From Alex Kershaw, author of several bestselling books, including The Liberator, The Beford Boys, The Longest Winter, and Against All Odds.
“The ‘Lost Airmen‘ is an important addition to World War II history, brilliantly researched and fluently told.”
From Ryan Smithson, author of Ghosts of War and 10 Klicks to Whiskey (winner of the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence):
“One of the best accounts of World War II you’ll ever read, Lost Airmen is written with a lyrical cadence rivaling the best fiction. It is a refreshingly artful telling of soldiers shot down over Yugoslavia, a forgotten but important corner of World War II history”
From Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham Jr., author of Desert Fox: The Storied Military Career of Erwin Rommel, and The Death of Hitler’s War Machine: The Final Destruction of the Wehrmacht:
“Great history–well written and superbly researched from personal interviews and primary resources …. One cannot praise this book too much.”
From Philip Handleman, pilot and bestselling author of Flying to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman’s Firsthand Account of World War II:
“In Lost Airmen, Charles Stanley beautifully tells the harrowing story of his father and other downed American bomber pilots during World War II. Through vivid descriptions of the men and their plight, we learn how an undying spirit enabled escape from an unimaginably horrible fate. This fast-paced account of valiant airmen in a race for their own survival carries a message particularly relevant for our times and will touch anyone with a heart.”
From Barrett Tillman, author of Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitler’s War Machine:
“Lost Airmen is Charles Stanley Jr.’s tribute to his father and those who flew with him in the Italy-based Fifteenth Air Force during World War II. More than twenty years of research and writing are evident in the often-gripping narrative of young Americans in unusual circumstances both overseas and at home. Highly detailed and thoroughly documented, Lost Airmen speaks for those rapidly disappearing from living memory.”
From Jerry W. Whiting, author of four books on World War II, including Of Broad Stripes and Bright Stars and Don’t Let the Blue Star Turn Gold: Downed Airmen in Europe in World War II:
“I simply couldn’t put Chuck Stanley’s book down. Others have written about the political climate before and during World War II. Few, if any, have taken the time to back up their information with factual sources and to provide a detailed, understandable chronology of the events that created the environment the American airmen encountered after they were shot down. Chuck does this flawlessly and it is quickly evident that he has done his homework. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to read an intriguing story about American airmen trapped in Yugoslavia, their valiant survival efforts, and the background of the situation they found themselves in. It’s a great read.”
From Chuck Parsonson, Historian, 461st Bomb Group Association:
“What I found was a work of humanity, each chapter a story of both brutality and compassion. I saw a window into the lives of men who risked and sometimes gave their lives bring about final victory. These stories of the men forced to abandon their aircraft over Yugoslavia needed to be told long ago. I was most impressed with the depth of research, the contacts in the former Yugoslavia, the years of document review and his interviews with so many veterans. I was happy to see Mr. Stanley has accomplished all he set out to do.”
From Sgt. Henry Wunderlich, 759th Squadron, 459th Bomb Group, one of the Lost Airmen:
“You have done a superb job of creating a replay of the experience and background of members of the 459th Bomb Group in particular. I have learned so much from your crew presentations and now see a bigger picture.”
From Timberlee Tamraz Grove, daughter of Tom Tamraz, one of The Lost Airmen:
“I’ve just finished reading Lost Airmen! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for writing such a wonderful book that will help everyone have a better understanding of what our men sacrificed for our country. I loved the way you unfolded each of the missions that delivered the airmen to Yugoslavia. Of course I knew my dad’s story, but now I have the additional perspective of the crewmembers and the airmen that were in his ‘group’ in Yugoslavia.”
From Lt. Charles E. Stanley Sr., 777th Squadron, 464th Bomb Group, one of The Lost Airmen:
“You know more about me than I do!”