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The Last Mission
In 1944, as World War II is raging across Europe, fifteen-year-old Jack Raab dreams of being a hero. Leaving New York City, his family, and his boyhood behind, Jack uses a false I.D. and lies his way into the U.S. Air Force.
From their base in England, he and his crew fly twenty-four treacherous bombing missions over occupied Europe. The war is almost over and Hitler near defeat when they fly their last mission -- a mission destined for disaster. Shot down far behind enemy lines, Jack is taken prisoner and sent to a German POW camp, where his experiences are more terrifying than anything he'd ever imagined.
From their base in England, he and his crew fly twenty-four treacherous bombing missions over occupied Europe. The war is almost over and Hitler near defeat when they fly their last mission -- a mission destined for disaster. Shot down far behind enemy lines, Jack is taken prisoner and sent to a German POW camp, where his experiences are more terrifying than anything he'd ever imagined.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1979
115 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Harry Mazer
44 books44 followersHarry Mazer is an American author of books for children and young adults, acclaimed for his 'realistic' novels. He has written twenty-two novels, including The Solid Gold Kid, The Island Keeper, Heroes Don't Run, and Snow Bound, which was adapted as an NBC After school special, as well as one work of poetry and a few short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
April 19, 2009
The Last Mission was a pick from my book club for the History/Historical Fiction month. One of our members is working on a biography of her father who flew in WWII and was a POW for several years. Her hope was to pick up something from this book that would help her on her way. Alas, there was little to be gleaned from this volume. Mr. Mazer has written many young adult books on WWII, but sometimes I wonder if he really decided to whom he was writing. This book, for example, seems to swing wildly between a book aimed to relate to young men, a book clearly for adults only, and an anti-war treatise. Much of the book was obviously aimed at young wannabe heroes, but the language, while probably authentic, wasn't necessary for the audience. Sorry, but I don't hand books to my 11 year old that are sprinkled with the F-word, no matter how true that is to the period. Given that my father, a WWII veteran, who was known to pepper his language with colorful expletives, never used the F-word (to my recollection), I wonder how true to life it actually was! It wasn't necessary and annoyed me greatly.
The anti-war rhetoric tacked on literally at the very end was also odd. I don't disagree with the sentiment, it just seemed disjointed.
So, if you are determined to read every WWII-related book out there, here is one for your shelves. I can't recommend it for young adults because of the language and I can't recommend it for most readers because it just wasn't that well-written. Character development was minimal (even for young adult book standards). The best I can say is that it was a quick read.
The anti-war rhetoric tacked on literally at the very end was also odd. I don't disagree with the sentiment, it just seemed disjointed.
So, if you are determined to read every WWII-related book out there, here is one for your shelves. I can't recommend it for young adults because of the language and I can't recommend it for most readers because it just wasn't that well-written. Character development was minimal (even for young adult book standards). The best I can say is that it was a quick read.
July 24, 2010
First read this back in the 7th grade, one of the hundreds of books I plowed through during my junior high years. Stuck with me for a long time, and was maybe the first book I ever read about WWII that conveyed the changes wrought on the people who fought it.
Written from the point of view of an eager 15-year old, the author does a very good job of capturing the flighty, goofball way that 15-year old boys think and how that testosterone-fueled innocence is pounded into sand by the reality of the air war over Europe. The writing is fast-paced, simplistic in parts, the plot and storytelling very journalistic - all of this in my view tightens the book up and increases the impact.
This is not a masterpiece like "All Quiet on the Western Front", just an excellent little novel that did not disappoint my 37-year-old self when I re-read it this morning after 25 years. Recommended ..
Written from the point of view of an eager 15-year old, the author does a very good job of capturing the flighty, goofball way that 15-year old boys think and how that testosterone-fueled innocence is pounded into sand by the reality of the air war over Europe. The writing is fast-paced, simplistic in parts, the plot and storytelling very journalistic - all of this in my view tightens the book up and increases the impact.
This is not a masterpiece like "All Quiet on the Western Front", just an excellent little novel that did not disappoint my 37-year-old self when I re-read it this morning after 25 years. Recommended ..
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May 21, 2018Does age really matter? In the year 1944 a 15 year old boy Jewish boy from the Bronx named Jack Raabe will use his 18 year old brothers ID to get himself into the Air force. They will be a very successful crew, completing 19 missions. On there 20th they will not be so lucky, they will be shot down and Jack will be the only survivor, and now that he is captured he will attempt to get back to the US by saying that he is only a child. This book could be compared to "I pledge Allegiance" by Chris Lynch. I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes readying about war stories.
January 3, 2018
I really liked this book. Its a story about a 15 year old kid who enters the USAAC with his brothers birth certificate. The story goes over his crew and the events that unfold after a mission. I dont want to spoil the book, but I really did like it
June 11, 2022
Gripping tale of war time air missions in WW II told through the eyes of a airman who was too young to be there but was there none the less.
October 5, 2020
really good book about world war two and the experience of being in a bomber crew.
October 29, 2015
Personal response: The Last Mission is a book about a boy becoming a man. over the process of the book, Jack changes. In the beginning, all he wanted to do was kill Hitler. When he realized what he had gotten into, he just wanted to live through every mission. I thought that the book was ok. I think that they shorted the time while he was captured and when he finally got home. The ending was ok, but it made him seem crazy to everyone. Over all, I don't regret reading this book.
Plot: Jack wanted to be in the military badly. His older brother could not be in the military because of his disability. Jack secretly took his brother's birth certificate to join. in He never told his parents about anything. When he first got in, he was nervous. He thought about telling his friends about it. He decided that he was not going to tell anyone. When they were out of training, he met a girl on the beach. He became friends with her. Dotty thought that he was older because he was in the military. She gave Jack her number and told him to write her. He went back to training and was given his gunner wings. When he went back to New york, he went to call Dotty. She didn't know it was him. They talked and decided to meet with each other. The next day he went out and bombed Berlin. It was nothing like training. He was unmotivated when each mission went by. Then when they made it past their 25th mission, they had an incident. The plane was shot down, and only Jack lived. All of his friends died. He was captured after he ran for two days. He was with all the injured German soldiers when Hitler was killed. Jack and his new found friend Stan went back home. When back in the USA, Jack did not have enough points to leave. He was going to have to go to Japan. He told his officer that he was only 16. After being held for a while, he was released. He went back home and talked to his parents face to face for the first time in over a year. After the summer, he was sent back to school. He did not fit in because everyone was less mature than him. When they were going to honor the veterans, he was asked to speak. He told them that it was the worst mistake that he could make.
Characterization: Jack was just a kid when he decided to join the military. He figured that he would come back a hero. He wanted everyone to look at him as a hero. When he first joined, he thought of all the things that he was going to do in the military. He joined the barracks when the war just started. He had high hopes of what he was going to accomplish. Then reality hit him. His first bombing mission changed his outlook on everything. It was a mission over Berlin. He had no motivation anymore. When he became prisoner, he saw that a lot of innocent lives were lost because of him. He was not just bombing Natzies everytime. When he returned home, he was way more mature than any 16 year old should be.He saw that war was useless. Over the course of the book, Jack matured rapidly.
Impacts of setting: The setting made me see why Jack changed his mind about how fun the military was going to be. When he was in training, he had nothing to worry about. World War 1 had already started. When he had his first real bombing mission, he realized that it was not what he dreamed it would be. Their first mission over Berlin was when reality struck. when they lost their motors on one side of the bomber, and crash landed, Jack did not realize how hard they were going to hit. The only reason they lived is because they landed in a British territory. When they made impact, I could feel the second they slammed into the water. When Jack was parachuting down from the destroyed bomber, I could hear the bullets flying by your face. The author could have been more descriptive about their living quarters, but he did a good job of while they were in flight.
Audience: This book shows that when soldiers go off to war, it is a commitment. This book would be good for teens that think they will go into the military and become a hero. It would really open their eyes and let them see that you are not just killing the enemy. This book is not necessarily for a specific gender. I would say that teens around the age of 15 would be able to understand this book. There is also some stronger language, so younger audiences may not be ready for the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2013
It's hot, really hot. And on top of that your in long thick pants and a long sleeve shirt. But you don't care, your carrying the most important three letters in the world on your shoulders, and that's all that matters. The letter represent more than just you, they represent what you stand for and what you work for. You're with 12 men who have the same three letters on their shoulder as well as you, you all live together, you all eat together, and you all work together. You work in a behemoth of a structure, that can go from one place to another within a matter of moments, and this structure two has those same three letters as you do. USA.
Jack Rabb, a skinny scrawny Jewish boy from Brooklyn, New York. You'd imagine him as your average teenage boy, but you'd be wrong, very wrong. See Jack is a tail gunner for a massive B-17, a plane that just makes you so proud that we as humans can build such a structure like it. You wouldn't believe that this thing could fly, let alone do anything, but it can. It's can fight in a notorious war that we all know, when we think of war we think of this war, World War II. You see, Jack wants to be the guy that brings down the Nazi empire in Germany, he wants to march up the streets of Berlin, knock on Hitlers door and say goodbye to an end of horrible times. But there's a little problem, he's 16, for those of you who don't know, the minimum age for being in the service is 18, so you'd imagine he is a little bit more nervous than the other guys. So, under the false Identity of he's older brother Irv, he constantly works, trains and fights. But that just goes to show how far Jack is willing to go and fight a war.
Harry Mazers The Last Mission, deserves two thumbs up. It's fantastic, it's action packed, it's full of comedy, and best of all, it has a good ending ( no I'm not going to tell you what it is, what would be the point in that). You see, when I picked this book up I did something that I think we all do, and it often times gets us in trouble, I picked this book up because it had a cool cover. I know,I know, put soap in my mouth and all you want but I judge this book by its front cover, full off numerous B-17s and explosions and guns, I picked this book up cause it's cover was cool. I was expected nothing but shooting, explosions and all nine yards.
But this book gives you a story, you see emotion through these characters and you experience hardships that a war like this can truly do to people and what tolls it can take on them. This book, will really set in you, and hit you hard in the chest. If you put this book down after the first ten pages, then you must of been reading the book upside down, because I was hooked like that ( insert snapping finger noise here). You really should pick up this book, and no, it's not a bagillion page book that's going to last a life time to read. It's less than two-hundred pages. So I know, you'll be able to read this and fly through it, cause if i can do it I know that you can.
Jack Rabb, a skinny scrawny Jewish boy from Brooklyn, New York. You'd imagine him as your average teenage boy, but you'd be wrong, very wrong. See Jack is a tail gunner for a massive B-17, a plane that just makes you so proud that we as humans can build such a structure like it. You wouldn't believe that this thing could fly, let alone do anything, but it can. It's can fight in a notorious war that we all know, when we think of war we think of this war, World War II. You see, Jack wants to be the guy that brings down the Nazi empire in Germany, he wants to march up the streets of Berlin, knock on Hitlers door and say goodbye to an end of horrible times. But there's a little problem, he's 16, for those of you who don't know, the minimum age for being in the service is 18, so you'd imagine he is a little bit more nervous than the other guys. So, under the false Identity of he's older brother Irv, he constantly works, trains and fights. But that just goes to show how far Jack is willing to go and fight a war.
Harry Mazers The Last Mission, deserves two thumbs up. It's fantastic, it's action packed, it's full of comedy, and best of all, it has a good ending ( no I'm not going to tell you what it is, what would be the point in that). You see, when I picked this book up I did something that I think we all do, and it often times gets us in trouble, I picked this book up because it had a cool cover. I know,I know, put soap in my mouth and all you want but I judge this book by its front cover, full off numerous B-17s and explosions and guns, I picked this book up cause it's cover was cool. I was expected nothing but shooting, explosions and all nine yards.
But this book gives you a story, you see emotion through these characters and you experience hardships that a war like this can truly do to people and what tolls it can take on them. This book, will really set in you, and hit you hard in the chest. If you put this book down after the first ten pages, then you must of been reading the book upside down, because I was hooked like that ( insert snapping finger noise here). You really should pick up this book, and no, it's not a bagillion page book that's going to last a life time to read. It's less than two-hundred pages. So I know, you'll be able to read this and fly through it, cause if i can do it I know that you can.
January 4, 2016
Wow. I thought I would never find this book again. I thought it was lost from my life! (I know it's strange, our attachment to certain works.) I had a really strong connection to it early in my life. I first read this book in my "dark ages" period in Junior High when I hated reading. For some reason I went into the library and I found this book and I simply couldn't put it down. It was one of the few books that has stayed with me all these years.
Mazer emphasizes the lure and glamour of war on a naive teenager, who wants to become a man and find his way in the world. Mazer gives us the story of Jack Raab, who joins the Air Force as a fifteen year old, seeking adventure . Except, Raab does not find adventure, only death and the horrors of war that young people often learn too late, as Raab sees friends shredded by shrapnel and eventually experiences the suffering of war when he is shot down.
Mazer goes beyond the conventional patriotic story of glorifying war and showing the sacrifice of only American lives, Raab in the bomber with the camaraderie of combat that soldiers experience, "we happy few we band of brothers", etc. Instead, Mazer shows us this, plus the destruction that bombing cities and factories has on people, as Raab is shot down and sees first hand the destruction his bomber has on the world.
When I was younger, I didn't really care to think about what war meant, and Mazer's book was the first that made me understand the inhuman and brutal nature of war. Mazer's work is possibly not the most artful novel and it is short, but it showed me, a young 13 year old how terrible war is and its consequences, destroyed cities and lives, and that war is not an adventure, but a Dante-like descent into pain and suffering.
Mazer's simple novel remains a moving reflection on the consequences of war, which are never what they appear to be, such as from Jack Raab's point of view, in a bomber that is temperature and climate controlled, removed from the bomber's rain of death, until he is shot down and he sees what war is like on the ground and not a few miles above it. The reader, too, is removed from suffering and is only able to experience war through the eyes of a naive teenager, who does not understand war until he lives it. Thus, the reader is shot down as well, like Raab, and no longer naive.
Mazer emphasizes the lure and glamour of war on a naive teenager, who wants to become a man and find his way in the world. Mazer gives us the story of Jack Raab, who joins the Air Force as a fifteen year old, seeking adventure . Except, Raab does not find adventure, only death and the horrors of war that young people often learn too late, as Raab sees friends shredded by shrapnel and eventually experiences the suffering of war when he is shot down.
Mazer goes beyond the conventional patriotic story of glorifying war and showing the sacrifice of only American lives, Raab in the bomber with the camaraderie of combat that soldiers experience, "we happy few we band of brothers", etc. Instead, Mazer shows us this, plus the destruction that bombing cities and factories has on people, as Raab is shot down and sees first hand the destruction his bomber has on the world.
When I was younger, I didn't really care to think about what war meant, and Mazer's book was the first that made me understand the inhuman and brutal nature of war. Mazer's work is possibly not the most artful novel and it is short, but it showed me, a young 13 year old how terrible war is and its consequences, destroyed cities and lives, and that war is not an adventure, but a Dante-like descent into pain and suffering.
Mazer's simple novel remains a moving reflection on the consequences of war, which are never what they appear to be, such as from Jack Raab's point of view, in a bomber that is temperature and climate controlled, removed from the bomber's rain of death, until he is shot down and he sees what war is like on the ground and not a few miles above it. The reader, too, is removed from suffering and is only able to experience war through the eyes of a naive teenager, who does not understand war until he lives it. Thus, the reader is shot down as well, like Raab, and no longer naive.
November 6, 2017
The last mission is one of the first books i have read in a while. I personally loved the book it was about a 15 year old boy who wanted to kill Hitler so bad he lies about his age and joins the air force. After a while in the air force jack finds a girl that he really likes and has to lie to her. Jack is then sent off to the war and is a pow. You will have to read to find out what happens to jack. People who will like this book are people who like action and plot twisting events.
January 15, 2026
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK
I chose The Last Mission by Harry Mazer because the title caught my eye right away. As soon as I saw those B-17 bombers flying through the air, I said to myself that I had to read this book. It was also about the Air Force experience in World War II, which I hadn't read about. I was eager to open up the book and hear the story of Jack Raab.
In the beginning, we learn how Jack Raab is a 15 year old boy from the Bronx. He has a brother named Irving and a sister who lives with him, including his parents. The word of World War II spread quickly across America, and Jack was ready to join. He thought of war as this amazing thing where you earn medals and receive hero treatment. And most of all, being a Jewish boy, he wanted nothing more than to beat the German leader down. As Jack progresses through basic training, he is assigned a crew with whom he will carry out all of his missions with throughout the duration of the war. Their name, Godfathers Inc.
What worked with The Last Mission is that the book never failed to be engaging. Chapter after chapter, I found myself wanting to read more. It's by far the most interesting book I've read. The plot stays consistent even if no mission is being carried out at the moment. There's always someone Jack is interacting with. There is something happening at all times.
What didn't work with this book was how short it was. For you readers who want a long book that takes you at least 2 months to read, then this isn't for you. 192 pages is all it takes you to finish. Trailing behind the rest of the book was the ending. I felt as if it was lacking more. It showed the life of a post war veteran, but it wasn't enough in my opinion.
I 100% recommend this book to anyone interested in war. You don´t even have to like war books, and I think you would still enjoy this book.
I chose The Last Mission by Harry Mazer because the title caught my eye right away. As soon as I saw those B-17 bombers flying through the air, I said to myself that I had to read this book. It was also about the Air Force experience in World War II, which I hadn't read about. I was eager to open up the book and hear the story of Jack Raab.
In the beginning, we learn how Jack Raab is a 15 year old boy from the Bronx. He has a brother named Irving and a sister who lives with him, including his parents. The word of World War II spread quickly across America, and Jack was ready to join. He thought of war as this amazing thing where you earn medals and receive hero treatment. And most of all, being a Jewish boy, he wanted nothing more than to beat the German leader down. As Jack progresses through basic training, he is assigned a crew with whom he will carry out all of his missions with throughout the duration of the war. Their name, Godfathers Inc.
What worked with The Last Mission is that the book never failed to be engaging. Chapter after chapter, I found myself wanting to read more. It's by far the most interesting book I've read. The plot stays consistent even if no mission is being carried out at the moment. There's always someone Jack is interacting with. There is something happening at all times.
What didn't work with this book was how short it was. For you readers who want a long book that takes you at least 2 months to read, then this isn't for you. 192 pages is all it takes you to finish. Trailing behind the rest of the book was the ending. I felt as if it was lacking more. It showed the life of a post war veteran, but it wasn't enough in my opinion.
I 100% recommend this book to anyone interested in war. You don´t even have to like war books, and I think you would still enjoy this book.
October 24, 2020
I decided to reread this story out of boredom and for the sake of memory. The story is about a boy named Jack Raab ( who is Jewish) who wanted to fight against Hitler. He used his brothers I.D. to get into the airforce and left everything that he ever knew behind. The book is a character growth novel that has you follow Raam as he changes through his experiences as part of a bomber crew. It highlights how war can change how people act and perceive things in their everyday lives. Raam experiences everything from the excitement of going to war and how naive he was to the absolute loss and guilt that comes from being the sole survivor of his B-17 crew. He starts off as a young and adventure-seeking boy and turns into a shellshocked husk of his former self who suffers from survivor's guilt.
The main literary device of this story is imagery. The device adds a sense of scale and insight into what is happening around the main character. There are moments in the story like when his B-17 is shot to pieces and he observes all of his fellow crew members that he has bonded with start dropping like flies. One of his friends is slumped over his position with a piece of his skull blown off and another one of his friends is shot while parachuting. The device makes the story more interesting by describing events and the emotions of the main characters that make the story all the more interesting to read. Without all the vivid detail we wouldn't really know any of the events that happen in the book as we know it.
This book is a good read for people who aren't sensitive to violence or controversial events. This story does cover things like traumatizing events that can change a person's outlook on life to gory imagery and angst. So if you are sensitive to things like that then I wouldn't recommend reading this book. It is more for a teen audience than anything else.
The main literary device of this story is imagery. The device adds a sense of scale and insight into what is happening around the main character. There are moments in the story like when his B-17 is shot to pieces and he observes all of his fellow crew members that he has bonded with start dropping like flies. One of his friends is slumped over his position with a piece of his skull blown off and another one of his friends is shot while parachuting. The device makes the story more interesting by describing events and the emotions of the main characters that make the story all the more interesting to read. Without all the vivid detail we wouldn't really know any of the events that happen in the book as we know it.
This book is a good read for people who aren't sensitive to violence or controversial events. This story does cover things like traumatizing events that can change a person's outlook on life to gory imagery and angst. So if you are sensitive to things like that then I wouldn't recommend reading this book. It is more for a teen audience than anything else.
October 30, 2020
The last mission by Harry mazer. In the beginning of the book a boy named Jack
Raab sneaks away from home with his brother birth certificate and joins the us air force.When he gets there he becomes very homesick an tired of training he meets chuckie his friend.After training he goes to the actual place he meets a girl when not at base named dotty.He starts to send mail to dotty a lot.Then he starts a lot of missions while on missions he would have to be aware of flac.After Many successful missions they go to a new place for a bomb trip and it goes very wrong and he jumps off the plane and go to and needs to avoid bullets in the air. When he landed he stated going to allied land and he got caught by german soldiers and taken to a german camp.The war ends,he goes home and tells the army his age to get discharged
Why is think this is a good book because the author uses real life scenarios Like how he got sent to the nazi camp when captured.Also i feel lik the story line was very good and fun to read .The bad part was it got kinda long between missions.another bad part was i think the story line went to fast.
I believe this is a great book for people who like war tipe books.Because it had lots of war action.I also like the style of writing .It was very unpredictable at times which i liked.Overall i think this is a very good book
Raab sneaks away from home with his brother birth certificate and joins the us air force.When he gets there he becomes very homesick an tired of training he meets chuckie his friend.After training he goes to the actual place he meets a girl when not at base named dotty.He starts to send mail to dotty a lot.Then he starts a lot of missions while on missions he would have to be aware of flac.After Many successful missions they go to a new place for a bomb trip and it goes very wrong and he jumps off the plane and go to and needs to avoid bullets in the air. When he landed he stated going to allied land and he got caught by german soldiers and taken to a german camp.The war ends,he goes home and tells the army his age to get discharged
Why is think this is a good book because the author uses real life scenarios Like how he got sent to the nazi camp when captured.Also i feel lik the story line was very good and fun to read .The bad part was it got kinda long between missions.another bad part was i think the story line went to fast.
I believe this is a great book for people who like war tipe books.Because it had lots of war action.I also like the style of writing .It was very unpredictable at times which i liked.Overall i think this is a very good book
November 1, 2020
Book Report
Name of the book : Last Mission
Author :Henry Mazer
Date :12/22/2019
Main Characters :Jack Raab
Characters who I like and reasons :
Jack Raab is my favorite character because he risks his life by enlisting in the Air Force to serve in a B 17 bomber to fight the Nazi’s.
Summarizing :
Jack Raab enlists in the Air Force at age 15 to fight in the Europian front against the Nazi’s. But, when Jack’s B17 is shot down and his entire crew is killed he is captured and sent to a German POW camp. Jack survives and returns home however, he has trouble adjusting to civilian life and turns to alcohol. But, his family helps him recover and Jack returns to school and lives a normal life.
Most impressive sentences or parts and reasons What you feel or learn from this book :
After reading “The Last Mission” I realized that war is painful and in war many people lose friends and family. Coming home is only half the battle for a soldier. Veterans that come home are scared by their memories of war and losing their friends.
My judgment :
“The Last Mission” was an amazing book because it had such a realistic view of war and did not take a black and white approach.
Whom you can recommend and why :
I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good book and also enjoys a deep story.
Name of the book : Last Mission
Author :Henry Mazer
Date :12/22/2019
Main Characters :Jack Raab
Characters who I like and reasons :
Jack Raab is my favorite character because he risks his life by enlisting in the Air Force to serve in a B 17 bomber to fight the Nazi’s.
Summarizing :
Jack Raab enlists in the Air Force at age 15 to fight in the Europian front against the Nazi’s. But, when Jack’s B17 is shot down and his entire crew is killed he is captured and sent to a German POW camp. Jack survives and returns home however, he has trouble adjusting to civilian life and turns to alcohol. But, his family helps him recover and Jack returns to school and lives a normal life.
Most impressive sentences or parts and reasons What you feel or learn from this book :
After reading “The Last Mission” I realized that war is painful and in war many people lose friends and family. Coming home is only half the battle for a soldier. Veterans that come home are scared by their memories of war and losing their friends.
My judgment :
“The Last Mission” was an amazing book because it had such a realistic view of war and did not take a black and white approach.
Whom you can recommend and why :
I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good book and also enjoys a deep story.
January 29, 2020
The book I have to read in class is a historical fiction war book called The Last Mission by Harry Mazer. I thought my book was pretty good and interesting it was a really good page turner just to see what the main character Jack chooses to do in all situations including war. The book follows the main character, Jack, who is a 15 year old Jew and he trained in the Air Force secretly and got deployed without anyone figuring out he’s only 15. The main characters are Jack, his best friend Chuckie, his girlfriend Dotty who he met at Miami Beach during training, and his mom who he misses a lot all throughout the book. The authors writing style is really good and interesting because it makes you want to turn the page and the author puts the main character in certain situations and it’s interesting to see how he gets out of those situations. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction a war genre books.
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May 29, 2020A boy named Jack Raab is 15 year old and he is eager to fight against Hitler so he enlist for a type of army called the air corps during ww2. When he sees his friends that get killed when their plane got shot down he speculates if there was any meaning for all these deaths. Jack then starts having a close bond with a group of men called the god fathers. He liked them because they would share danger together if one man was in trouble they would come in and risk their lives.
In my honest opinion this book will make you the reader feel shocked and grief for the loss of Jack's friends and when he's a jewish prisoner. When you heat about when they got shot down and only jack survives out of his crew and he gets captured by a german patrol car. I would recommend This book to people that are into old wars like ww2 or ww1.
In my honest opinion this book will make you the reader feel shocked and grief for the loss of Jack's friends and when he's a jewish prisoner. When you heat about when they got shot down and only jack survives out of his crew and he gets captured by a german patrol car. I would recommend This book to people that are into old wars like ww2 or ww1.
March 9, 2021
A young man, 15 year old, enlists in the military to fight in World War 2. He is able to sneak in under the guise that he is his older brother. This book definitely would appeal to young boys/men and anyone who is interested in hearing the experiences of war from a soldier's perspective. It highlights how war can become sensationalized, but when it comes right down to it, as the main character says, "it's not fun and songs. It's not about heroes. It's about awful, sad things. "
Even though this book is geared toward young adults/boys, I really thought it had too many f words for me to give this to my son to read. .I was surprised that there were as many in the book and wonder if this book is geared toward young adults? And since the main character passes as an older man, there is smoking and drinking with the other soldiers.
Even though this book is geared toward young adults/boys, I really thought it had too many f words for me to give this to my son to read. .I was surprised that there were as many in the book and wonder if this book is geared toward young adults? And since the main character passes as an older man, there is smoking and drinking with the other soldiers.
April 8, 2021
Fifteen year old Jack steals his brother’s birth certificate and joins the Air Force during WWII. He dreams of honor and fame, but when something terrible happens Jack realizes war isn’t what he thought it was.
The plot was very good, and we rated it about four stars. Our only drawback is that it has some language that we previously knew nothing about, so this book is recommended for mature readers. Jack and his best friend Chuckie dream of winning honor and fame, and the author’s motive throughout the book is to teach us that war isn’t all fame and glory.
This was a pretty good book aside from the language, and we would recommend it for mature readers over 12.
The plot was very good, and we rated it about four stars. Our only drawback is that it has some language that we previously knew nothing about, so this book is recommended for mature readers. Jack and his best friend Chuckie dream of winning honor and fame, and the author’s motive throughout the book is to teach us that war isn’t all fame and glory.
This was a pretty good book aside from the language, and we would recommend it for mature readers over 12.
November 27, 2022
Why did this remind me of The Maze Runner?
Seriously I feel like The Maze Runner was inspired by this book. Anywho, I liked this story and idea but it felt rushed and to action packed for my liking. Some scenes and wording was unnecessary in my opinion and I could've gone without. The characters were real for the most part but we really only got to know Jack (the main character) but that was kinda the point I think. But you may not like this if you're not a total history or military geek. There's just a lot of like gun type references and army slang lol. Anyway I don't regret reading this and I would recommend to a certain crowd.
Seriously I feel like The Maze Runner was inspired by this book. Anywho, I liked this story and idea but it felt rushed and to action packed for my liking. Some scenes and wording was unnecessary in my opinion and I could've gone without. The characters were real for the most part but we really only got to know Jack (the main character) but that was kinda the point I think. But you may not like this if you're not a total history or military geek. There's just a lot of like gun type references and army slang lol. Anyway I don't regret reading this and I would recommend to a certain crowd.
January 16, 2024
Throughout my childhood I read this book over and over again. It was the first book that I truly felt proud to finish in maybe 3rd or 4th grade. I was a Jewish boy with family ties to Brooklyn and heroic aspirations as well, so I saw a lot of myself in the main character. For anyone worried that the themes are not suitable for young people, know that the book is raw at times, but it helped me understand my feelings at that age and how uncaring fate can be to one's desires. It is one of the few books that I actively reflected on in my youth. If you have a brooding kid that takes an interest in this book, let them be with it.
February 10, 2024
When they say this book is young adult, they mean not-too-young adult. I'm and old adult and I enjoyed it. Some of the situations and language probably aren't the best for pre- or just-becoming teens. Young Jack lies about his age and enters military service towards the end of the European campaign in WW2, becomes a gunner on a B-17. The story is mainly about how this teenager deals with the experience of not only being away from home and family for the first time, but being in the middle of a war surrounded by mostly much older people. It is also supposed to be loosely based on the authors own experience in the war. Young adult or not, I think it is a good book. I enjoyed it.
September 24, 2017
Instead of taking the overly dramatic testosterone filled approach to a war novel, Harry Mazer is able to create a story-line through the eyes of a young boy. Jack Rabbs's goofy outlook and naive, childlike nature really allows the reader to really understand the horrors of war. Mazer truly uses his young protagonists as a wonderful righting tool, to take his audience on the journey of a young boy realizing that war isn't just for noble causes, but instead that there will always be suffering. The wonderful craftsman ship makes this a wonderful book for all young adults.
August 25, 2020
I would recommend The Last Mission to readers who like historical fiction. The book explains 15 year old Jack Raabs point of view of the world war 2. I would really recommend this book because it is very descriptive and you picture how he felt very easily. This book does not only show war but also long friendship. Another reason I love this book is because it is very inspiring because he kept on trying to join the army to the point where he faked an ID; thats perseverance.
About the book:
Jack Raab escapes from home and lies his way into the U.S Air Force by using a fake birth certificate, the goes through various training sessions and makes his way into the air force, pilot of Godfather II. His team and him go through 24 deadly mission. He makes his way through all mission but gets shot down on enemy territory, with his crew and best friend dead; he doesn't know what to do in POW camps. He has a variety of escaping plans, will they work or will he die in the escaping progress? Read The Last Mission by Harry Mazer to find out!
About the book:
Jack Raab escapes from home and lies his way into the U.S Air Force by using a fake birth certificate, the goes through various training sessions and makes his way into the air force, pilot of Godfather II. His team and him go through 24 deadly mission. He makes his way through all mission but gets shot down on enemy territory, with his crew and best friend dead; he doesn't know what to do in POW camps. He has a variety of escaping plans, will they work or will he die in the escaping progress? Read The Last Mission by Harry Mazer to find out!
December 26, 2024
A good middle school WWII read. The story moves forward fast and provides some interesting details about the lives of bombers. However, at times, I wish the book slowed down to reveal more of the scenery, description of various character, and background that makes historical fiction so fascinating.
Still, this novel is a great fit for the non-avid reader that is perhaps aspiring to be one. So, if you are a middle schooler with a passion for war stories, you should give The Last Mission a chance.
Still, this novel is a great fit for the non-avid reader that is perhaps aspiring to be one. So, if you are a middle schooler with a passion for war stories, you should give The Last Mission a chance.
May 3, 2022
Overall I liked this book because it takes places during world war 2, towards the end of the European front. A reason why I liked this book is because it included a young Jewish boy who was a Air Force pilot in the u.s. Air Force. Jack is apart of crew on a b-17 bomber who is tasked on a major target in Germany. This book shows how determined people where to fight for there country during World war 2.
June 26, 2024
For once I feel that the levels of cursing and violence present in a novel are something near appropriate. I wouldn't say that I truly enjoyed reading this book because the plot was a pretty tragic one, but I did see something attractive in Harry Mazer's gritty, realistic depiction of service in World War III. It wasn't pretty--in fact, it was fantastically ugly--but that seems to have been the author's point, and I sort of appreciate it.
December 20, 2024
This was my first war book as a kid and read it sometime in elementary school. It’s really a masterpiece and does a great job of being readable for kids while not nerfing it so much that it doesn’t properly represent the serious material. I read it a time or two as a kid but haven’t since. I have it on the way here in the mail and am gonna reread it and see how it holds up. I definitely recommend it though and I think any young person will really enjoy it.
May 8, 2017
Jack Rabb In 1944 as world war 2 is raging across Europe, fifteen year old Jack Rabb dreams of being a hero. Jack Rabb lies about his age to get into the Air Force. Jack Rabb meets new friends in the Air Force and Jack has a hard time trying to practice flying a plane. Tries to get better at flying in training but is having lots of difficulties.The character wants to accomplish to try to escape from the Germans. Jack Rabb is stuck in the prison with his friend and has no way out. Jack is stuck in a prison with no way to escape but will be killed by the Germans trying to run away. This is a good book for people that like war books, because it explains how a P.O.W escapes a German prison. The storyline is good because it tells the story of men in the Air Force, and about their lives.
April 15, 2021
I read this in seventh grade, some 30 years ago, and decided to read it to my 9-yr old son recently. 12-15 is probably the perfect age for this. There was a lot less "war" in this book than I remembered, and a lot more "coming of age". I hope my son reads the book again when he gets a bit older.
October 30, 2019
So, this book is a really good book, however, it’s not the book you think your buying. It says it’s about the capture and his time in captivity as a POW, but it really focuses more on the events stateside and before he is a POW. Other then that, a really good book.
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