[Milsurplus] 8th Air Force novel

[Hue Miller]

> I highly recommend what is in my estimate the most interesting and
realistic book about life in a B-17G crew for 35 missions with the
Eighth Air Force in late 1944.  It's a novel, but only because the
author found after trying to write his memoirs that only an
autobiographical novel could convey that life effectively.

Mike- why do you say that only a novel could convey that experience?
I scrupulously avoid novels - for the same reason you cite - why waste
time with some nitwit's dreams when there are too many nonfabricated
accounts available? In fact, i hate 'em, and i contend that fiction
writing
has outlived any purpose, just as medieval morality plays outgrew any
usefulness as consciousness became more sophisticated. However
today, the conveyer belts are still moving loaded with the latest  &
greatest novels, the newest imaginings of novel happenings to make a
15-minute spash of enthusiastic tittering and then disappear to the
remainder tables. In historical novels, i invariably find some
inaccuracy,
some distortion that corresponds to the author's own particular bias.
So i am wondering why a novel about the 8th Airforce would have been
a more effective medium to present his experience. Maybe if you want
to avoid naming someone you label as incompetent or worse? But
it seems to me all such narrations can leave out significant details
to hide the precise incident?
"Das Boot" - i read that 30 years ago and right now, i am wondering,
does this challenge my theory? I have read very little of U-boater
accounts, but right now i'm thinking, any account that tended toward
"officaldom" or to being a history, in fact, might not include any
relating
of such emotional incidents as a disliked political officer being on
board,
or some crew member panicking during depth-charge attack and loudly
reciting prayers. ( Or was the latter incident only included in the
movie,
i am recalling now? Discussion still applies, as movies qualify under
fiction. ) Anyone?

( BTW, God's truth!  i was reading "Das Boot" when the rare
earthquake occurred in Seattle. My first reaction was, i'm getting too
caught up in this story, better put it down for now and take it up
tomorrow....
then i saw that the bookcase was swaying, and i jumped up to steady
it...)

( How many BTU's in average novel, paper or hardback, i wonder?
(At one point many years ago, sharing a house with other young
bachelors, i did one cold morning when the heating oil ran out, find
that thrift-store novels at $.05 or $.10 apiece did work in the
fireplace
to provide clean-burning heat.....)
-Hue Miller