Angels in the Sky
How a Band of Volunteer Airmen Saved the New State of Israel
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Narrated by:
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Tom Perkins
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By:
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Robert Gandt
About this listen
Angels in the Sky is the gripping story of how an all-volunteer air force helped defeat five Arab nations and protect the fledgling Jewish state.
It is the exhilarating account of a ragtag band of volunteer airmen from around the world who fought for Israel during the war of independence. They arrived from America, Canada, Britain, France, and South Africa. Almost all were World War II combat veterans. Many, but not all, were Jewish, and many knowingly violated their nations' embargoes on the shipment of arms and aircraft to Israel.
They smuggled in Messerschmitt fighters from Czechoslovakia, painting over swastikas with Israeli stars. They flew British-built Spitfires and American Mustangs, risking their lives for a righteous cause. Surrounded by Egyptian, Jordanian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Lebanese forces, Israel would have been crushed without the air support provided by the "angels in the sky".
Briskly written and based on first-person interviews and extensive archival research, here is a modern-day David-and-Goliath tale and popular history at its best.
©2017 Robert Gandt and Michael Flint (P)2017 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
In March 1941 Jimmy Stewart, America's boy next door and recent Academy Award winner, left fame and fortune behind and joined the United States Army Air Corps to fulfill his family mission and serve his country. He rose from private to colonel and participated in 20 often-brutal World War II combat missions over Germany and France. In mere months the war took away his boyish looks as he faced near-death experiences and the loss of men under his command. The war finally won, he returned home with millions of other veterans to face an uncertain future.
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SKIP THIS ONE
- By G-Man on 05-13-18
By: Robert Matzen, and others
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Indestructible
- One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII
- By: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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In this remarkable WWII story by New York Times best-selling author John R. Bruning, a renegade American pilot fights against all odds to rescue his family - imprisoned by the Japanese - and revolutionizes modern warfare along the way. From the knife fights and smuggling runs of his youth to his fiery days as a pioneering naval aviator, Paul Irving "Pappy" Gunn played by his own set of rules and always survived on his wits and fists. But when he fell for a conservative Southern belle, her love transformed him from a wild and reckless airman to a cunning entrepreneur.
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You will love Pappy's story
- By A. L. DeWitt on 11-15-16
By: John R. Bruning
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Air Apaches
- The True Story of the 345th Bomb Group and Its Low, Fast, and Deadly Missions in World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The American 345th Bomb Group - the Air Apaches - was legendary in the war against Japan. The first fully trained and fully equipped group sent to the South Pacific, the 345th racked up a devastating score against the enemy. Armed to the teeth with machine guns and fragmentation bombs, and flying their B-25s at impossibly low altitudes - often below 50 feet - the pilots and air crews strafed and bombed enemy installations and shipping with a fury that helped cripple Japan.
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Boring and unorganized unit history
- By R. Denton on 04-25-19
By: Jay A. Stout
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Damn Lucky
- One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- By: Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, John Luckadoo
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn’t hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine.
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must read
- By td godfrey on 10-06-22
By: Kevin Maurer
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Kangaroo Squadron
- American Courage in the Darkest Days of World War II
- By: Bruce Gamble
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In early 1942, while the American military was still in disarray from the devastating attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, a single US Army squadron advanced to the far side of the world to face America's new enemy. Based in Australia with inadequate supplies and no ground support, the squadron's pilots and combat crew endured tropical diseases while confronting numerically superior Japanese forces. Yet the outfit, dubbed the Kangaroo Squadron, proved remarkably resilient and successful.
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5 star History!
- By DON COOKE on 03-13-19
By: Bruce Gamble
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The Last Fighter Pilot
- The True Story of the Final Combat Mission of World War II
- By: Don Brown, Captain Jerry Yellin - foreword, Captain Jerry Yellin - contributor, and others
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On the morning of August 15, 1945, Captain Jerry Yellin flew the last combat mission of World War II out of Iwo Jima. Today, Captain Yellin is a sharp, engaging, 93-year-old veteran whose story is brought to life by best-selling author Don Brown.
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A history Air War in the South Pacific & Iwo Gima
- By Amazon Customer on 06-30-20
By: Don Brown, and others
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Black Thursday
- The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid
- By: Martin Caidin
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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On Thursday, October 14, 1943, 291 B-17 Flying Fortresses set out for a strategic bombing raid on the factories in Schweinfurt. Sixty of those planes never returned and 650 men were lost during the course of that mission. It was the greatest failure that the United States Air Force had ever suffered and became known as "Black Thursday". Martin Caidin's Black Thursday: The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid is a brilliant account of that day that should never be forgotten. This audiobook uncovers in thrilling detail the build-up to that fateful raid.
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The Best Look at Bomb Groups of the 8th
- By Nicholas Robinson on 09-19-18
By: Martin Caidin
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The Vietnam Air War
- From the Cockpit
- By: Colonel Dennis M. "Mike" Ridnouer
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The Vietnam War is one of the most misunderstood military conflicts in 20th-century America. Showcasing 72 true stories told by American servicemen who fought from the skies, this unique and historically significant collection is a stunning record of the air war in Southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s.
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Overall worthy and perspective broadening
- By Clayton Cartier on 11-03-20
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Big Week
- The Biggest Air Battle of World War II
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces based in Britain and Italy launched their first round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Their goal: to smash the main factories and production centers of the Luftwaffe while also drawing German planes into an aerial battle of attrition to neutralize the Luftwaffe as a fighting force prior to the cross-channel invasion, planned for a few months later. Officially called Operation ARGUMENT, this aerial offensive quickly became known as “Big Week,” and it was one of the turning-points of World War II.
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War in the Air: Sets stage with gripping narrative
- By Nashville Cat on 11-17-18
By: James Holland
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The Twilight Warriors
- The Deadliest Naval Battle of World War II and the Men Who Fought It
- By: Robert Gandt
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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April 1945. The end of World War II finally appears to be nearing. The Nazis are collapsing in Europe, and the Americans are vastly overpowering the Japanese in the Pacific. For a group of pilots in their early 20s who were trained during the twilight of the war, the biggest concern is that they'll never actually see real action and will go home without having a chance to face the enemy.
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Excellent Selection: One of the Best in this Genre
- By David on 09-22-11
By: Robert Gandt
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The Flying Tigers
- The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan
- By: Sam Kleiner
- Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Sam Kleiner’s The Flying Tigers uncovers the hidden story of the group of young American men and women who crossed the Pacific before Pearl Harbor to risk their lives defending China. Led by legendary army pilot Claire Chennault, these men left behind an America still at peace in the summer of 1941 using false identities to travel across the Pacific to a run-down airbase in the jungles of Burma.
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This really happened.
- By Jason on 07-26-20
By: Sam Kleiner
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The Night Stalkers
- By: Michael J. Durant, Steven Hartov, Lt. Col - Ret Robert L. Johnson
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Here are thrilling, never-before-heard stories of the Army's elite aviation unit - the most daring and professional helicopter crews in the world. Special Operations pilots are notoriously reticent; they don't talk about their missions, at least not to anyone outside their small community. But now, with the publication of The Night Stalkers, Durant and Steven Hartov shed a fascinating light on these mysterious super commandos and take readers into a world they have only imagined.
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A book that does justice
- By Robert on 10-05-07
By: Michael J. Durant, and others
What listeners say about Angels in the Sky
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ed
- 09-07-18
please vet your narrators!!!
the story is amazing. this is the second book I have listened to in which the narrators have none & apparently receive no instructions in pronunciation of words ( even city names ) that are not English. The reader's mis-pronunciation was distracting & annoying to hear, a problem easily avoided with coaching or vet'ting. Audible, you can do better than this...
would still recommend, but be warned....
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- Rodney
- 11-13-23
Really good and interesting book
I can’t believe it - a book included with my Audible subscription that was interesting and isn’t woke. It must be a first. In any case - this is just a good, interesting story that is never boring. Sort of a continuation of the many WW2 books I’ve read over the years. I really enjoyed it.
As for the reader I thought he did a good job. I listen at 1.3x speed by default - and it was pretty much perfect for me.
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- Baal K'reeah
- 03-24-21
Well Narrated. Riveting
This is a new aspect of the independence of the state of Israel. It tells the story of the origins of the Israel Air Force and at the same time ties it in with events on the ground. My only issue, and it’s not a serious one, is how often the narrator missed pronounced Hebrew names and Hebrew place names. It is entertaining why are you being thorough with numerous new information.
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- Shimon
- 03-21-19
Truly excellent story - highly recommended
This book captures the history of the volunteer airmen who came to Israel’s rescue in its war of independence. The story is action packed and speaks to the many challenges of acquiring, equipping and flying war and transport planes during an embargo of the new Jewish state. It also touches upon some less know (at least to me) support that Egypt was receiving throughout the war. I won’t spoil that story for you.
The performance was excellent, but the narrator botched many of the Hebrew and Arabic names in the book.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Logophile
- 04-25-21
The crazy beginning of a nation and an Air Force
As a US Air Force Brat, a repeat visitor to Israel, a student of World War II, and the widow of a military pilot, this book made me stand on tiptoe, hold my breath, laugh out loud, cry, cringe, and cheer. The hilarious and unlikely heroes were almost slapstick at times, inadvertently, as they did and said whatever was necessary to get beat-up WW2 planes to Israel "under the radar," and to get to fly combat missions supporting the newborn nation in their desperate attempt just to exist while being attacked on all sides by five nations.
My only caveat is that, though it is such a fabulous book, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it due to the foul language - which is prolific. Too bad: my grandson hopes to go to the US Air Force Academy; at age 14, he already has many hours in the cockpit and hundreds in a simulator. I would love to be able to give him a copy, but that can't come from his Grammy....
But me? In the epilogue I still cried and cheered for the men and the nation along with the crowds, punctuated with laughter and "awww"s.
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- Sandra Lipschultz
- 11-22-18
FULL OF MIRACLES
Best non-fiction book I have ever read. Probably not fair to others to compare, since the story is full of miracles, and bravery, and VERY shocking deceit. With " friends like these (USA State Dept of post WWII)" who needs enemies.
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4 people found this helpful
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- MrsMcMac
- 01-20-23
Gotta read!
This was a great book, well written, about the amazing first year of the fledgling Israel and her Air Force!
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- Ann Crossman
- 11-03-17
The Hand of God
In listening to this book, there are so many miracles, amazing protection, and promises fulfilled.
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4 people found this helpful
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- tim
- 12-16-17
This book is one of my favourites
Any additional comments?
This book is one of my favourites; what a fantastic story about the survival of Israel. In today's world, when mentioning the word Israel can be controversial, it is nice to go back in time and see how these people wanted to survive. If you are World War II history buff and love Israel and airplanes, you will love this book. The writing is very well done!.
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- B Taub
- 02-12-18
Way More Than the Std Story We've All Heard!
Wow, what a great book! Many of us amateur aviation history fans have heard how a few Jewish and gentile pilots flew Czech-built Messerschmitts during Israel's 48 War of Independence and that's where the story usually stops. This book goes way deeper - it wasn't just a few fighter pilots, it was also bomber pilots, and it was transport pilots, it was savvy businessmen willing to go to jail by flouting export regulations to get Israel the planes it needed. This story flows like a novel - it's interesting, follows twists and turns, has heroes (and a few villains), shows the pain of loss, and the thrill of ultimate victory.
Here are a few things (spoilers - sorry) I didn't know before listening to this book that might pique the interest of aviation fans, like myself:
- The last Israeli victories of the war were actually over 4 RAF (not Egyptian) Spitfires
- The IAF used T6 Harvards (planes without dive brakes) as dive bombers
- Israel flew B17s in combat
- Early in the war the combat consisted of Israeli pilots flying ex-Nazi equipment against Egyptian pilots flying ex-British equipment
The book is not super-technical but technical enough to be credible.
In listening to this book I couldn't help but think, Wow, this would make a great movie!!!
The narrator was good although his pronunciation of certain Hebrew words and Israeli place names was a bit off, which can be a bit jarring.
Overall, though, highly recommended!!!
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4 people found this helpful