BOOK REVIEW Thunderbolt by Robert S. Johnson

[dieg777]

BOOK Thunderbolt
AUTHOR Robert S. Johnson
PAGES 320
PHOTOGRAPHS yes

Robert Johnson was a small town boy from the heart of America who went on to become the highest scoring pilot in the Western Front by the time his tour of duty was complete.

He writes in a natural, charming manner. His prose is very descriptive and flows beautifully.

His story covers his upbringing and background, his training and his combat over Europe flying a P-47 thunderbolt. Throughout the book he comes over as modest but very determined. He details how his upbringing in sports and hunting helped him acquire the skills so vital during combat, how his stubborn mannerisms sometimes got him into trouble with his superiors and how his determination to succeed sometimes got him in serious trouble in the air but ultimately led to his success. He was very lucky on a couple of early missions to come back alive but with increasing experience turned into an excellent combat flyer.

He is sympathetic to the flyers he meets in the air and respectful of those he fought against. He gives excellent descriptions of combat and has thoughtful comparisons between the aircraft he flew and fought.

One thing that struck me was the benefits he enjoyed in his training in the USA. It was extensive and structured in a safe environment and contrasts sharply to the sometimes rushed training of the RAF pilots during the early years of the war and of the Luftwaffe pilots in the latter stages of the war. He of course readily acknowledges the skill and dedication of his instructors and the debt he owed them in preparing him as best they could.

This is an excellent book and moves straight into my top 5 all time favourites. It is however very difficult to get a hold of in the UK – I had to get it through Amazon used book section after failing to get it on e-bay or normal retailers after hunting for over a year for it. A wait that was well worth the enjoyment I got from this excellent biography.