Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen

Sep 04, 2017 happy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history-world-war-ii, biography

I will admit to a predisposition to like this book. Jimmy Stewart is my all-time favorite actor. I have read a couple of books on his WW II experiences, so I had a superficial understanding of the facts of this biography. However, Mr. Matzen does a superb job of telling the motivations and stresses that Mr. Stewart and by extension all those who experienced combat in World War II.

I found the prologue really set the tone of the narrative. The author starts by describing a movie set in the baking I will admit to a predisposition to like this book. Jimmy Stewart is my all-time favorite actor. I have read a couple of books on his WW II experiences, so I had a superficial understanding of the facts of this biography. However, Mr. Matzen does a superb job of telling the motivations and stresses that Mr. Stewart and by extension all those who experienced combat in World War II.

I found the prologue really set the tone of the narrative. The author starts by describing a movie set in the baking California summer sun. The movie that is being filmed is set in the winter so all of the actors are bundled up in winter clothing. Mr. Matzen puts the reader in one of the actor’s heads as he is waiting for his cue. The actor is wondering if this is film is going to work or is he going to have to find something else to do. While never named, the actor of course is James Maitland Stewart.

Roughly the first third of this narrative is telling how James Stewart, the young man from Indiana, Pa became Jimmy Stewart the Actor. He tells of his childhood, his father's and grandfather's participation in the nation’s wars. Both grandfathers served in the Civil War and his father was a two war vet – serving in both the Spanish American War and World War I. In his family it was taken for granted that when your nation called, you went. He also had a fascination with aviation starting a very young age.

The author also tells how he got into acting, his struggles as a young actor on Broadway. While a struggling actor in New York, he shares an apartment with the man who would become probably his closest friend, Henry Fonda. Some of the stories of their time in New York are both funny and poignant. They spent much time building a model of a B-10 bomber. Fonda then moves on to Hollywood leaving Stewart in New York. When Jimmy telegraphs Henry he is coming to Hollywood, Mr Fonda’s answer is “Bring the plane.” He did.

One of the themes the author explores in telling of Stewart's prewar Hollywood years in just how much a lady’s man he was. According to the author, Jimmy probably slept with half the A list actresses in the business. He also tells of Stewarts continued fascination with aviation. While in California, Stewart earns his pilots license and becomes a really accomplished pilot. By the time he is drafted, he almost has his commercial ticket.

For me the narrative really takes off when Stewart is at first rejected for military service because he is too lite. His battle to be accepted in the Army and later get an actual combat posting are extremely well done. Once he is commissioned and receives his wings at the behest of MGM he is assigned to make propaganda films in Ohio. He wants nothing to do with this and makes just one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_B2i...). He is able to get his immediate superiors to recommend him for combat and he joins a forming B-24 group as a squadron operations officer and it is off to England, the 8th Air Force and war.

Another point the author makes clear is Stewart utter and complete distain for the publicity aspects of his being a celebrity in a combat zone. He wants to be known as Cpt/Maj/LTC Stewart not Jimmy Stewart the actor. He absolutely refused to cooperate with the PR people at the 8th AF HQ. In fact he practically bans reporters from his base. While in England he takes his turn flying combat, including an early mission to Berlin, eventually completing 20 missions. He experiences what his people are experiencing. One noteworthy mission the author recounts in where a flack shell takes off the bottom of his aircraft leaving the flight deck and Maj Stewart sitting over open sky.

In telling of Stewart’s time in England, the author not only recounts the combat, but the stress of command. He looks at Stewarts command style and the affect command had on him. He also looks at the airplane he flew, the B-24. It was cold, drafty and had a tendency to leak fuel. In fact B-24 crews often flew with the bombay doors cracked to vent gas fumes. The author also looks at the problems of just getting aircraft into formation in the cloudy and crowded skies over East Anglia.

To balance out the Jimmy's wartime story, the author choses to include the stories of 3 other people. The first in a gunner in his group, but not his squadron. The second is a Luftwaffe fighter pilot. The third is a young German girl who is underneath the bombs Stewart and his compatriots are delivering.

The author concludes the book with a look a Jimmy’s post war movie career. Upon returning home from the war he was uncertain that Hollywood would accept him. He felt that he could no longer play the types of roles he performed before the war. Then Frank Capra offers him it’s a Wonderful Life and the rest as they say is history. In telling of his post war career the author speculates on how his experiences affected his choice of roles, esp his westerns.

This is a 4.75 star read for me, so I’ve rounded up for Goodreads. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Mr. Stewart or the Aerial War over Germany. ...more

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Oct 07, 2017 HBalikov rated it really liked it

James Maitland Stewart is a name we don’t often hear. But, Jimmy Stewart, the movie star, most all of us have heard of him even if we never saw any of his movies while he lived. Why? Because he was the star of an enduring Christmas movie that is shown every year, multiple times, and excerpted whenever there is a play for sentimentality. It’s a Wonderful Life may not have been your favorite movie with Jimmy Stewart, but Matzen weaves this movie into the story of Stewart’s life and its significanc ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 Sean Peters rated it really liked it

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and the author for a ARC.

A little from my action packed thriller fiction books, and nice to change pace.

As a film buff, former film writer and also a huge James Stewart fan.

Great to read about all his exploits in his early years in Hollywood in the 30's, and 40's before the war.

Here is where the author had done his enormous amount of research, as we follow his career in the American Air Force his training in America, then also his active flying and his mis ...more

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Mar 22, 2018 Carol rated it it was amazing

I have finished one of the best biographies I've ever read called "Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe." Just fantastic. It's not a fluffy easy book, but one of tremendous content and excellent story and experiences.

Jimmy, born James Maitland Stewart born in 1908 in Indiana/Pennsylvania to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent. He had an amazing and tremendous career in Hollywoo I have finished one of the best biographies I've ever read called "Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe." Just fantastic. It's not a fluffy easy book, but one of tremendous content and excellent story and experiences.

Jimmy, born James Maitland Stewart born in 1908 in Indiana/Pennsylvania to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent. He had an amazing and tremendous career in Hollywood. He did a lot of comedies and different types of movies. He was mighty fond of the girls there, but wasn't ready to settle down. He was also an Academy Awards Winner. His moral fiber is so amazing to me. He left fame and fortune behind and joined the United States Army Air Corps to fulfill his family mission and serve his country. He rose from being a private to being a colonel and participated in twenty combat missions over Germany and France. In a short amount of time like a few months the war took away his boyish looks as he faced near-death experiences and the loss of men under his command. The War, finally won, he returned home with millions of other veterans to face an uncertain future. Jimmy's health was very poor while he was away. to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent. to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent.

But with war looking inevitable, Stewart set his sights on a new role, this time in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He even bought his own plane, a Stinson 105, eventually graduating to multi-engine aircraft and earning a commercial pilot’s license, all on his own.

Stewart’s draft number was 310, but though he was 6-foot-3, he weighed only 138 pounds. When the Army turned him down as too skinny, he started eating spaghetti twice a day, supplemented with steaks and milkshakes. At a second physical in March 1941, he still hadn’t gained quite enough weight to be eligible, but he talked the Army doctors into adding an ounce or two so he could qualify, then ran outside shouting to fellow actor Burgess Meredith: “I’m in! I’m in!” He had a good health record such that they were able to send him for service. They said he lived on Ice cream and peanuts his as the stress was so hard when he was in the war.

In March 1943, Stewart briefly became the operations officer of the 703rd Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, in Sioux City, Iowa. He was named the squadron’s commander three weeks later.

On November 11, Captain Stewart led two-dozen B-24H Liberators to England by way of Florida, Brazil, Senegal and Morocco. They became part of the 2nd Air Division, Eighth Air Force, stationed at Tibenham. Within hours of their arrival, Germany’s “Lord Haw-Haw” welcomed the squadron on the radio. Following a few shakedown flights, Stewart’s first mission was to bomb the naval yards at Kiel, flying a B-24 that had been named Nine Yanks and a Jerk by a previous crew.

The actor-turned-commander was a successful, popular officer. His roommate at the time recalled: “I always got the feeling that he would never ask you to do something he wouldn’t do himself. Everything that man did seemed to go like clockwork.”

Stewart was lucky, too. During his third mission, on Christmas Eve, his group was ordered to hit V-1 launching sites at Bonnaires, France. Coming in low at 12,000 feet, 35 B24s plastered the target near the coast, then returned to base without even being targeted by flak or fighters. If two of the Liberators hadn’t collided on takeoff, it would have been a perfect mission.

He also took care of his men. When Stewart found out the finance officer wouldn’t have enough money for his crew for a few days, he threatened to have him transferred to the infantry unless they were paid immediately. And when one of his crews hid a keg of stolen beer in their barracks, he ambled in, threw off the covers and drew himself a glass, then announced that there was a keg of beer around there somewhere, it was a very serious matter and it should be taken care of immediately…if they ever found it. He then finished his beer and walked out.
Lt. Gen. Martial Valin, chief of staff, French air force, awards the Croix de Guerre with Palm to Colonel Stewart for exceptional services in the liberation of France. (U.S. Air Force)

In January 1944, Stewart was promoted to major, a promotion he had refused until, as he said, “my junior officers get promoted from lieutenants.” By that time he commanded all four squadrons of the 445th Bomb Group. He was promoted one more time to Colonel and Chief of Staff. When he was briefing his men, one day Walter Matthau came to watch. All the men were very impressed that Jimmy Stewart was the man to give briefings etc. No one was more serious than Jim (what they called) when he was on tax. They said he worked 15 hours per day and no one worked harder.

Highly recommend. ...more

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May 16, 2016 Donna Davis rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoirs-biographies-autobio, reviewed, history, blogged, net-galley

In Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, Robert Matzen provides an engaging, compelling memoir that focuses primarily on Stewart’s time as an aviator during World War II. Thanks go to Net Galley and to Goodknight Books for the DRC.

The book begins with Stewart’s childhood in a small Pennsylvania town. His is a close knit family with a strong military tradition. An outstanding student, he is educated at Princeton and falls in love with theater one summer. He hits the road for Hollywood In Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, Robert Matzen provides an engaging, compelling memoir that focuses primarily on Stewart’s time as an aviator during World War II. Thanks go to Net Galley and to Goodknight Books for the DRC.

The book begins with Stewart’s childhood in a small Pennsylvania town. His is a close knit family with a strong military tradition. An outstanding student, he is educated at Princeton and falls in love with theater one summer. He hits the road for Hollywood to fulfill his dream.

Because of the title, I am taken aback at the amount of celebrity gossip that is included in the first portion of the biography. Matzen wants us to know that Stewart used his skinny-awkward-young-man routine as a sort of foreplay to work his way between the sheets with one well known actress after another; he lists many of them. I could have lived without this part, but maybe you’ll enjoy it. If like me you are really only interested in the military aspect of it, skip the Hollywood part at the start and pick it back up when he enlists. Eventually this is what I did.

Once there, the story is fascinating. Stewart resolutely straight-armed studio efforts to keep him in the USA or use him to entertain troops, as some actors that are drafted chose to do. He angers a studio head who actually tells him, “You’ll never work in this town again”. He decides he is going to do his part like any other man, apart from the fact that he had always wanted to fly and now has the money for a private plane and flying lessons. Once he is actually in uniform, he is able to become the aviator he has dreamed of being as a youngster.

As Martzen unspools Stewart’s story, which had to be difficult to research given Stewart’s resolute refusal to discuss that period, I am instantly engaged. I had known at one time that the planes were not heated back then, but hadn’t fully appreciated the dangers and challenges posed by the cold alone once in the air. A man could suffocate if he didn’t regularly break the ice off of his mask. Men could and did lose body parts to frostbite.

The stories of the men that would eventually serve under him as he rises in rank, not due to strings pulled by authorities but as he has wished, by merit and leadership capability, are also both interesting and poignant. Reading the way the pilots name and decorate their planes, how individual aircraft with idiosyncrasies that make them handle differently so that the pilots strongly prefer to fly their own ships, is interesting, and reading the personal details and in some cases, the deaths of these men is wrenching in some places, poignant in others.

When Stewart has completed his military service, he looks at least ten years older than he is. He’s seen a lot. If he returns to Hollywood, there’s no chance he will play the same roles he used to do. He stalwartly refuses to exploit his time in the service by making World War II films, which are enormously popular, and for a long time, his phone doesn’t ring. He’s sleeping at his parents’ house in his old childhood bedroom, wondering what will happen. But in time he hears from Frank Capra, who has an idea for a picture “based on a story titled ‘The Greatest Gift,’ about a man from a small town who wishes he had never been born. Jim was the only actor in Hollywood whom Capra considered for the role.”

Despite the sense of alienation he experiences with his return to the other-worldly, glitzy city after his gritty, intense experience in the war, Stewart is glad to be back, and he plays what will become an iconic role, that of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. He credits Capra with saving his career, and is overjoyed to be back:

“He was engaged in something magical again, something to interest people in the art of living, rather than the art of dying.”

The book also discusses Stewart’s lifelong friendship with Henry Fonda, and his marriage. We get a brief overview of the peacetime lives of the surviving members of Stewart’s first crew.

If it were up to me, I would remove all of the somewhat jarring photos at the end of the book that show Stewart alongside one actress after another, and I’d replace them with photos and maybe diagrams of the planes we hear so much about. A map here and there wouldn’t hurt, since we follow his flight paths and it’s sometimes hard to visualize where these places are. I used Google, but would like to see these included as part of the published memoir, perhaps in the center, where they’re most relevant.

I recommend this biography to fans of Stewart’s, and I recommend most of this book to those with an interest in military history. The book is available to the public October 24, 2016. ...more

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Dec 14, 2016 Johnny rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography

I’m getting old enough now that a lot of my students don’t recognize my Jimmy Stewart impression with its stuttering and awkward pauses. The truth is, I didn’t know much about Jimmy Stewart before reading this focused biography, despite my impressions of the screen actor. Stewart’s acting forms the bookends for the body of this volume. The reader is introduced to Stewart as the actor in It’s a Wonderful Life, the Christmas classic from Republic Pictures. Yet, it leaves the “snowy” set for the b I’m getting old enough now that a lot of my students don’t recognize my Jimmy Stewart impression with its stuttering and awkward pauses. The truth is, I didn’t know much about Jimmy Stewart before reading this focused biography, despite my impressions of the screen actor. Stewart’s acting forms the bookends for the body of this volume. The reader is introduced to Stewart as the actor in It’s a Wonderful Life, the Christmas classic from Republic Pictures. Yet, it leaves the “snowy” set for the bulk of the book and comes back to the set toward the end. Why? Because It’s a Wonderful Life was Stewart’s first film after returning from his World War II duty in Europe.

After introducing the reader to the actor, the narrative regresses to Indiana, PA and traces Stewart through his education and to his experience with famous roommates Henry Fonda and Burgess Meredith. At this point, the reader gets to see Stewart moving from relationship to relationship as a sexual swashbuckler who seems to conquer for reasons of personal confidence and security. His relationship with Norma Shearer gave rise to the famous cigarette lighter gift story which is parodied in Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, “Mad About the Boy.” But it is important to understand this chapter in his life to understand his calm, mature demeanor one he gets to war.

I didn’t realize that Stewart was fed up with acting prior to entering the service and it hadn’t registered to me that he had started flying as soon as he could—even going on a passenger flight with a barnstormer in the early days of aviation. I didn’t realize that several Hollywood stars flew private planes nor that Stewart had survived a crack-up during his civilian flying days. Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe shows the actor as ready for something completely different. Even though he loved flying, he wasn’t satisfied with his role as a flight trainer. He longed for combat and felt that his strict Presbyterian father (and his lineage of military officer ancestors) would not be pleased with him until he served as such an officer in time of war.

So, the older actor (in his 30s) eventually ended up as an operations officer who often flew missions during the deadly daylight bombing missions on Germany during WWII. He was often decorated and some of the accounts of these missions are quite harrowing. But they aren’t really told through anything Stewart himself shared. They were told by his comrades, crew mates, and members of his team. Most memorable to me were accounts of flak, weather, and COLD. The latter was significantly worse than I had ever considered. Also, how many people actually realize how many bombers were lost during the time the formations assembled? I know I sure didn’t.

But even Robert Matzen isn’t a one-trick pony. He inserts small vignettes from a girl growing up in Germany during the bombing, from a crew member, and a much-decorated enemy pilot. Such vignettes rounded out the story and reminded the reader that bomber pilots—particularly those who flew the Liberators with all of their mechanical problems—don’t accomplish their jobs in solo mode. Matzen doesn’t make Stewart invincible, either. He talks about his combat nerves and talks about his reluctant return to the film set. And here, Matzen brings us back to It’s a Wonderful Life. But now, we know it wasn’t so wonderful after all.
...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Nicola Mansfield rated it really liked it

This is a biography or history of Jimmy Stewart's war years of which very little has previously been written as Jim refused to talk about it. Born into a family who had a male fighting in every war since the Spanish-American War, Jim was raised that one day he too must serve his country at war. The book may also be said to be a history of the 4445th Bomb Squad where Jim spent most of his active service, ultimately reaching the rank of full Colonel. Matzen has a flowing narrative style which is v ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: wwii-europe, biography, nonfiction

While surfing channels one night I came across a channel that was showing old Johnny Carson reruns. On that show Johnny was interviewing Jimmy Stewart. They were talking about his movies "A Wonderful Life," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and "Vertigo". They also spent sometime talking about his service in WWII which I found kind of interesting and knew little about. I googled that and ran across this book. In it Matzen creates a vivid image of who Stewart was before and during WWII. Jimmy Stewa While surfing channels one night I came across a channel that was showing old Johnny Carson reruns. On that show Johnny was interviewing Jimmy Stewart. They were talking about his movies "A Wonderful Life," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and "Vertigo". They also spent sometime talking about his service in WWII which I found kind of interesting and knew little about. I googled that and ran across this book. In it Matzen creates a vivid image of who Stewart was before and during WWII. Jimmy Stewart was actively engaged in some of the most dangerous and emotional devastating aspects of the war. Several chapters puts you right in the seat of the pants of Stewart as he commands a B-24 Liberator. There is an excellent chapter on the checklist that a pilot goes through before leaving the runway in this beast of plane that I would give anything to fly. But his wartime service came at a high personal price. In the final months of WWII he was grounded for being “flak happy,” today called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).When he returned to the US in August 1945, Stewart was a changed man. He had lost so much weight that he looked sickly. He rarely slept, and when he did he had nightmares of planes exploding and men falling through the air screaming (in one mission alone his unit had lost 13 planes and 130 men, most of whom he knew personally). He was depressed, couldn’t focus, and refused to talk to anyone about his war experiences. His acting career was all but over. In 1946 he got his break. He took the role of George Bailey, the suicidal father in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The rest is history. Actors and crew of the set realized that in many of the disturbing scenes of George Bailey unraveling in front of his family, Stewart wasn’t acting. His PTSD was being captured on filmed for potentially millions to see. I found this interesting to the say the least. Robert Madzen's Mission gave me insight into the one area of Jimmy Stewart's life that has been in the shadows for so long. I only knew Jimmy Stewart as the actor. Now I feel I know the complete story about him as human being. Interesting book, interesting individual. ...more

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Jun 13, 2016 Terri Wangard rated it really liked it

Jimmy Stewart enjoyed success in Hollywood. Professionally, he won the 1941 Academy Award as Best Actor for The Philadelphia Story, and found enduring fame for It’s a Wonderful Life. Personally, he made the conquest of many of his female costars. That was disappointing to learn; I thought he had such a clean cut image.

With American involvement in the war likely, the draft began. His draft number got him in early, before Pearl Harbor. He waged his own battle to get into the Air Force. Overseas. I

Jimmy Stewart enjoyed success in Hollywood. Professionally, he won the 1941 Academy Award as Best Actor for The Philadelphia Story, and found enduring fame for It’s a Wonderful Life. Personally, he made the conquest of many of his female costars. That was disappointing to learn; I thought he had such a clean cut image.

With American involvement in the war likely, the draft began. His draft number got him in early, before Pearl Harbor. He waged his own battle to get into the Air Force. Overseas. In combat. Not just one token mission, but a sustained combat tour.

Serving their country was a Stewart family mission. Jim’s grandfather served in the Civil War; his father in the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Stewart already had his own plane and worked toward a transport license as a commercial pilot, doing as much as he could to increase his prospects and offset his advanced age of thirty-three. Most pilots were at least ten years younger than he.

Louis B. Mayer of MGM, which had Stewart under contract, did his best to keep Jim out of combat and suggested he could best serve in the Army Air Corps Motion Picture Unit. Stewart did make Winning Your Wings, one of the most successful recruiting films of the war. But he would not allow it to deter him from serving in combat.

He seemed destine to serve as a flying instructor. A talk with his commanding officer at Gowen Field in Idaho resulted in the “static” designation removed from his personnel file. A newly formed B-24 bomb group needed personnel, and Stewart was on his way as an operations officer of one of the four squadrons.

As a squadron commander in Tibenham, England, he flew missions in rotation with the other high ranking officers in the 445th Bomb Group. He saw friends die and planes explode.

His hair began turning gray. A nervous stomach had always made eating a full meal difficult. Now he could barely eat at all, telling a childhood friends that ice cream and peanut butter got him through the war. He got the shakes, wrung out by the rigors of war. Nevertheless, he rose to Colonel in command of the Second Combat Wing.

After the war, Jim Stewart enlisted in the Officers Reserve Corp because he considered his service years as the happiest years of his life. Considering all the stress and horror of war, that’s hard to imagine.

And since acting was the only thing he liked to do, he returned to Hollywood, hoping to resurrect his career. Retaining stardom wasn’t a given. Many actors served in the military and failed to regain their momentum. New, younger actors were getting the starring roles.
Stewart was 37 and looked 50, no longer a probable romantic lead. Detective and murder pictures were now big, but having just been through the war, he wanted no part in a movie about death. He would prefer a comedy. Louis B. Mayer wanted to make The James Stewart Story about his war experience, but Stewart said no. His refusal to relive the war extended to conversation. He never talked about his experiences.

Actors weren’t the only ones having trouble getting reestablished. Producer/director Frank Capra wasn’t getting offers, so he went independent and called Jim Stewart about a project he had in mind called “The Greatest Gift.” Renamed, It’s a Wonderful Life saved Jimmy Stewart’s career.

Mission concentrates most on Stewart’s military service during World War II, but covers his childhood and prewar Hollywood days, too. An enlightening biography I recommend. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

...more

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Jan 20, 2021 Roger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

MISSION provides a readily accessible story of Jimmy Stewart's service in the Army Air Corps during World War Two. Most folks around today who do remember Stewart probably do so because of "It's a Wonderful Life", the Frank Capra directed movie produced in 1946 and now an annual Christmas tradition in many families. Others may remember his aw shucks appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in the 1970s, where he came off as a slightly befuddled gentle old man ( a contrived image by a smart ma MISSION provides a readily accessible story of Jimmy Stewart's service in the Army Air Corps during World War Two. Most folks around today who do remember Stewart probably do so because of "It's a Wonderful Life", the Frank Capra directed movie produced in 1946 and now an annual Christmas tradition in many families. Others may remember his aw shucks appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in the 1970s, where he came off as a slightly befuddled gentle old man ( a contrived image by a smart man, but in some small part the result of hearing loss produced by hours spent in noisy B-24s). If we knew of his WWII service it wasn't from Stewart, who did not talk of his experiences, and we probably lumped Stewart in with other Hollywood idols who served during WWII, but primarily in rear echelon or home front public relations roles (looking at you Ron).

The bulk of Matzen's book is devoted to telling the story of Jimmy Stewart in WWII. Early on Matzen briefly tells the story of Stewart's youth and transition to unlikely Hollywood star in the 1930s, often with an eye toward establishing context for Stewart's later unswerving efforts to serve his country. The most surprising detail herein -- Stewart was quite the ladies man and the list of his romantic/sexual partners constitutes a Hollywood who's who.

The revelations about Stewart in WWII are this book's newfound treasure, though. Stewart learned how to fly in the late 1930s with an eye toward military service in the conflict he saw forthcoming. He even purchased a plane that just happened to be the same model used in training Army Air Corps trainees. As war approached and then arrived on December 7, 1941, Stewart fought to join the Army Air Corps despite obstacles created by his studio head, the infamous Louis B. Mayer who didn't want Stewart to enlist and then when he couldn't stop that wanted Stewart to serve in the home front public relations arm of the AAC. Stewart also had to overcome his age. In his thirties, he was a decade or more older than his fellow trainees, and too old for the quick thinking required of wartime pilots according to the stereotypes of the day. To top it off, he was just too darn skinny to meet Army requirements. Stewart overcame all these obtacles and served in the Army Air Corps for over four years, 15 months of which occured in the European Theater of Operations. He would eventually fly 20 missions in the Allied bombing campaign against Germany and rise from enlisted man to full bird Colonel over the course of his service.

Matzen focuses on these missions and this is the best part of the book. Academic historians may complain about the narrow nature of some of the research, or about assuming thoughts and conversations based on the evidence at hand, but the re-telling works to capture the harrowing nature of the air war. Jimmy Stewart was in the thick of things. Stewart even abjured talking to the press during his time in England, because he did not want to undervalue the work of all his colleagues by placing undue attention on himself.

Matzen mentions frequently that when Stewart came back from the war friends and family were astonished at how much he had aged. A different Stewart came back from the war, which made the emotional angst of his performance in "It's a Wonderful Life" so compelling. Matzen argues that his wartime service defined the rest of Stewart's life, from his work to his relations with colleagues and his spouse. In that sense, Stewart shared the same experience coming home that so many of his colleagues in service did, beset by emotions that people who did not serve simply could not understand. It's not his movie, but Stewart must have emphathized with "The Best Years of Our Lives."

If you want to read more on the issue of returning WWII vets, William M. Tuttle, Jr.'s DADDY'S GONE TO WAR is an excellent piece of research and analysis.

When we ask young men
to fight for us, the cost should
not be forgotten. ...more

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Feb 04, 2021 Fergie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

** 4 - 4 1/2 stars ** Growing-up in the 1970's and early '80's, I and those of my generation were surrounded by giants from the WWII 'greatest' generation. As someone who loves old Hollywood, I was drawn to this book, never having known all Jimmy Stewart had faced and accomplished in that war. MISSION: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe tells the story of how one of Hollywood's leading men of the time left behind the safety and security of a cushy life in film to partake in dangerous aerial ...more

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Jan 15, 2019 Roger Rosenberg rated it it was amazing

Excellent telling of the Jimmy Stewart story. Early in my own USAF career I had supervisors who flew missions with his or associate units. Never heard anything but praise for him. He was known to fly and command difficult missions while his status as a screen star could have resulted in an easier position elsewhere than at the front of a difficult and very dangerous part of the war.

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Jan 03, 2018 David rated it it was amazing

Excellent book not only about Jimmy Stewart's time in the service but life in a bomber group in WWII! ...more

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Jan 13, 2021 Jane Gilbert rated it it was amazing

“This is not Jimmy’s story. This is the story of the real guy, a quiet, high-strung loner who fought feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.” – Robert Matzen

As I begin this review, I am in awe of the amount of research that went into writing this book. As with Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 and Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II,” Robert Matzen spent years researching, conducting interviews, gathering first-hand accounts of events, and visiting actual locations wher “This is not Jimmy’s story. This is the story of the real guy, a quiet, high-strung loner who fought feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.” – Robert Matzen

As I begin this review, I am in awe of the amount of research that went into writing this book. As with Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 and Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II,” Robert Matzen spent years researching, conducting interviews, gathering first-hand accounts of events, and visiting actual locations where those events took place. All that work became Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe. This is a book worth reading. I am so grateful for the research that Matzen did to bring this story to the world.

The book begins with a forward by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin. He describes Mission as a “compelling narrative” and “groundbreaking.” Maltin references Matzen’s ability of “getting inside his subject’s head and recreating specific moments in the heat of preparation for combat.” I was already excited about reading Mission. Leonard Maltin’s words only served to feed that excitement.

Robert Matzen begins by telling about Jimmy Stewart’s upbringing. The reader quickly gets a sense of Jimmy’s duty to serve his country. After all, he grew up with stories of the Great War from his father, who left college just weeks before graduating from Princeton to join the Spanish-American War, although he saw no action. Jimmy’s paternal grandfather joined the Union Army and served under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan and Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer. Sgt. Steward was at Appomattox when Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant.

In addition to his paternal ancestors, Jimmy Stewart’s maternal grandfather was a colonel in the Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserves and witnessed history at Gettysburg. He became a general by the time the Civil War ended. It seemed military service was Jimmy Stewart’s destiny.

Mission does not just talk about the military life of Jimmy Stewart. The reader gains a thorough understanding of Jimmy’s religious roots, his struggles to get through high school and attend Princeton (following his father’s footsteps), as well as the challenges he faced as he pursued acting and his life after he got to Hollywood, and even the struggles he encountered when he returned home from Europe.

Before reading Mission, I had this preconceived notion that Jimmy Stewart could choose where he went and what he did when he joined the Army. After all, he was Jimmy Stewart, the big-time movie star. I could not have been more wrong! Jimmy loved to fly, and he knew this war would be fought in the air. He was determined to be part of it. He earned his pilot’s license and accumulated as much flight time as possible. When he joined the Army, he had no idea what a fight it would be to get to Europe. Hollywood executives pulled strings to keep him stateside for fear of losing their star. Washington leaders wanted him kept stateside for fear of what a prize he would be if he was shot down and taken captive by Axis forces. Nevertheless, someone saw Jimmy’s determination and resolve. Going against all the notes in Jimmy’s records, he gave Jimmy orders to ship out to Europe and join the US Army’s Eighth Air Force. No one could have prepared him for what was in store.

Most people should understand that war is a horrible thing. No one in his/her right mind would want to go to war. Jimmy Stewart did not want to go to war. However, when war broke out, he did want to serve his country, and he knew his flying abilities would serve as an asset for the Allied Forces. He was correct. Not only his flying abilities but also his leadership skills would prove invaluable to the US Army’s Eight Air Force.

Jimmy Stewart was a man on a mission, and he flew many missions over Europe. He also watched as other flight crews took off to the air over Europe, some never to return. He felt a great deal of responsibility for all those men. Robert Matzen goes into detail to make the reader better understand what life was like for all these men, not just Jimmy Stewart. Matzen writes as if he was telling the story from first-hand experience. His imagery is that vivid.

Mission also includes the story of a young girl born in Germany as Hitler is coming into power. She did not understand, and could not understand, how growing flowers was dangerous. That is what her nice neighbor did before he was taken away to a concentration camp so he could not hurt anyone. Her mother took her to town so she could see history, but she saw burning synagogues and glass scattered about where businesses were destroyed. She stood in a crowd with her parents and listened to a man everyone revered. He frightened her. Years later her father’s diary would give insight into what Germans were being told – and what they were not.

Mission also includes stories of loss and stories of survival against all odds. It is easy to forget that Robert Matzen was not actually there. He has such a thorough understanding of what happened – some from actual survivors themselves. Their stories need to be told just like the stories of those who never returned. No one tells their stories better than Robert Matzen.

Before I retired, I was a high school history teacher. I have learned more from Robert Matzen’s books than I ever taught my classes. His books would be required reading for my students if I were still teaching. When discussing these books with a fellow history teacher, I discovered that he, too, was surprised by some of the information contained in these books. For instance, he had no idea that temperatures would fall to thirty or forty below zero in the airplanes as they flew over Europe. Ice would often form over oxygen masks and oxygen tanks. If flight crews did not pay attention, they could suffocate from ice. Robert Matzen’s books tell what the history books do not. He does not sugarcoat the horrors of war or downplay the nightmares people lived during the war – some continued living those nightmares long after World War II was over.

Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe is an in-depth look at a man who loved his country. He was known all over the world as the laid-back actor everyone loved. However, his happiest time was spent serving his country. Ironically, his happiest time was also the time of his life that left him shaken and forever changed – a time he would not discuss with anyone ever again. ...more

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May 24, 2016 Bonnye Reed rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-or-pdf, keepers

GNAB I received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley, Robert Matzen, and GoodKnight Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for sharing your work with me.

This is an excellent history covering James Stewart's military career. Entertwined with the historical facts surrounding The WWII experiences of Clem Leone, a young enlisted man working as a radio operator in a plane under Stewart's command; Gertrud Siepmann 'Trudy' McVicker, a youngster raised in Germany during the war ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Jeff rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Reads more like historical fiction with a few errors

So how did the author write this book when Jimmy Stewart refused to talk about the war? He used research. Then he put many words and thoughts into Mr. Stewart's mouth and mind. I found this quite distracting.

At one point in the book the author writes about Mr. Stewart's thoughts about the German V-1 attacks on London on Dec. 23, 1943. The attacks didn't begin until June 13, 1944. There are similar errors. This book reads like historical fiction ...more

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Jan 23, 2018 Eric Althoff rated it liked it

Jimmy Stewart refused to talk about his WWII service for the remainder of his storied life. He was already rich and famous when he voluntarily—and against the wishes of his Hollywood overseers, who in fact tried to scuttle his enlistment—joined up with the Army Air Corps as the Nazi threat became ever more grave for Europe and the world.

Stewart was a quiet, introspective man, which lent gravitas to the many historic film roles he assayed in his lengthy career. But it was this same reserve, the ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Isaac rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gr-giveaway-win, five-star-books, wwii, biography-memoir-autobiography

***Goodreads giveaway win in exchange for an honest review***

Jimmy Stewart the American hero off and on the screen. The selfless man who gave up the glitz and glam of Hollywood in order to fulfill what he thought was his duty. He didn't want preferential treatment. He wanted to fight like many generations before him. War aged many men. It aged Stewart none the less. From flying his single engine trainer to flights in a B-24 this book is exciting. Unlike most fiction books it has a good amount of ...more

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Aug 14, 2017 Carl rated it it was ok

I was looking forward to reading this story, albeit listening to it since I downloaded the audio version. But I found the narration and the writing so irritating that I abandoned the book before Captain Stewart even got to Europe. Initially I was put off by the sneering, sarcastic tone of the narrator, but once I sorted through that distraction I found the writing itself to be hackneyed and sophomoric. Too bad!

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Jan 31, 2019 Judi rated it it was amazing

"Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe"

A recent article about Jimmy Stewart's military service in WWII and his following struggle with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) encouraged me to select the book titled "Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe" by Robert Matzen for more information. I had no idea what an amazing journey I was about to take through Mr. Stewart's Philadelphia youth, college days at Princeton, Broadway, Hollywood and Army Air Corps experiences.

From the t "Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe"

A recent article about Jimmy Stewart's military service in WWII and his following struggle with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) encouraged me to select the book titled "Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe" by Robert Matzen for more information. I had no idea what an amazing journey I was about to take through Mr. Stewart's Philadelphia youth, college days at Princeton, Broadway, Hollywood and Army Air Corps experiences.

From the time I opened this book on my Kindle, I was hooked. Mr Matzen's writing was more like being placed inside a movie set as a quiet extra, close enough to touch the main characters but not seen or heard.

Though the glittering days of Hollywood in the 30's and 40's was well before my time, the names of the stars were familiar and the stories shared were a delightful, unexpected treat. His strong work ethic had the studios seeking this fine actor for their films. James Stewart, though a major star, was a man who dealt with internal angst that constantly troubled him, keeping his stomach unsettled and his weight on the light side for his frame. But his eye for the ladies and theirs for him kept him busy off camera too.

Coming from a family where the men of each generation went to war for their country, serving as a pilot in WWII was more than a goal for James Stewart. He was fastidious about every task he took on and he made sure that his skills lacked nothing to keep him from earning his combat pilot rating.

Mr Matzen's strong writing style combined with research and testimonials take the reader into the cockpits of the Liberator B24 bombers on mission after mission as actor turned commander led his young crews into combat situations that would haunt most who survived. Though my father was a WWII fighter pilot, I had not heard much like the air battles as shared in this book. It is not something our Greatest Generation talked about when they came home. It is no wonder this sensitive man became "flak happy", a term used then for what we now call PTS (Post Traumatic Stress).

Coming home was a difficult, almost impossible transition. Trying to fit back into Hollywood was not working out. But a director who was going through the same struggle encouraged Jimmy Stewart to use the PTS in a role that was developed for him. This joint effort of director/actor, two war weary Veterans, was not only a success, it resulted in a classic that is played over and over every year through today.

If the top rating for this book is 5 Stars, I would still give it 15! There is not enough room in a simple review to give the praise it deserves. ...more

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May 09, 2017 Fred rated it really liked it

Let me start off by saying I am a HUGE Jimmy Stewart fan. I have always enjoyed his "everyman" likability. And he's made some great films--VERTIGO, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALENCE, REAR WINDOW, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, BELL BOOK AND CANDLE, and so many, many others. So when my son (thank you, Michael!) gave me this book, I was thrilled. I already knew a lot about Mr. Stewart's film career, but very little about his experiences in World War II Let me start off by saying I am a HUGE Jimmy Stewart fan. I have always enjoyed his "everyman" likability. And he's made some great films--VERTIGO, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALENCE, REAR WINDOW, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, BELL BOOK AND CANDLE, and so many, many others. So when my son (thank you, Michael!) gave me this book, I was thrilled. I already knew a lot about Mr. Stewart's film career, but very little about his experiences in World War II, probably because he refused to talk about them.

Consequently I was anxious to learn more, and this anxiousness may be why I did not enjoy the first third of MISSION. That was where Mr. Matzen discussed Stewart's early days in Hollywood. I had heard a lot of it before, and those parts that were new to me, I didn't really want to know. The whole section read like a Hollywood expose, and given what I have heard about Stewart over the years, he would have HATED that. Is it true that he slept with dozens of famous Hollywood stars in his twenties? I have no idea, and I don't care. Mr. Matzen certainly seems to have done his homework, but personally I find that aspect of Stewart's life (if it's true) uninteresting.

What I did find extraordinarily interesting was the last two-thirds of the book--those pages dealing with Stewart's war years. This is what earned the book four stars from me, and what held my undivided attention. Here was a guy who had everything going for him--fame, fortune, health--and he sacrificed it all to serve his country. The things he experienced overseas were horrendous, and he faced these trials with dignity and perseverance. He truly was one of the best of the Greatest Generation.

I even found his return to Hollywood and his struggles to resume his career fascinating. So all in all, I would encourage you to read MISSION: JIMMY STEWART AND THE FIGHT FOR EUROPE. If you are a fan of Hollywood gossip, you will be enthralled by the first third; and if you are human, you will be stunned by the last two-thirds. ...more

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Jun 09, 2018 D rated it liked it

Shelves: military-history, biography

Before World War Two was brought to America’s distant shores, James Stewart had acted in more than two dozen films, including classics like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Destry Rides Again,” and his Oscar-winning performance in “A Philadelphia Story.” He was a star, but he didn’t hide behind his fame and fortune when the call to arms sounded. Military service spanned generations in the Stewart family. James grew up listening to his grandfather’s first-hand account of the Battle of Gettysburg. ...more

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Nov 27, 2019 Kathryn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: world-war, americana, film-radio-show-biz

In a way, Stewart was a war veteran who happened to be a movie star. Yes, he was a Hollywood A-lister years before Poland was invaded and Pearl Harbor bombed, but Stewart came from a long line of military veterans: his ancestors fought in the American Revolution, the Civil War, and when Jimmy was 10 years old, his 45 year-old father, already a veteran of the Spanish-American War, went over to France to join the U.S. Army Ordinance Corps. Like Lieutenant Dan Taylor of Forest Gump fame, going to w In a way, Stewart was a war veteran who happened to be a movie star. Yes, he was a Hollywood A-lister years before Poland was invaded and Pearl Harbor bombed, but Stewart came from a long line of military veterans: his ancestors fought in the American Revolution, the Civil War, and when Jimmy was 10 years old, his 45 year-old father, already a veteran of the Spanish-American War, went over to France to join the U.S. Army Ordinance Corps. Like Lieutenant Dan Taylor of Forest Gump fame, going to war was in Stewart’s blood, and he earned his pilot’s license long before receiving his most welcome draft letter in March 1941. When Louie B. Mayer tried to prevent Stewart’s exit from Tinseltown, the younger man countered with something the celluloid Senator Jefferson Smith might have said in similar circumstances: “Mr. Mayer, this country’s conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we’ll have to fight.”

When that time came, Stewart worked stateside as a flight instructor before flying as lead pilot in 20 missions over Germany within a 15-month time frame. The pressures of aerial combat gave Stewart a bad case of untreated PTSD, which can be observed, as Matzen points out in the book’s final chapter, in the first film Stewart made upon his return: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Stewart, like many veterans, didn’t talk much about his work post-war. Matzen indicates this repeatedly, so I found it strange that the book often places us inside Stewart’s head, providing the reader with his detailed thoughts and feelings at any given moment. Yes, Matzen did his homework--extensive military research, interviews, and even his own flying—but these attempts to connect the dots for the readers give off a faint whiff of fictionalization.

That aside, Mission is a wonderful book that punctuates Stewart’s biography with single chapters featuring other players—young Germans and another American pilot—all of which brilliantly sets the main narrative and its leading man within their historical context. ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Rick Davis rated it it was amazing

Matzen has written a great book about Jimmy Stewart and his involvement with World War II. He begins with Stewart's early years growing up in Pennsylvania and then college life at Princeton. Matzen describes Stewart's interest in entertainment which took him to New York and eventually to Hollywood where he broke into films. However, Stewart had an underlying desire to serve his nation just as his father and others in his family before him served. Consequently, on the outbreak of World War II Jim ...more

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Feb 04, 2017 George Heidemark rated it it was amazing

In 1946, Academy Award winning actor Jimmy Stewart stood under an umbrella to get shielded from the desert sun as he and director Robert Capra prepared to shoot a movie set in a representative small American town during Christmas. The film It's A Wonderful Like has become a classic. What is less known is that Stewart like millions of Americans was returning home after serving in the war and trying to adjust to a post war world. Robert Matzen brings to life the story of Jimmy Stewart as an office ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 David McClendon, Sr rated it liked it

Mission Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe gives readers a side of Jimmy Stewart that most of us did not know.

This book gives readers a little taste of what Stewart was like as a child and gives us a few details of Jimmy the young man as he moved his way up in the entertainment industry.

However, this book gives readers a look at the horrors of war. We learn a little more about PTSD, which was referred to as shell-shock or being flak happy years ago.

This book is an important read not just b ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Cullen rated it it was amazing

Most people only know Jimmy Stewart as the lovable actor who typically played everymen-type characters. Few would be surprised that he retired from the military as a Brigadier General, or that he finished WWII as a highly respected colonel who had flown dozens of combat missions in B-24s. He wasn't the only Hollywood star to serve his country during the war, but there were few who really put their star status aside and embraced their wartime role.

Stewart came from a family rich in military tradi ...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Jonathan Desimone rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-audible

This is a great book with an amazing level of detail in terms of how things happened during James Stewart’s war years. It was written in a way that makes you feel like you were with him the entire time. And the insights into his personal life pre-war were pretty interesting as well.

In the movies, everything usually works. In the Liberators, nothing did. They were leaky, engine 3 had all the hydraulics so if it had a problem watch out, it got icy at high altitudes, if one circuit went out in a fl ...more

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Sep 08, 2018 Dale rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A Review of the Audiobook

Published in 2017 by Blackstone Audio.
Read by Peter Berkrot.
Duration: 11 hours, 45 minutes.
Unabridged.

Just a few months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart was a new recruit in the U.S. Army angling for the chance to fly a bomber in combat. At the time, he was the reigning male actor in Hollywood, having recently received the Oscar for Best Actor.

But, deep down, Jimmy Stewart wanted to continue the family tradition of military service. The Ar ...more

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Jun 14, 2017 patrick Lorelli rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biography-movie-stars

This is a very good book not just about his life and how he got into show business but also how he felt a need to serve. To actually do something during the war, not just be in a uniform selling bonds. Once you get past the early part of his career that leads up to the war and him joining and becoming a pilot. You are then taken through his struggles to actually get into the air and actually fight. You met his crew and are given a first-hand account of Jimmy Stewart their missions. To me it seem ...more

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