost his speech. So I knew bits and pieces but the true horrors and impossible fears have just now become real to me, through your book. I am currently writing the historical biography of an American woman doctor whose small family survived a Japanese prison in Manila. The research has been riveting, and what I thought would be a two-year project has turned into five. I tell you this so that you will know I truly understand the effort you have made to convey your father's story in the richest possible detail. And for that I thank you.
Living, dying, and surviving WWI aboard a B-17
Having just completed a book about the air war in the Pacific during WWII, I thought it would be a good idea to read (and listen) about what was going on over the skies of Europe. In this case, the story centers on the fate of a B-17 crew shot down over Belgium. The captain of the B-17 in question, Howard Snyder, also happens to be the father of author Steve Snyder. While the story of the shoot down and the efforts of the various crew members to evade capture takes up a sizeable portion of the book, the author has jam-packed his story with numerous references to other battles and historical events during this period. In most cases, the background material is interesting. In other instances, however, the author goes overboard with the amount of detail he provides. One example involves the crew of the B-17. You couldn't tell this story without giving some background on the individuals and the training they received. But do we need to know the serial numbers on the dog tags for each of them? There are too many instances where technical details, such as the specific designation of the engines on the B-17, would have been better suited for an end note. As written text, it's easy to skip over what is obviously unnecessary detail. The narrator of the audio version, as well as the listener, didn't have this luxury. The B-17, also known as the flying fortress, has always interested me. The reality, however, of having to fly in an unpressurized aircraft, poorly heated, while wearing an oxygen mask, and then getting shot at, has taken away the romance. As much as I disagreed with many of the details the author decided to include in his story, I did find the slew of statistics the author cites at the end of the book concerning aircraft (how many were built, how many were shot down, how many survived) and a similar accounting of the flight crews, very informative. I was given a copy of the audio version in exchange for a review. I purchased the eBook version.
Snyder's book about his father and what he and his crew experienced as USAAF fighters in Europe is just so good. Mr
I read a lot of WWII history - mostly Veterans' accounts. I am not an historian or an expert - I just appreciate these men and women so much. Mr. Snyder's book about his father and what he and his crew experienced as USAAF fighters in Europe is just so good. Mr. Snyder has written this book in such a manner that anyone can understand the workings of the Armed Forces without being over simplistic or condescending. The story of these men is so worth reading. What they went through as fliers against the Luftwaffe was unimaginable, to me. The losses they suffered yet carried on shows how dedicated they were. What they went through as downed fliers was more so. Mr. Snyder conveys the conditions inside the B-17 and the fear and professionalism of these men so well - you almost feel like you're in that plane with them. Intermixed with the story of these men are letters to and from home which gives the reader a good idea of how it must have been to have your husband/brother/son/sweetheart overseas not knowing whether or not he'd come back - truly the Greatest Generation. Read it - you won't regret it.
A gripping read about the author's Dad with a lot of historical facts mixed in.
I have been fascinated with the 8th Army Air Force since I was a kid. I was born in East Anglia UK where many of the USAAF were stationed in WWII and heard many stories about the men of the 8th growing up. In my last year of high school I did my project about the men, the airplanes and airfields of Mighty Eighth. I think it might have been part of the reason I ended up living in Texas. Anyway I have read a lot of books about WWII and had started reading a few to my then 9 year old daughter as I wanted her to know what a true hero was. I'd been taking her to airshows from the time she was 18 months old and would always take her through the heroes tent. I had just finished reading her Col. "Bud" Anderson's book "To Fly and to Fight" (another excellent read BTW) and was asking on a facebook page dedicated to WWII what would be another appropriate book to read to my daughter and Steve's book was one of a few that came highly recommended. First of all I read it myself and thoroughly enjoyed it but when I read it to my then 10 year old daughter she was wanting me to carry on reading and was staying up later than normal. The book is about Steve's dad who became a pilot of a B17 Flying Fortress Susan Ruth and got sent to England. He gives you a really good picture of his dad and his dads crew and walks you through some of their experiences leading up to when they got shot down. In between there is a good mixture of history in between which really sets the scene. I think the part when I couldn't put the book down was when Steve's dad was evading the Germans once he was shot down. Being a true story you can't imagine what it would have been like to be in his dad's shoes but you get a really good feel for the bravery of everybody involved, especially the Belgium civilians who risked their own lives to help the flyer's. A gripping read about real heroes of the greatest generation with a good bit of WWII history mixed in.
A remarkable and complete history.
Steve Snyder is the son of B-17 pilot Howard Snyder who was shot down in February of 1944 on the French/Belgium border. Two members of the crew of 10 were killed in the plane, some rescued and in hiding, some captured. The author not only did research to learn what happened to his father, but also the rest of the crew. He contacted a German man who was one of the pilots who shot down the Susan Ruth (which was named for the Lt. Snyder's daughter). Howard Snyder was part of the 369th Bomb Squadron, 306th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, stationed in England. I learned about their living conditions there, and also an explanation of the amazing combat formations for the hundreds of bombers sent on each mission. Snyder was kept hidden by brave Belgians. Paul Delahaye was a child in Belgium when the Nazis overran that nation. He was 13 when the Americans forced out the Germans and he met the Americans who freed them. He made it his mission to make sure the Americans are never forgotten, building memorials and starting museums. Howard Snyder kept in touch with his rescuers and even visited there, also meeting Paul Delahaye. A remarkable and complete history.
A Well Told Story, Plus
The author did something interesting with this book. On the one hand, he told the story of the crew of a B-17 who were shot down and ended up in a number of different POW Camps. That story itself is interesting. However, he also wove additional information throughout the book. Background information on the Pilot growing up in the Depression and getting married just before going to war. He went into more details about pilot training than I've seen most books do. And included a lot of information about what made the B17 such a special battle beast. He also included, throughout the book, additional information about the war beyond his crew and their missions. So, if someone is looking for a deep dive limited to the plane and crew that was shot down, that's not what this is. But the book does an excellent job of incorporating the larger picture of the world and the war which form the backdrop of these events. I also found something interesting. That my father-in-law was in Stalag Luft IV when Joseph Musial and Roy Holbert arrived there. I don't know whether he was in the same lager/compound as either of them, but I'm going to try and find out. Definitely worth the read. Again, especially if you are looking for ta wider view of the times.
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