posted 01-28-2008 02:29 PM            

The War No One Told You About

Veteran aviation author Robert F. Dorr and astronaut and pilot Thomas D. Jones have produced Hell Hawks!, a riveting account of the gritty and unheralded war fought by the young Thunderbolt pilots of the Ninth Air Force. Hell Hawks! is the untold story of an aerial band of brothers, long overlooked by military historians of WWII in Europe. Their narrative follows the 365th Fighter Group, the Hell Hawks, from combat in England supporting the D-Day invasion, across the Channel to France for close air support missions flown from a Norman apple orchard, to tank-busting sorties in the flak-filled skies over the Bulge, to the final defeat of the Wehrmacht in the spring of 1945. Through dozens of interviews, the authors let the voices of pilots and ground crewmen tell what it was like to fly daily into the teeth of Luftwaffe fighters and Wehrmacht flak to help win the victory in Europe.

Jones and Dorr's research has forged close relationships with many pilots and ground crewmen of the 365th Fighter Group, who in their book represent the 17 other Ninth Air Force fighter-bomber outfits. From talks with these veterans, the authors have collected dozens of unpublished photos of the 365th Fighter Group's daily operations. Publication of Hell Hawks! by Zenith Press is slated for April 2008.

posted 08-27-2008 01:46 PM            

It looks like he is signing on August 30 & 31, plus September 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28.

posted 12-13-2010 10:43 AM               

With the Holiday season approaching, our book "Hell Hawks!" -- about a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group in World War II -- is a perfect gift for a history buff.

I'm asking friends help with a challenging goal -- to keep the hardbound edition of "Hell Hawks!" in print. We're at a critical juncture in its printing history. Even a few additional sales can tip the balance toward a further printing. Your support means a lot.

Our standard message about the book is below. Would you please consider sending this message to your friends who might be interested?

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"HELL HAWKS" is our Stephen Ambrose-style history of a World War II "band of brothers with planes." In their words, P-47 Thunderbolt pilots and ground crewmen describe the war nobody told you about, fought at the front lines on the European continent during the winter of 1944-45.

The book is a great piece of Air Force history and a great gift for a World War II history buff. It's suitable for young readers. It's widely recognized as the best book about the P-47.

We have a chapter about fighting the German jets. A chapter compares the P-47 to the Messerschmitt 109 and Focke-Wulf 190. But it's the ground war that makes this such a great air story: Our guys went ashore at Normandy and fought across Europe into the Battle of the Bulge.

Co-author Thomas D. Jones (Tom) and I spent five years researching and interviewing 171 of these ordinary men who became heroes. Tom is an Air Force Academy graduate and former B-52 pilot and astronaut who flew four shuttle missions. I'm an Air Force veteran, retired U. S. diplomat, and author. I write for Air Force Times, Aerospace America magazine and other publications.

"HELL HAWKS" uses never before published photos and first-hand personal accounts. You can get a personalized copy from me.

If you'd like a copy inscribed by both authors, send me a check for $31.64, for the book, an inscription from the authors, and priority mail packaging. Overseas shipping is slightly higher.

Robert F. Dorr
3411 Valewood Drive
Oakton, Virginia 22124