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  • The P-38 Lightning and the Men Who Flew It
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The P-38 Lightning and the Men Who Flew It Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings

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The P-38 Lightning was one of the fastest operational fighters of World War II, famous for its successes in North Africa and the Pacific. In The P-38 Lightning and the Men Who Flew It, Wolfgang W. E. Samuel shares the stories of the young men who climbed into the cockpits of the P-38 to fight for freedom, and of those who created, tested, and deployed these fearsome machines.

The P-38 was the product of the Lockheed Corporation, the first fighter they ever built, principally conceptualized by Kelly Johnson, whose design was to meet Air Corps specifications. But it was no easy plane to fly.

P-38 units were formed quickly once the United States entered World War II in December 1941. Training was rushed to get pilots and planes to Europe as quickly as possible to serve as bomber escorts. Although the P-38 could fly at the high altitudes the bombers flew, it was not the right aircraft for the mission. In North Africa's warmer air, however, the P-38 came into its own.

This book focuses on the men who flew this challenging aircraft and the men who designed and decided how to deploy it. In the Pacific skies, the P-38, its pilots, and designers made the heroic history captured here.

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  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 18 minutes
  2. Author
    Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, see all
  3. Narrator
    L.J. Ganser
  4. Audible release date
    April 15 2025
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Tantor Media
  7. ASIN
    B0DVH8PP3C
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 18 minutes
Author Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, Alfred Stettner - foreword
Narrator L.J. Ganser
Audible.ca Release Date April 15 2025
Publisher Tantor Media
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0DVH8PP3C
鶹 Rank

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4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Craig A Finseth
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, not focused on the P-38
    Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    It's a good book, but should be sub-titled "interviews with pilots that happened to fly the P-38 but mostly flew other planes." I ordered it pre-publication having just been to the Richard Bong museum hoping to get in-depth about the plane. I was left wanting.

    Again, it's a good book, just on another topic.
    Report
  • seek justice love mercy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    My uncle was a P-38 pilot and quite involved in the P-38 National Association, so I was thrilled to see this book. Contrary to the other review, I find it fascinating. Am about 1/3 of the way through and already have read countless details and anecdotes around aviation that can only be derived from a lifetime of study, knowledge, interest, and human connection. This is the kind of book AI could never write. Thank you so much for sharing your insights, knowledge, and wisdom!

    Hoping to visit Udvar Hazy on a weekend when I can to speak with the author and share writings from my uncle, who served in the Aleutians and who donated to NASM for a "permanent" small P-38 models exhibit that used to grace the glass ceiling of the cafe.
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