Beneath the Clouds

Beneath the Clouds - A Social History of the Men of the US Army Air Forces based in the UK 1942-45. There have been many books published about the Eighth Air Force in the United Kingdom in the years of the Second World War. A good number of these have been specific to East Anglia. This book seeks to complement that literature, dealing not with specfic aspects of combat but how war-time life in Britain affected the fighting men and the ground personnel. It looks at the psychology of life in a different country, the morale of the men and the comparison between the lives of those who flew and those who provided support on the ground. It contains primarily the words of the men themselves, the words of those who met and mingled with them. The strength of the original interviews ensures that it is a unique resource for social historians. It is also essential reading for surviving veterans and their many descendants who want to understand just what they went through.