The first major history of the American glider pilots, the forgotten heroes of World War II, by a New York Times bestselling author. A story of no guns, no engines and no second chances.This book distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a cable wrapped with telephone wire. Based on their after-action reports, journals, oral histories, and letters home, this book reveals every terrifying minute of their missions. They were all volunteers, for a specialized duty that their own government projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate. None faltered. In every major European invasion of the war they led the way. They landed their gliders ahead of the troops who stormed Omaha Beach, and sometimes miles ahead of the paratroopers bound for the far side of the Rhine River in Germany itself. From there, they had to hold their positions. They delivered medical teams, supplies and gasoline to troops surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge, ahead even of Patton's famous supply truck convoy. These all-volunteer glider pilots played a pivotal role in liberating the West from tyranny, from the day the Allies invaded Occupied Europe to the day Germany finally surrendered. Yet the story of these anonymous heroes is virtually unknown. Here it is told in full - a story which epitomizes courage and sacrifice.

PrefaceAuthor's NotesList of IllustrationsIntroduction1. Guts and Gliders Wanted2. Crashing is a Lonely Sound3. "Prepare to Ditch"4. Pea Patch Savior5. Popcorn Popping6. "The Germans Are Coming!"7. "Our Men Were Lucky"8. Like Hornets at a Church Cookout9. They Were Invisible10. The Hole in the Donut11. Beyond Commendation12. World War II's Orphans13. EpilogueAcknowledgmentsGlossarySelected BibliographyEndnotesIndex