In this unique collection of personal diaries, readers discover the thoughts, feelings, and missions of a World War II combat flight crew of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress known as "Out House Mouse." Carefully transcribed and chronologically ordered, the book contains the crew members' thoughts about war's boredom and the pastimes that occupied soldiers' off-duty lives. Other entries give attentive descriptions of European geography, and readers encounter familiar place names like Glasgow and Dresden. Other passages recount the close calls, such as "FLAK MISSED TAIL OF GUNNER'S HEAD BY INCHES," that shaped these crewmen's experiences. A variety of maps, newspaper blurbs, and black-and-white photos also accompany the journal entries, making them even more real and accessible.

As current conflicts and wars leave people drawing tenuous correlations between them and World War II, books like this are even more important. Harvey's work captures the human elements of war from those who experienced it. Technical details about missions and objectives linger beside personal anecdotes about dates, card games, and even the hunt for eggs in a village where no eggs seem to be found. This book is also a unique contribution to the World War II literature canon because it records the stories of a few of those who defined America's "greatest generation." As the work concludes, readers discover a section detailing what happened to the bomber crew after they left the military and the war ended. This section helps readers understand that, for so many of these men, the war did not define them, and they embraced life and lived it to the fullest. For anyone with an interest in World War II, this book is a needed addition to their collection.

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