Tail-End Charley cover art

Tail-End Charley

Stories from an American Fighter Pilot in World War II

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About this listen

On his 19th birthday, James E. Brown tries to fake to his flight instructor that he has flown before. On his 21st birthday, Brown is on his way home after logging 85 missions in a P-47 fighter over Italy, France, and Germany.

Brown's stories surrounding his training and combat experiences in World War II reveal brushes with death, continuous peril and, ultimately, a coming of age for a young man whose freshman year in college becomes instead a heroic engagement with one of the fiercest enemies his country has ever encountered.

Ever dutiful to the mother who tells him to "write it down, Jamie", Brown notes his experiences in the journal she provides and adds detail later to deliver a firsthand account of life as a pilot in the final months of combat within the European Theater.

Serving as Tail-End Charley - the last man out - in most of the missions he flew, Brown's job was to record results for the interrogation officers afterward. But Brown offers much more insight in this memoir. Follow his triumphs and travails with colleagues who become lifelong compatriots during an indelible period in American history.

©2017 James E. Brown (P)2018 Tantor Military & War Military Aviation War US Air Force Italy Air Force
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I really enjoyed this book
Just the right length and narration is great. One of the best ones I’ve read from
The plus catalogue

Great book

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I've read and listened-to scores of war pilots' memoirs, and this is one of the best.

Very detailed information, vivid characters, tragedy and humour both; and the writing quality and structuring of the narrative are far superior to most books of this type (the author became a high school english teacher after the war).

The narrator is superb with a pleasant voice and attention to details. (No "autopilot reading here!). He has excellent comic timing in the many anecdotes and tall tales.

Top-notch pilot's memoir, and reader

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This book is well written and well read. The style is matter of fact and undramatic. I suspect that it gives a truly authentic account of life as a fighter bomber pilot in the last months of the war. Dangerous and unglamorous and far removed from the “knight of the sky” fighter pilot image. It also underlines just how well trained USAAF pilots were at this stage of the war. First class.

As it was

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Great narrator. Well written by someone clearly reading from the journal he kept day to day during WW2. It’s a little like your Grandad telling his stories, which is a nice relaxed fireside style.

Interesting mission by mission account

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I’ve listened to many memoirs of the war and this is a good one. The author paints a clear picture of his experiences and the joys and tragedies of flying. Excellent narration complements the story perfectly.

An enjoyable account of one man’s war in the air

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