One Man's War: The WWII Saga of Tommy LaMore

by Tommy Lamore, Dan Baker, Patrick G. Lawler (Narrator)

Escaping certain death--not once but several times--lies at the core of the riveting, real-life story of an American soldier during World War II. In One Man's War, B-17 pilot Tommy LaMore vividly details his experiences in war-ravaged Germany, from the horrific to the romantic and beyond. LaMore's saga began when his plane collided with another B-17 above France--plummeting to the ground below. He then entered the French Resistance, where he employed his knowledge of explosives to bomb German operations, and later faced a death sentence in a Polish death camp after being betrayed by an informant. LaMore endured the camp's gruesome conditions and eventually escaped, just days before the Germans slaughtered every man in the camp. This captivating book tells of the relationships LaMore formed, not only with fellow crewmen but also with French Resistance fighters, with Polish prisoners, with a young and pretty survivor of a women's labor camp, and, surprisingly, with a larger-than-life Russian officer with a heart set on revenge. There are fascinating descriptions of the bloodthirsty Mongols on horseback who accompanied the Russians and who struck fear into the hearts of even the most hardened German SS men. Intrigue, passion, and loss imbue LaMore's spellbinding tale and make One Man's War a compelling read not only for history aficionados and WWII scholars but also for those who are fascinated by the bittersweet nature of love in times of war.

Genres: War, World War II, History, Biography, Audiobook, Memoir, Nonfiction

MP3 CD

First published February 1, 2002

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First -- After reading Tommy LaMore's story about his experience before and during WWII, I've come to the conclusion that it is either FICTION - HISTORICAL FICTION or as the author puts it - a TRUE STORY. Either way, it deserves a rating as a 5.
The downside is I tried for several hours to find MORE info on Tommy Lamore AND couldn't. The book that I bought at Half-Price bookstore had a handwritten note inside that said "2012 Barbara Rm#### From Larry his son."
Tommy LaMore had several children. That's all I could find. No names.
Why am I writing like this - cause I feel like this story and all the details cannot be verified!!!
Yes, he won several medals - so there has to be something to this TRUE story.
It's still a great story - TRUE STORY or not.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently listened to the book Unbroken and was somewhat skeptical as to how I could listen to another personal war story and enjoy it with the same enthusiasm. I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint. Full of excitement, danger, and suspense not to mention gore, repulsion, and sadness. The story deserved 5 stars, but 1 demerit point for, not bad writing, but for not great writing. The story deserved great writing.

I honestly do not know how anyone survived WWII. It was an unbelievable world that the soldiers were dropped into; one minute a normal everyday citizen the next a killing machine forced into unspeakable situations. How can a person possibly adjust? I think of friends, family members, everyday people of today and cannot imagine how any of us could possibly survive the kind of hell that some of these ordinary people of the 1940's lived through. Hell for a lot of us today is a slow computer or a dead spot for cell phone reception.

I felt bad for Tommy Lamore; he endured so much pain and suffering that I felt that he deserved a happier ending. He was, if not a hero, a very brave and honorable man. It is good to have these fascinating war stories around to remind us that war is hell and once you are in one you are all of a sudden not "all that" but just an animal trying to survive.

[Malachi Cyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating history, but a very difficult book to go through due to descriptions of Nazi brutality, including to women being held in concentration camps. Would only recommend to mature readers who are ready for a tough read.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal histories, memoirs, and autobiographies are usually a challenge for me to read because I’m always wondering who was really responsible for writing it. I didn’t have that problem here. Although Dan Baker is credited as Tommy LaMore’s co-author, and his contributions are obvious, this story “feels” like LaMore is telling it. The chronological, straight-forward tale of a boy raised during the depression, attracted to flying in his youth, joining the military before the start of World War II and then finding himself swept along by world events and circumstance, reads as if he’s just telling you what happened. With little moralizing or intellectual embellishment, it’s a saga of unbelievable events that history has recorded but that he actually witnessed and in which he took part. As a tail gunner in a B-17 during some of the first bombing raids on Germany, his plane was shot down over France where he was separated from the rest of his crew but was then rescued by the French resistance, whom he ultimately joined. Arrested as a spy by the Gestapo and ultimately imprisoned in a Polish concentration camp which he escaped, he then found himself swept up with the advancing Russian Army as they moved westward toward Germany. It’s truly a galvanizing and suspenseful story even though the outcome of the world events is well known. What an exciting life Tommy lead and what an electrifying historical perspective for the reader.

[Tim Minge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed it. It’s amazing how many stories there are from WW2. This is a great account of one mans experiences in war.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of a young man growing up during the depression and then joining the military wanting to fly when WWII started. He was injured on his way to training and transferred to an airfield helping set things up for target training. Eventually he transferred into a gunner slot and was sent to England to fly as aircrew in the B-17. He does a good job describing the pressure one felt flying on the bombing missions being attacked by German fighters and flak and seeing people you know in planes around you go down.

His plane was shot down in France. He escaped, was hidden by the French underground, went on missions with them, captured by the Gestapo, went thru a mock trial, sentenced to death, then sent to a POW camp in Germany instead. He was then transferred to a much worse camp when he was identified as a malcontent based on his Gestapo background. He and another guy escape, run into the Russians who take them in. The Russians are leading some crazy Mongolian horse troops who charge headlong into any Germans they can find and kill them with machine pistols and sabers. They liberate a woman's work camp where a beautiful Polish girl attaches herself to Tommy. The head of the camp, a female lesbian who murdered many of the woman there in sadistic ways is given to the Mongolians who rape her to death while the female prisoners cheer. The girl ends up killing one of the Mongols who tries to rape her. Eventually the Russians let them go and Tommy, his friend he escaped prison camp with, and the girl make it to the British who send them to Paris. Tommy gets some leave and they spend a romantic time making love to each other in Paris, they buy each other rings, promise to love each other forever, but she decides she has to go back to Poland to find her family before she can try to join Tommy in America. Tommy goes home without her desolate. But before he gets put on the ship they send him back to Germany with the Red Cross to see if he can identify any of the dead bodies in the camp he escaped from. There are hundreds of bodies he has to look at and he can't identify anyone and has lots of nightmares the rest of his life about the experience. He writes and tries to keep in touch with the Polish girl but never hears from her again. Finally he hears that she was killed by the communists in 1947. He wears her ring around his neck the rest of his life.

An incredible story written many years after the war ended. So incredible I almost wonder if it's all true.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thiis a brisk and exciting read about a B-17 tailgunner's journey into the air, down into the French resistance and out to the Russian side of the Eastern Front though the Luftwaffe/German POW system rhough escape. At the point of farflung "Mongolian Terror Troops" my credulity was stretched

I enjoyed this book much, don't get me wrong. In it, the author, talks extensively of fanatical, murderous pistol and sabre armed "Mongolian Terror Troops". I suppose they were maybe Cossack or mis-id'ed calvary from a central Asian SSR. However, so much of his story seems extreme and hard to believe starting at this point in the book, I wonder at the truth of much of it. Along with the rapacious "Mongolians" (really, citizenb of Mongolia, left the Japanese threat behind to fight in Europe?) the story of superhuman Ivan the Russian officer who easily makes room in his jeep and life for the author, a dog and their two Polish travelling companions (Russia still then digesting Poland) all starts to seems a bit much.

(I sought answers to this on Axis History Forum.)

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of Tommy LaMore and his exploits in WW2.

Some of it is so amazing it's hard to believe it's true. He avoided death so many times. Occasionally over-gushy, sentimental and with a religious tone, it was a little sickly sweet to read.

I tried to look up some of the camps Tommy was at. Stalag Luft IV was a major camp that help American NCO airmen (up to 8000) in Poland and there's a Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_...) about it. I thought this was the camp where he said the occupants were machine-gunned. From the wiki page, it sounded like towards the end of the war there was a death march to get away from the incoming Soviet advance.

Interesting book but not sure how much of it is true.

[Troy Hammon · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a work of historical fiction, this book is not terrible. True, it is full of clichéd characters but it moves at a decent pace. The problem is, however, that this book purports to be a memoir. I just cannot buy it. If one person had undergone the breadth of adventures or possessed the amazing skill with language (learning French, German, Russian and Polish essentially on the fly), then they would likely already be a well-known historical figure. Instead, I have not been able to identify any other reports or stories about the author. In the end, all evidence points to a fictional account.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This airman had to crash land in World War II over Nazi-occupied France. He was rescued, betrayed, survived and escaped from a Nazi death camp, and was liberated by the Russians. A great tale of adventure. Some of the timing of events was so perfect that I wondered if the facts had been manipulated.

[Vincent Andersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this book, but it pushes well beyond the bounds of credulity to accept it as a "true" story. It's a yarn, perhaps stitching the experiences of several people together or maybe just created around a string of historical facts.
Three and half stars....five if they can prove it happened.

[Mike DiFilippo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a B movie thriller. If this story is true then it's more incredible and bizarre than all the WWII movies combined.

[Adam Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly could not believe some of the events that unfolded in ONE MAN'S WAR, and I am an avid reader of Second World War non fiction novels!

I absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in a great read, as well if you are a WWII enthusiast. Or perhaps an introduction to the horrors of war and the heroes of humanity.

Thank you very kindly for making sure that this made print (and audio book).

Thank you Tommy Lamore for memorializing your incredible experiences.

[Schvenn]

Amazing story. So fantastic that it's likely untrue, but there aren't exactly any fact checkers around to verify or deny any of what the authour indicates he experienced. I don't doubt that a lot of these things happened, but not likely all to the one man. I suspect Tommy adopted many stories from many people into one incredible biography, in order to sensationalize his tale. Regardless, it was effective and fascinating and I highly recommend it.

[Jordan Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read almost can’t believe it. I read this on a day I encountered and saw 100 Biden illegals and Findlay is starting to look third world country it’s crazy so it broke my heart all day listening to the hell these men went through to fight for a country now in collapse. 100% reccommend though

[David Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of one airman in WWII

[HaleakalaBound · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember liking it, but I also don't remember much about it.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like war adventure stories with some romance, you’ll probably like this.

[Candace Simar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most unusual WW2 memoir by an airforce tail gunner shot down over France. I learned a lot from it.

[Albert Betit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by a trusted history buff. A true story of a harrowing journey during WW2 written by the son of the person of whom the book is about but told as first person. It was fascinating and gripping all at once. There is a bit of a love story, and I was surprised by the ending itself, which made me curious to chase down more info on Tommy Lamore and his Polish love interest but as another reader said, there is not much info out there. Other than that, I enjoyed the book and felt very much in the trenches in everything that went on.

[Michael Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a hardscrabble 1930s youth in Texas, Tommy Lamore manages to make his way into the American air force fighting the Third Reich. After crash landing in France, he winds up with the Resistance before being betrayed and shipped off to a terrible concentration camp. His narrative of survival is frank and compelling, almost cinematic. It's hard to fathom the eventful lives so many men experienced in the 1940s.

Lamore is personable and does of good job of relating the conflicting emotions and motivations of a man in extreme circumstances. The events are not sanitized; the sources of his PTSD, evident even before he returns stateside, are clear. This is a good read (or rather, a good listen).

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, who knew once person could survive so much hardship and be involved in so many different parts of World War II and live to tell the tale. This was one of those pleasant accidental finds at my library and I am so glad I came across it.

[Matthew Sparling · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of a US Army Air Corps Flyers life. I very much liked the that pretty much his whole life was covered from youth to his coming home after the war. The snippet at the end about his after war life was a bit weak. Overall an excellent book!

[Jason Andrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the coolest WWII stories I've read. Seems unbelievable that so much could happen to one person. Some parts were disturbing and stick with you, but the realities of war are ugly...

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Man's War was a great book.

I instantly recommended it to friends and colleagues.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story and events. War leaves many people without the things they love, but it makes those who love war rich. Some are broken in war while others feel they are not whole without it.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost 5 stars