Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission That Changed the War in the Pacific

by Bob Drury, Tom Clavin

“A fast-paced, well-researched…irresistible” ( USA TODAY ) World War II aviation account of friendship, heroism, and sacrifice that reads like Unbroken meets The Dirty Dozen from the authors of the #1 New York Times bestselling The Heart of Everything That Is .

It’s 1942, just after the blow to Pearl Harbor and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, and the United States is reeling. A group of raw US Army Airmen travels to the embattled American Air Base of Port Moresby at Papua, New Guinea. Their to protect Australia, to disrupt the Japanese supply lines, and to fly perilous reconnaissance runs over the enemy-held strongholds. Among the men are pilot Captain Jay Zeamer and bombardier Sergeant Raymond Joseph “Joe” Sarnoski, a pair of swashbuckling screw-ups whose antics prevent them from being assigned to a regular bombing crew. Instead, they rebuild a broken-down B-17 bomber from spare parts and christen the plane Old 666 .

One day in June 1943, a request is volunteers are needed for a reconnaissance flight into the heart of the Japanese empire. Zeamer and Sarnoski see it as a shot at redemption and cobble together a crew and depart in Old 666 under cover of darkness. Five hours later, dozens of Japanese Zeros riddle the plane with bullets. Bloody and half-conscious, Zeamer and Sarnoski keep the plane in the air, winning what will go down as the longest dogfight in history and maneuvering an emergency landing in the jungle. Only one of them will make it home alive.

With unprecedented access to the Old 666 crew’s family and letters, as well as newly released transcripts from the Imperial Air Force’s official accounts of the battle, Lucky 666 is perhaps the last untold “great war story” ( Kirkus Reviews ) from the war in the Pacific. It’s an unforgettable tale of friendship, bravery, and sacrifice—and “highly recommended for WWII and aviation history buffs alike” ( BookPage ).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, World War II, Military History, War, Aviation

368 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2016

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The final flight of 'Old 666' with Captain Jay Zeamer at the helm commanding his crew of 'Eager Beavers' was - and remains - the longest continuous dogfight in the annals of the United States Air Force. [.] What [they] accomplished that day was more than a contribution to America's WWII effort. It was a feat above and beyond the call of duty . . . not bad for a bunch of screwups and misfits." -- on pages 287-288

Author Tom Clavin (probably my favorite contemporary scribe covering U.S. history) teams again with Bob Drury - this dynamic duo have now written a half-dozen books together - for a detailed examination on the trials and tribulations of American aviators serving in World War II with Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission That Changed the War in the Pacific. Although the final quarter of their narrative focuses on said title mission - a photographic reconnaissance assignment that quickly goes sideways when Japanese 'Zeros' arrive on the scene, but results in alternating moments of great terror and also great courage - said authors first leisurely take their time in setting the scene and providing plenty of backstory on the island locales in the South Pacific. I point this out because some readers may final the initial 200 or so pages a bit slow-moving or superfluous. However, Clavin & Drury blend in the character angle by occasionally centering on the two righteous men who would command the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber of the title, Pennsylvania (woot-woot!) natives and friends Jay Zeamer and Joe Sarnoski. In the best tradition of a WWII story (or movie) they assemble a ragtag squad of rugged 'citizen soldiers' to crew their patched-together, Frankenstein-like aircraft that they nickname 'Old 666' from its numerical hull designation and not ol' Beelzebub. Clavin & Drury thrillingly present the final violent mission in a deft manner, and then astutely went for the heartstrings in a least three separate moments during the affecting concluding chapters.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Lucky 666” by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, published by Simon and Schuster.

Category – World War II Publication Date – October 25, 2016.

As I read this book I kept asking myself where did these men come from and what drove them to do such extraordinary things, even at a risk to their own lives. It is only fitting that we thank them everyday for their service for we would not have the lives we live today had it not been for them. Sadly there are so few of them left to say thank you to.

Most World War II books are written about the European Theatre, but few are written about the war that took place in the South Pacific, especially the area of Australia and New Guinea.

This story is about some dedicated Army pilots that were so determined to fly, and to fly the most dangerous missions that they stood in line to volunteer. The crew of “Lucky 666” was just those types of airmen. When they could not get assigned a plane they built a B-17 from spare parts, I kid you not. They flew the Lucky 666 on the most dangerous mission, one with little chance of survival, that would save American lives and open up the South Pacific for an American Victory.

This book is an absolute must for World War II enthusiasts and those looking for a read that is both exciting and uplifting. I found the book difficult to put down, especially as they make their final run on the impossible mission.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly interesting and, as per the usual with this author duo, well researched and told in a way to capture and keep the attention of the reader. My copy was an ARC borrowed from a friend (thank you Scott!), so there were a few typos, but nothing major that I noticed anyway.

Let me just say, war is hell and DANG the consequences of not following the Geneva Convention/Gentlemanly Rules of Conduct are BLOODY. And also don’t follow the rules. So follow the rules. Because it’s just bad news for all involved.

The ending is sad and kind of followed a movie where the guy who only has ONE MORE SHIFT before retirement bites it. Only this was real and actually tragic.

They don’t make men and women like that anymore. Thank you to all of the service men and women and their loved ones, for protecting your country, your people and by extension me and my family. God bless you all and all that you have done and continue to do.

4, every time I read a book about the Pacific Theater in WWII I’m amazed we won, stars.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this 3.5 stars because the story really is an amazing one! The writing was a little bumpy at times but don't let that deter you from reading this book.

I cannot imagine being in the Air Force during World War II! What those men endured, and how they got right back into the plane after a flight for their lives ... wow!

This is an incredible story about a group of men that volunteered to do a suicide/reconnaissance mission over one of the worst Japanese occupied areas in order to save the lives of the men that would follow. This story is an important piece of the the events that happened in the South Pacific arena.

Cleanliness: There was barely any language and the words used were mild.

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, 4 Star account of a crew of misfits lead by a real standout misfit. The final mission has pilot Zeamer and bombardier Sarnoski each awarded an MoH. Harrowing battle with Japanese fighters. A fast-paced account of life and war in the early days in the Pacific.

A couple of passages from the book that I enjoyed:

Many in the US feel like Australians should be living in the 51st state. Strong bonds forged in the dark days of 1942:

Though Australia is roughly the same size as America’s Lower 48 states, there were only seven million people living on the continent in 1942, and the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) had lost 16,000 at the fall of Malaya alone. With the rest of its small army, including its two most professional divisions, currently being chewed up by the Germans in North Africa, nearly everyone in the country had been affected by the war. Families who had lost fathers and sons, or who had not heard from them for months, came to treat the American boys as not only saviors but surrogates who filled a dark void. This was particularly true in a small places like Townsville. “If you happened to be downtown on Sunday morning, folks would stop you on the street and invite you to dinner,” wrote one of Jay’s fellow Airmen from the 22nd. “I can’t say enough about the people of Townsville. Kind, caring, extremely generous.” The inhabitants’ cordiality, however, masked an anxiety that lingered Just below the surface. Like their British cousins after most of Europe was overrun by the Nazis, Australians saw themselves as the lone holdouts.

Jay Zeamer and many of his crew grew up with wrenches in their hands. They have been working on cars, motorcycles and all sorts of machinery from early days.

Jay and his fellow officers became adept at overhauling balky engines, patching blown fuel lines, and refurbishing broken electronics systems with Rube Goldbergian ingenuity. They discovered, for instance, that women’s sanitary napkins, Kotex in particular, made excellent air filters. And in a pinch the Australian sixpence coin provided just the right spark for an engine’s ignition magneto. Given the urgency imposed by the Japanese advances, the anxious Yanks were particularly galled by the Aussie habit of dropping everything twice a day for a leisurely smoke and a billycan of tea. As one of the 22nd’s navigators complained, “Of all the damn nonsense! These screwball Aussies and their tea!”

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced and engaging history of Lucky 666’s mission, which included the longest continuous dogfight in USAF history.

Drury describes how America prepared to invade Bougainville following the capture of Guadalcanal. Because little was known about the latter island’s defenses, US forces planned a reconnaissance overflight, and Drury tells the story of the B-17 crew that ended up volunteering for the mission (unescorted, and lasting 600 miles) The crew ended up returning with the film, along with crippling damage and dead and wounded crewmembers.

The tale the authors tell is quite interesting. The main problem the reader will likely have is the novelistic prose, complete with dialogue that seems invented; Drury even describes the crewmembers’ thoughts, which, of course, come off as fictionalized. Also, the mission itself takes about two hundred pages to begin, although this isn’t a big deal since the mission’s pilot turns out to be quite an interesting and unorthodox character.

A great story, although the writing is overly sentimental.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This is a Goodreads win and this is my honest review of the book.*

Lucky 666 is a Non Fiction story of a WWII bomber squadron based in the Pacific Theater of war. For those who don't know the Allies spent most of their resources on the European conflict leaving the Pacific with effectively second rate equipment and a undersized fighting force.

That leaves the "Eager Beavers" to fly whatever plane they can to accomplish their mission. Oh by the way while living in primitive grass huts. They attack islands in the South Pacific and try to keep the Japanese at bay.

A big battle is being planned by the US Army. The problem is its in an uncharted spot of the vast pacific ocean in a heavy defended area. The crew will need to fly straight and steady while under fire and take pictures of the enemy. Can they do it? Get the book and Find out....

I personally enjoyed the book. Would have enjoyed a bit more dialog but it is written well. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to any WWII buffs out there.

[Sweetwilliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob and Tom have done it again. They wrote a very readable and thrilling account of the impossible last reconnaissance mission of Jay Zeemer and his B-17 crew in the Pacific War. This mission won pilot Jay Zeemer and bombardier Joe Sarnoski our countries highest honor. One small complaint is that it took forever to get to the final mission. This is of little consequence, however, because the preceding pages are full of interesting stories and facts about the air war in the Pacific. This is a very enjoyable and easy read.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

I take exception to the authors claim that during the Battle of the Coral Sea the carrier Lexington "sank rapidly" and "only the heroic maneuvers of Fletcher's destroyer skippers resulted in the rescue of over a thousand men". There was no "rapid sinking" of the Lexington. After being hit by two torpedos and two bombs at around 1100 hours, the Lexington's damage control teams got the ship back up to 24-25 knots so she could recover her aircraft. Explosions caused by gasoline vapors later that afternoon is what did in the Lexington. Her wounded were taken off beginning at 1600. Evacuation of her remaining crew began shortly after 1700. This evacuation was carefully and methodically performed. Many sailors left their shoes, lined up in neat and orderly rows on the flight deck; others ate ice cream before evacuating the ship. Capt Ted Sherman waited until 1830 to ensure that all of his crewman and his dog, "Admiral Wags" were off the ship before leaving himself - but not before returning to his cabin to retrieve his gold-braided hat. The Lexington finally sank about 45 mins later (nearly nine hours after being attacked) after the destroyer Phillips was ordered to fire torpedoes at the carrier. While support destroyers took on over a thousand Lexington men, the cruiser Minneapolis took on nearly 1500. A total of 2735 men were safely evacuated. Her losses of 216 men were due to the attack itself and subsequent explosions that wracked the vessel throughout the afternoon. No one who went into the water abandoning ship was drowned.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

LUCKY 666 is a great story but average to poor history. That is, it's a solid read and a story of this remarkable crew, but it's not the actual story. I can say this as someone who's been researching and writing about this crew for thirty years, off and on.

As a very incomplete list:

- The authors get the crew itself wrong, leaving an important regular crew member almost completely out of the book while adding a regular crew member who wasn't one (among other crew mistakes).

- They badly mangle Zeamer's and Sarnoski's histories in the Southwest Pacific, in the process totally missing the actual defining event in the origin of the crew, as well as other significant events in the story of the crew.

- They seem to invent a mission they claim marked a pivotal moment in the men's combat history, but that doesn't appear in Zeamer's Individual Flight Record or flight log, and isn't supported by the squadron morning reports.

- They either confuse or outright get wrong almost every aspect of the story of "Old 666" itself, the plane for which the book is titled. It was not, for instance, a broken-down wreck that Zeamer's crew restored to flight status. It had been on at least four missions in the month before it was returned to Zeamer's squadron, at which point as squadron executive officer he requisitioned it for his own purposes. The mistakes don't end there.

- The authors continue the debunked "screwups, misfits, and renegades" narrative about the crew despite evidence they present in the book itself.

- Based on my own conversations with his crew members, squadron mates, and especially his wife, the authors fundamentally misunderstand the character of Jay Zeamer himself.

LUCKY 666 does its best job as biography in giving a pre-war account of Zeamer. Sarnoski's is good and gives a good representation of his personality, but by my reading implies that he went to high school when in fact Joe dropped out of school after eighth grade to work on the family farm, joined the CCC at 21, and went straight into the Army from there.

It's when the narrative shifts to the SW Pacific, though, that the book steers almost completely into alternative history, in some cases outright fiction, accurate only in the broadest bullet points of the crew's history. Myriad minor/technical mistakes litter the read as well.

Why this is the case can be seen mostly in the bibliography, which contains little to no mention that I can see of the sort of official/archival information necessary to check fickle, decades-old memories, i.e. crew orders, morning reports, squadron diaries, official flight records, etc. There was a clear lack of family interviews as well, which would have sorted out the confusion about the crew, among other mistakes and confusions.

But it can't just be about that, because the text reveals the authors bibliography also shows sources that should have prevented some of those mistakes and confusions, the latter of which includes such strangenesses as putting different quotes of Zeamer's friend Walt Krell in the mouths of three other people, by my count. For those who know, it makes for a surreal read.

The question for potential readers, then, who don't know the story like I and others do, is what they hope to get from a nonfiction book. Again, LUCKY 666 is a well-told tale that ultimately does well convey the heroism of the crew on the "impossible mission." Drury and Clavin are fine writers and compelling storytellers.

But if a reader's goal in buying a biography is to learn the real story about a subject—in this case, the real and downright incredible circumstances of the formation of Jay Zeamer’s remarkable crew, and an accurate representation of their personal history and experiences in World War II—that doesn't happen here. Readers get only the authors’ often confused impression of what happened, in confident prose, with the end result being, for anyone not versed in the research, not knowing whether what you're reading is what really happened or not. To an unfortunate degree, it's not.

For anyone interested in further explanation of the problems listed above, or simply in my own research and list of sources, it can be found online at Zeamer's Eager Beavers - The Definitive Resource.

Clint Hayes

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve wanted to read this ever since it came out—Capt. Jay Zeamer, the focal point of the story, is a native of my hometown of Carlisle, PA—but it was never available on Libby. My fiancée finally bought me a copy, and the wait was well worth it. In my mind, this is one of the finest stories of heroism from WWII — the odds the crew of Old 666 faced and the bravery they showed are almost beyond belief.

[Will Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite a bit disappointed with this book. I had first heard of it while listening to a podcast on “the art of manliness” a few years back about this particular story. The podcast itself was very riveting, it covered a brief history of the protagonist and his adventures during WW2 with his infamous B-17. So after listening to that podcast I searched out this book and was very interested in reading it. Unfortunately the book itself has a lot of padding and I find that for me personally a bit disappointing. I think World War II history buffs would enjoy it a little more than I did because of the detailed history of the war during Jay Zeamer’s time, but I picked this book up to learn about Jay Zimmer and less than half of this book is his direct story . If you are interested in Jay Zeamer’s interesting life ,and it is very very interesting I recommend just listening to the podcast about this book and skip the book itself.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half of the book contained pre-war biographical accounts of the crew members. I'm not averse to biographies, but it felt a bit like "filler".

I quite enjoyed the actual wartime accounts, although it seemed like the author could have told the story more efficiently. Their most valuable mission was one of reconnaissance, which while incredibly important to the war effort is not exactly as exciting as bombing runs, dogfights or rescue missions.

I'm very drawn to wartime accounts and memoirs, and while this didn't exactly disappoint, it did feel like there was less actual content and more background information.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stirring account of the heroic acts of a B-17 ("Flying Fortress") army air force crew operating in the South Pacific against the Imperial Army of Japan at the height of World War II. The reader learns the fascinating backgrounds of the pilot, Jay Zeamer, and bombardier, Joe Sarnoski, of the crew and experiences what it was like to fly in this legendary aircraft. Along the way, the author provides some very interesting background on some of the major and lesser known battles that took place in the Pacific theater as well as some insights into some of the major figures associated such MacArthur and Nimitz. The book culminates in a gripping narrative of a reconnaissance mission in which this crew fought the longest dogfight in the annals of recorded military history. Above all though, this is a story of leadership, friendship, determination and heroism that this reader found enthralling.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old 666 was a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress heavy bomber, serial number 41-2666, assigned to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 19th and 43rd Bombardment Groups in 1942–1943. This aircraft was piloted by Jay Zeamer and his hand-picked crew. This crew flew several mapping missions, including a very scary one that this book covers. This was such an ordeal for this crew. If you are into aviation history or war history, this book would be of great interest to you. If you are further interested in this crew, there is a display for Zeamer and his "Eager Beavers" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half way through the book I was convinced this was going to be a two star rating. It does not live up to the tagline on the cover saying "Reads like The Dirty Dozen meets Unbreakable". Unbreakable is easily superior. This said, the last third of the book when we finally get to the story of the impossible mission and its aftermath, it's five star material.

Pilot Jay Zeamer and his crew of misfits decided they needed their own plane. So they got permission to try to rescue one out of the scrap heap. They must not have been expected to succeed because as they started getting their own B-17 in close to flying condition they started to have sleep by the plane in fear crew chiefs would start stealing their parts to keep other planes flying. Multiple stories about how Zeamer and his cream performed some outstanding combat missions. The final story though easily takes the cake as it became on of the longest air combat battles in history as their beloved B-17 was attacked by a entire squadron of Japanese Zeroes while trying to take vital photos for an upcoming island invasion. This part of the book was captivating. Much respect to everyone on the crew.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, sure. If no one will assign you a plane, just build one! Sounds pretty simple to me.

This book focuses on Old 666, a B-17 bomber put together by pilot Jay Zeamer and his crew. This book is ostensibly about Old 666’s most famous mission which was almost the perfect definition of a suicide mission you see in movies.

However, the bulk of the book is about how these crew members came together with Jay Zeamer and his bombardier Jay Sarnoski in the Pacific theater. With all the reading I do, I find the Pacific is often given short shrift in any history of World War II unless it is the sole focus of a book like this one. Drury and Clavin vividly describe what it was like to be in the Pacific with Japan dominating the area and the U.S. sending most of their resources to fight the Nazis.

The final air battle described in the book is the best part, but everything else is pretty fantastic.

[Cropredy · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I'll admit I did not know this story about a B-17 recon flight over Bougainville in 1943. Probably because I do not consume The History Channel which no doubt has featured this story (just looked it up and yes, on a show called "Dogfights", episode "Long Odds").

Suffice it to say "long odds" only begins to describe the ordeal of this mission.

The book is divided into three parts:

Part I - The story of Jay Zeamer who wanted to be a pilot, joined the Army Air Corps prior to the start of World War II, worked his way up to be a B-26 co-pilot, was shipped off to Australia and then Port Moresby to fly strikes against Rabaul. It is also the story of Joe Sarnoski, an enlisted man who became Jay's friend stateside, trained as a bombardier, and ultimately also ended up in Port Moresby.

Part II - A history of the war in the Southwest Pacific with a particular focus on the 5th Air Force, formed to bring the air war against the Japanese in New Guinea, New Britain, and the Solomon Islands. Based in Port Moresby, they flew bombing raids in B-26s, B-25s, B-17s, A20s, and B-24s. Zeamer makes sporadic appearances in Part II as he mostly co-piloted on raids or recon missions in both B-26s and B-17s. Bad food, bad hygiene, a weak supply chain and disease were prevalent amongst the bases at Port Moresby. Crew attrition was high and as with the air war in any theatre, the likelihood of completing your rotation was low. Accidents at any point of a mission were commonplace. Heavy rain storms were endemic.

Part III - Zeamer forms a team of renegades/misfits amongst the air crews and sets out to rehab a wrecked B-17 in exchange for the promise of being named the pilot. Zeamer and crew bond together, train together, and volunteer together for a critical recon mission. Admiral Halsey was planning a landing in Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville in the late fall of 1943 but had no maps telling him where the reefs were. The cameras on a B-17 recon flight could "see" 30 feet underwater on a clear day. But the plane would have to fly low and steady, making it a sitting duck for AA or IJN fighters.

The tail number for this solitary B-17 flight ended in 666 (hence the title of the book). In this last part, you are plunked right into the plane. I'll say no more about what happens.


Now - is this a good book?

4 stars for Part III - the book joins the pantheon of other books telling the story of bomber crews going into the heart of danger, one cannon shell, shot-out piece of vital equipment, crippling wound at a time spread over a few minutes of unbelievable intensity.

Part I is a classic "origin story" narrative - kid growing up in the Depression, gets into trouble, joins the military, bucks authority, etc.

Part II is less chronological narrative about the air war in 1942-43 over New Guinea and more of what it was like to fly missions, key leaders (and leadership changes), fights over tactics (skip bombing v high altitude precision bombing), bureaucratic snafus, and, of course, MacArthur. There are other books that go into this timeframe in more detail such as Fire In The Sky: The Air War In The South Pacific and, for an RAAF perspective, Whispering Death: Australian Airmen in the Pacific War

Maps are excellent. A set of photos are included.

Quibbles:

The publishers apply the subtitle "The Impossible Mission the Changed the War in the Pacific". Well, this is certainly attention getting, especially for someone well-read on the Pacific War -- the mission is not about Midway and not about shooting down Yamamoto - the two obvious choices. The authors make an arguable point about the Battle of Bougainville and how that was affected by Lucky 666. Frankly, I'm dubious, as by mid-1943, the trajectory of the Pacific War was not in doubt, only how long it would take and how many lives would be lost. War is attrition and the US had far more resources to apply than Japan. Read for yourself and decide.

The authors refer to members of the USAAF as "Airmen" (capitalized). I had never seen this usage before in the many books I've read on WW II. So, I had to look up the style guide for how to describe the men of the USAAF. Turns out in 2004, the Air Force Chief of Staff decreed that in all Air Force publications henceforth that the proper usage was "Airman", "Airmen", and presumably "Airwoman". The other chiefs followed up and we now have "Sailor" and "Soldier" to go along with "Marine" (and for the Space Force, apparently, "Guardian"). Obviously, I'm not here to deny any recognition to the armed forces members - but the usage as applied to a World War II narrative when such capitalization was not used was jarring in the text.

There is virtually no perspective from the Japanese side though this is a general problem with books on the Southwest Pacific due to the high casualty rate on the Japanese side, destruction of records, paucity of accounts translated to English, and the authors' lack of resources to pursue primary research in Japanese.

If you like reading gripping tales of shot-up B-17 missions, this book is for you. If you know little about the air war as conducted from Port Moresby, this will also be of interest.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I read stories of the greatest generation I marvel at their courage and patriotism. These were exceptional men and I'm grateful for the freedoms I enjoy as a result of their willingness to defend our country. As the daughter of a WWII veteran I know their sacrifices went beyond the war years as they lived with PTSD throughout their lives from the horrors they experienced. This is a great story of remarkable men.

[C. G. Telcontar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly filler, just a bit of killer. It's like a metal band you love just dropped a new album and you're all hot and bothered about it so you snatch up a copy and throw it in your player or download it, whatever, only to discover that out of 13 tracks only 2 are worth a BLEEP. And... that's what we get here.

A good teaser intro is immediately wiped out with dull filler and backwash about the course of the war in the Pacific, hitting all the milestones, diverting to MacArthur and the Solomons with all its complications and only gradually and painstakingly getting back to the subject matter on the cover of the book. Once we've arrived, it's very good and yet... still a bit superficial even with the follow up postwar awards and tragedies trailed by the epilogue of what happened to the crew of Old 666.

There are plenty of irrelevancies and odd Lincoln quotes thrown in, I suppose to sound erudite and oh so American patriot rah rah, but it's just not convincing. Add to that the myriad of pithy phrases used that are far more at home in a novel rather than a nonfiction recounting of a combat mission that take you out of the drama of the moment forcibly, such as "worry twisted in his guts like broken glass" and the end product is much more forgettable fast food than the fine dining experience it aspires to be.

I will say that if you know next to nothing about the war and find this an intriguing subject, it could be very illuminating and a potentially fine starting point to digging deeper. But for those of us with any familiarity with the course of events and the personalities in the war, this is strictly an exercise in meh dressed up as awesome. 2 stars.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading some really excellent World War II narrative nonfiction, I was rather let down by Lucky 666. The first third covered the early lives of our two central figures, Jay Zeamer and Joe Sarnoski; however, then they get shuffled to the background as the middle section of the book mostly just recounts the key events of the Pacific Theater with a lot of time spent on politics and clashing personalities of the main leaders. Finally, the book ends with the "impossible mission" of the title. It's a nail-biting story that's well told, but it really could have been a long form article. I don't think we needed all the context from the first two-thirds of the book to grasp the impact Old 666's mission had. The book didn't have a great flow, and the writing itself is also inconsistent. In some chapters we are more removed from the subjects, and in others the author adopt a play-by-play, "inside their heads" narrative style. The inside flap summary and the photo insert also contain major "historical spoilers" about the outcome of the mission: I would have preferred to learn what happened organically through reading the authors' narrative.
Note: The book mentions quite a bit of anti-Japanese racist rhetoric, slurs, etc that was spouted during the time period, and acknowledges some immoral, shameful actions committed by US forces out of revenge, such as killing battle survivors adrift in the ocean.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up for a local connection- Joe Sarnoski is one of two men to win the Medal of Honor from Lackawanna County during WWII, but his story is barely known here. The story of the mission of Lucky 666 as told by the authors is fascinating, but the book itself seems disjointed and overly sentimental- biographical background and sporadic wartime stories and then a sudden (but very dramatic) “last battle” conclusion.

[Anthony Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping tale about the "Most highly decorated combat aircrew in the history of American military service" that also survived "The longest continuous dogfight in the annals of USAAF history." Well paced and well told it's a unique perspective of a little known part of World War Two in the Pacific Theatre.

[Leigh-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audiobook. I never tire of learning new parts of WWII and the heroes that changed the course of the war.

[Ejayen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd have like a bit more autobiographical information about the other members of the crew, perhaps half a chapter each like Joe got.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book about true heroes of WWII.

[Andrew Lumley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like WWII stories this one will leave you on the edge of your seat. I had many driveway moments listening to this wonderful book and highly recommend it.

[Trae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, it reads like a movie narrative and at a good clip but with plenty of vivid details. Wonderful story and feel it would have been a better mini-series for HBO than the 3 stories that slogged along in The Pacific.

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am just beginning to read this book and the author / narrator has just referred to the Japanese suicide as "harry carry or hari kari". The ritual act was correctly called hara kiri - suicide by disembowelment with a sword, formerly practiced in Japan by samurai as an honorable alternative to disgrace or execution. The Japanese used the term seppuku more frequently. In an historical book I expect the author to not use American slang.......................... Now the author states that in the initial attacks on the Philippines ALL B-17's were destroyed on the ground. When Japanese bombers attacked Clark Field they achieved tactical surprise. Two squadrons of B-17s were dispersed on the ground. Most of the P-40s of the 20th PS were preparing to taxi and were struck by the first wave of 27 Japanese "Nell" bombers; only four of the 20th PS P-40Bs managed to take off as the bombs were falling. A second bomber attack (26 "Betty" bombers) followed closely, then escorting Zero fighters strafed the field for 30 minutes, destroying ****12 of the 17 American heavy bombers**** present and seriously damaging three others. Two damaged B-17s were made flyable and taken to Mindanao. The FEAF lost half its planes in the 45-minute attack and was all but destroyed over the next few days, including a number of the surviving B-17s lost to takeoff crashes of other planes.
That night FEAF combat strength had been reduced to ***12 operable B-17s,**** 22 P-40s, and 8 P-35s. Clark Field was abandoned as a bomber field on 11 December after being used as a staging base for a handful of B-17 missions. Between 17 and 20 December, ***the 14 surviving B-17s**** were withdrawn to Australia. Every other aircraft of the FEAF was destroyed or captured. " Caught on the Ground" By John T. Correll. Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). "Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941–42". Mellnik, Stephen Michael (1981). "Philippine War Diary, 1939–1945". Van Nostrand Reinhold. Burton, John (2006). "Fortnight of Infamy: The Collapse of Allied Airpower West of Pearl Harbor". US Naval Institute Press. .............................. Now the author states that Admiral Fletcher's 2 carriers, Yorktown and Lexington, were HALF of the U.S. carrier fleet. Fletcher directed Allied forces at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 and at the Battle of Midway a month later. In April of 1942 we had 7 carriers. 1. Saratoga CV-3 16-Nov-1927 25-Jul-1946 2. Lexington CV- 14-Dec-1927 8-May-1942 3. Ranger CV-4 4-Jun-1934 31-Jan-1947 . 4 Yorktown CV-5 [20][21] 30-Sep-1937 7-Jun-1942 5 Enterprise CV-6 12-May-1938 1958 6. Wasp CV-7 25-Apr-1940 15-Sep-1942 7. Hornet CV-8 20-Oct-1941 27-Oct-1942. THE TWO CARRIERS UNDER FLETCHER'S COMMAND WERE NOT HALF THE U.S. CARRIER FLEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of the many WWII histories that I have read, this book was simply OK. There were too many factual errors to guarantee that the content was true and verified. Interesting at times, but when the author stated that the pilot liked to load his guns with a 50/50 distribution of tracers with live ammunition so that the Japanese "would know he was there", this seemed to be cavalier and made the pilot seem like a showboater. There are times when a pilot would not want to stand out amid enemy fighters. Also the load reduced the lethality of the plane when a normal loading pattern woult be more likely to have a 5 to 1 or 4 to 1 with 80% or 75% live ammunition instead of 50%. Cannot recommend the book. "“A fast-paced, well-researched…irresistible” (USA TODAY)" Not exactly. Although Zeamer and Sarnoski were brave and skilled men, the author's gross errors undermine their history. Cannot recommend. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Sic Transit Gloria · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Lucky 666" details the incredible mission of a "cursed" plane an oddball crew. After pulling together a crew from the airmen around Port Moresby, Jay Zeamer and his team restore and overarm a bomber with a reputation for being shot up, a bomber with a tail number ending in "666". When the Air Force asks for volunteers for a virtual suicide mission, Zeamer and his "Eager Beavers" put forward themselves and their up-armed aircraft. Despite taking numerous hits from seventeen attacking Japanese aircraft, somehow Zeamer nurses the plane home.

Great story. I just wish there was more of that in the book.

The actual mission that I just described, which gave pilot Jay Zeamer and bombadier Joe Sarnoski their Medals of Honor, which is the reason any of these people are famous today...only takes up forty pages. Pages 248-288, to be exact. What's the rest of the book? About half of it is plodding backstory, and the other half is, well, pointless filler.

I really don't understand why ragging on General MacArthur is important to this story. I don't get why the book makes a big deal out of who General Brett was and why he was replaced with General Kelley. I'm not sure why the authors go into the origin of skip bombing. None of these things directly relate to the men, the mission, or the themes of the story, but they make up a significant portion of this book.

Then there are my doubts on the historical accuracy of the book. The bibliography holds concern for me (a significant number of the authors' references aren't related to Zeamer, Old 666, or even the Air Force directly), but it's really the writing style of the book that gives me an uncanny feeling. The book tended to follow Zeamer and broadcast his thoughts and feelings to the readers, an act which I felt would require greater authority than I am willing to grant the book. I don't think Drury and Clavin have a crystal ball into Zeamer's mind. I don't think they have an intimate understanding of Zeamer through his journal and other works. And I don't think they've ever spoken to the man and interviewed him personally. Thus, all this writing into what Zeamer was experiencing is almost equivalent to historical fiction.

I have a feeling this book was written for a very specific group of people: patriotic Americans who have limited knowledge of World War II. I can think of no other reason that the authors would include such wide and un-connected filler information, or why they would insist on a too-personal portrayal of Zeamer. Thus, even though this book talks about a very interesting and under-appreciated story from WWII, I would not recommend it to studious fans of history, nor anyone who cannot recognize the fallacy of knowing Jay Zeamer's inner thoughts.

Fun fact: The authors actually cite one of their own books in the bibliography: "Halsey's Typhoon".