Unsung Heroes of the Royal Canadian Air Force: Incredible Tales of Courage and Daring During World War II

Description

129 pages
Contains Photos, Maps, Bibliography
$9.95
ISBN 1-55153-977-2
DDC 940.54'4971'0922

Year

2003

Contributor

Reviewed by Dave Bennett

David Bennett is the national director of the Department of Workplace Health, Safety and Environment at the Canadian Labour Congress in Ottawa.

Review

The “unsung heroes” in this book are, for the most part, the
heavy-bomber crews who fought in World War II. Their stories are about
combat, operations, the pain and terror of war, the downing of aircraft,
and prisoners of war.

Faryon’s technique is to use a limited number of written sources,
conduct interviews with surviving veterans, then forge an imaginative
reconstruction of the experiences of individuals and aircrews. Thus the
stories are about what might have been, what was, and what must have
been. There are a few mistakes and implausible constructions but, in the
main, the stories are convincing and gripping.

The interest of the book is war stories for their own sake and, in
this, Unsung Heroes succeeds admirably. The historical importance of the
book is less certain.

Citation

Faryon, Cynthia J., “Unsung Heroes of the Royal Canadian Air Force: Incredible Tales of Courage and Daring During World War II,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed October 4, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/14295.