An Ace of the Eighth: An American Fighter Pilot's Air War in Europe

Norman "Bud" Fortier was part of an AAF Squadron stationed in England from 1943 to 1945, flying initially P-47s and later P-51s in the 355th Fighter Group, mainly on bomber escort, bombing and strafing missions, deep into continental Europe. Flying two tours, rising from 2nd Lt to Mayor and having his share of areal victories and many destroyed ground targets, there's no doubt that he made his contribution to the war effort, for which he can only be commended to the highest level.However, this review does not deal with the life of Mayor Fortier but with this book, and solely concentrates on its own merits.The book is written in an autobiographical style, starting with his flight training in the US and finalizing a couple of months after the end of WWII. Unfortunately, it took over 50 years for Mayor Fortier to write down this book, thus he had to rely considerably on other sources (as he indicates in the Foreword), particularly the official Squadron/Group's history. Accordingly, while there are parts of the book that clearly show the author's handwriting, overall it reads mostly like a personalized 355th Fighter Group war diary. It is interesting noting that the life of a "normal" pilot in England form 1943 onwards did not involve constant and daily dogfights with hordes of Luftwaffe fighters, but rather long and boring "milk-runs" escorting bombers deep into Germany and encountering only occasional flak. Also, the author himself states that their worst enemy was not the Luftwaffe but the British weather! Another interesting aspect highlighted in the book is the dangerous nature of the strafing missions, particularly airfields.On a positive note, the book succeeds in presenting a wide picture of what it was like being a fighter pilot. However, there are no deep reflections nor real characters in it, and the war diary-style results at times in a rather boring reading experience. The mass-market Paperback edition is of the usual small format with small font and cheap paper, but at least there are some interesting pictures included.Overall, if you are not looking for a 355th Fighter Group war diary, I think you can find much more engaging books about pilots during this period of the war.

The author and my Dad were in there twenties in the book - an honest, unromantic tale of battles and young men in WWII

A great book on the pilots who became legends during WWII. A humble man with his story about him and his buddies during their experiences fighting the Luftwaffe during WWII.

I've just finished reading "An Ace of the Eighth," and I have to say it ranks up there with books like "Thunderbolt," and "1,000 Destroyed." I've read just about every book on the Eighth Air Force that I could find, and I was starting to think we would never see another first-person account of what it was like to serve in the Mighty Eighth. Mr. Fortier does an excellent job of bringing those days (some 60 years ago) back to life. He spends very little time with his early life, instead plunging right into flight training. He describes what it was like in that different era: the comaraderie, learning to fly (then) state-of-the-art high-performance fighters, going head-to-head with the best the Luftwaffe had to offer, and how it felt to lose a friend in combat. It is also refreshing that he describes his heroic, Top Gun-type expoits with such modesty and humility. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WWII aviation. I've always looked to the heavens for my heroes, and Norman J. "Bud" Fortier is a welcome addition to the likes of Bob Johnson, Chuck Yeager, "Bud" Anderson, "Hub" Zemke and the rest.

This book "AN ACE OF THE EIGHTH" IS A BOOK THAT WILL BRING BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES OR TEACH YOU A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT LIFE IN WW II. You will have a chance to compare two of WW II Fighter Planes. The troubles and assets of the planes and also have a good look at what Germany had to fight our best pilots with. amazon sold a very good book that a reader will enjoy from the first page to the end. I felt I was in the cockpit one more time right along with them. While WAR is never fun it, does leave you with a lot of memories Try this book out, I'm sure you will love it and remember it a long time from now. COL. DeVere Woods Ret.

Major Fortier is definitely a hero and an Ace. He flew over 100 missions and risked his life while carrying out heroic deeds in combat. This book is most definitely a riveting account of how courageous 19 and 20-year-old young men were in going head to head with Nazi Germany pilots. I believe this book will produce the powerful feelings and strong images of just how much was given to secure our freedom from tyranny. I salute the Major and all the brave men and women who fought for us. I want to take this opportunity to thank Norman "Bud" Fortier for service and dedication to our country. A job well done, kind sir!Jeannie Walker- Award Winning Author - "Fighting the Devil" - A True Story of Consuming Passion, Deadly Poison, and Murder

Was just looking for something to read, I like Biographies and this one got my interest up. Just a great read on the day to day life of a World War 2 fighter pilot. It gives me great respect for these guys and what they went through and had to endure.

If the things that happened the way they were, its a miracle we won the air war the mechanical problems and other quirks of the P-51. I not sure i would have wanted to fly them the P-47 was more reliable and could take a beating better than the P-51 the only plus was its ability to dogfight and shoot down ME-262s better in a dive , where they could match their speed or could catch them when they were landing or just getting airborne. Overall this is a good accounting of the Americans time in England and in combat.

An interesting slant on the business of war from what is an oft-forgotten branch of the Allied war machine, at least here in Blighty; While we are generally aware of the stupendous sacrifices the 'Yanks' in their B-17s and Liberators made, and constantly reminded of the efforts of the RAF's Fighter and Bomber Commands, the American lads in the long-range escorts sharing all the risks with the Bombers rarely figure in any documentary or narrative on the subject.So with this in mind, I approached Fortier's book with enthusiasm and was certainly treated to a fantastic read. Fortier's style is easy and relaxed, and deals with the gruesome bits as well as the light-hearted parts.The bulk of the work deals with the day-to-day life of the Squadron, and with the surprisingly humdrum work of escorting daylight bombing raids. Fortier has an obvious affection for the P-47, a huge respect for his colleagues in the bombers, and a warmth for the majority of the English, if not our weather.Like most of the accounts I've read on WW2 Fighter combat, especially in the latter stages of the war, Fortier's experiences in the air over Germany alternate mostly between the monotony of solo long-distance flight, and wondering where the hell everyone went. The combat itself, both in narrative and experience, is short, sharp, and often ends abrubtly.Nevertheless, it's a very good read, and certainly left me with a new-found respect for the American fighter pilots. However, as a book, it's not the seminal classic of Geoffrey Wellum's First Light.Recommended.

This is a well written book concerning the 8th Air force of the Unite States Army Air Force fighting in the skies over Europe and enemy held territory during the second world war.It gives accounts of the combat experiences of the pilots involved,the loses and the personal battles they were involved in.Like all books of this nature it can only reiterate what has already been said by others from the point of view of individual combatants.Each is giving his own view of his particular participation but as there were only so many battles in the air unless you are particularly interested in one pilots experiences then you are reading the same accounts over and over again.

An easy to read account of the war in the air for a young American fighter pilot. Fascinating and informative with the constant lottery of life and death every day. Dovetails in nicely with the German story told in ' I flew for the Fuehrer' to give a good appreciation of both sides. Both these accounts evoke pity for the bomber crews which the fighters were buzzing around, one defending and the other attacking. Recommended reading for war buffs and students of recent history alike.

I am ex RAF - the book unfolds a time in history in which ordinary young men found themselves in a horrific conflict to save not only a nation but civilization as we know it. They did not know how they would perform under fire and relied on the initial training to see them through the early stages of warfare before their own experience (should they survive) takes them on to being a true professional. The book accurately describes the inner most thoughts of these young men. It also describes coming to grips with a totally different weather environment - so different to the warm sunny skies of their home country training. It's the first time they experienced of losing friends and colleagues: the empty beds of their friends - their possessions gathered up to send on to their next of kin. The daily routine of briefing before their intended target. A sensational book that grips the reader from start to finish.

Even if you were not around during WWII this book is a must, one appreciates what sacrifices the lads made for our freedom, it is an exciting read as well as a historic document, in truth it matters not whether we are talking about allied or German pilots, every time they took off their lives were held in the balance until they returned to aerodrome. Reading this book and others is a way of saying thank you before it is too late as time waits for no one.