The Three Musketeers of Army Air Forces: From Hitler's Fortress Europa to Hiroshima and Nagasaki

by Robert O. Harder

While scores of books have been published about the atomic bombings that helped end World War II, little has been written about the personal lives and relationship of the three men that led the raids. Paul Tibbets, Tom Ferebee, and Ted “Dutch” Van Kirk exemplified what Life Magazine meant when in 1942 it called the B-17 pilot, bombardier, and navigator “the three musketeers of the Army Air Forces.” A former navigator-bombardier and pilot himself, Harder brings a fresh perspective to an otherwise well-known narrative. He provides a rare insider's look at exactly who these three fellows were, how they were trained, what they meant to each other, and finally how everything coalesced into the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks.

Genres: World War II, Aviation

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2015

About the author

Robert O. Harder was an Air Force ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate and Strategic Air Command "Cold War" B-52D aircrewman with 145 combat missions during the Vietnam War. A rated navigator and radar bombardier, he also flew nuclear training sorties and stood Pad Alert. A former chain retail executive, he is a commercial pilot, FAA-certificated flight instructor, and free-lance writer. Harder and his wife Dee Dee live in Chicago and at their summer cabin on Big Sandy Lake, Minnesota. For more information on him and his books visit his website at robertoharder.com.

Reviews

[John]

Excellent read on an aspect of the 509th Composite Group and the three primary leaders-CO Paul Tibbetts, Group Bombardier Tom Ferebee, and Group Navigator Ted Van Kirk. I wish this book had been able to be written when all three men were alive, it would have been interesting to read about their direct interactions during a research and interview phase. None the less, the author did a good job bringing together source material to write on their missions together, their past interactions and the bonds of their relationship, forming a formidable team to make on of the most difficult mission assignments ever work. Highly recommended for its look at leadership and friendship under the most extreme of circumstances.

[Tom]

First of all, by agreement, I must state that I received an advance read copy of this book through a goodreads.com giveaway. That said, I would not have been at all disappointed had I purchased a copy outright. Robert Harder has brilliantly framed the story of the crew that delivered history's first atomic weapon, thus hastening the end of World War II. Whatever one's understanding of, opinion of, or reaction to that event, it is undeniable that the Hiroshima mission forever altered the course of humanity. For that very reason, the story of the men tasked with executing this mission is one that should be understood. Mr. Harder has eloquently related this tale.
A military aviator and combat veteran himself, Mr. Harder speaks with authority not only on the respective jobs these men had to do, but on the personal and professional requirements as well. Given the author's expertise in this subject matter, it would have been very easy for him to have assumed more foreknowledge than most readers are likely to have. He does not do this, nor does he dumb down the technical aspects of the story. Instead he delivers a very forthright and well-paced account of the events leading up to that historic event with just the right balance of information to really understand the personalities and relationships of the men involved.
If I have any criticisms of this book, they would be these (and neither attributable to the author): The first is minor, but bothersome enough to mention. I did notice several lapses in editing - specifically, missing words. While this does not impact delivery of the story, it is a bit of an annoyance and something that should have been resolved prior to publication. The second criticism is not really about the book at all, but rather the perception of the story it relates. Mr. Harder is compelled to essentially defend the necessity of the events being described. This should not be the purpose of an historical account, but 70 years after the fact, it remains incumbent upon the author to repeatedly seperate the facts from prevailing emotional reactions. This is a sad commentary on the general public's level of understanding of the first atomic strike. Mr. Harder is to be commended for continuing to advance that understanding and in so doing, appropriately honor the men who carried out the mission.
Will this book resonate with everyone? Probably not. But if you are at all interested in military history, aviation history, or World War II history, this book most certainly will check-off all the boxes.

[Jamie]

First off, a big and very sincere thank you to Goodreads for letting me win this book. This was good. I always appreciate nonfiction that reads like a narrative instead of a list of dry facts. But still, the research appears overwhelming. At one point I thought I had read only maybe a quarter of the book and flipped through to see where I was. A third of this book is dedicated to Appendix, Notes, etc.

And, as I said, it was well written. I felt for the Three Musketeers and what they went through. And, no small thing to a history major, I learned a few things. Actually, a few things shocked me. It's amazing the things that even advanced history classes or books tend to ignore and hide in the details.

[Barbara White]

A true history book. I loved it, learned so much, and am so proud of these Musketeers, and others that serve our country.
The photos and diagrams provide another dimension to the book. They gave me another perspective of how things actually were during this difficult time in U. S. history.
Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of this book. It's amazing. An excellent primary source book.