Document created: 1 March 06
Air & Space Power Journal - Spring 2006

Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot by Starr Smith. Zenith Press (http://www.zenithpress.com/Store/default.aspx), 729 Prospect Avenue, P.O. Box 1, Osceola, Wisconsin 54020, 2005, 288 pages, $21.95 (hardcover).*

In Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot, Starr Smith has written a fine book about a fine human being. It is a delightful yet troubling read. It is delightful in the sense that Smith is a gifted writer. Through the collection of insights and asides that accrue throughout the book, one gets a deep sense of Stewart as well as of wartime England with its bomber bases, aircrews, and their combat missions. It is troubling in the sense that the Hollywood of today suffers so in comparison to that of yesteryear. Few stars today have the personal qualities and accomplishments of a man such as Stewart—a degree in architecture from Princeton; a military career ranging from private to brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve in World War II, to a voluntary combat mission in Vietnam; a marriage that lasted 45 years; and the gift of an endowed scholarship to the US Air Force Academy.

Smith, himself a member of Tom Brokaw’s “greatest generation,” gives us a rare glimpse into one of its well-known personages and his little-known contribution to the war effort. His is a study in character and integrity we would do well to emulate. In this sense, we could all profit from this book—as could our children and grandchildren.

Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot is an easy and compelling read, sprinkled liberally with passages from people who flew with and knew Stewart in his military career. His “aw shucks” demeanor and easygoing manner with “the fellas” portrayed on screen were hallmarks in Stewart’s relations with his combat aircrews as a B-24 pilot, a squadron commander, an operations officer, a chief of staff, and a commander. A leader who exuded quiet confidence backed by meticulous preparation and detailed training, he was a good pilot, both as an instructor in B-17 Flying Fortresses and a combat pilot in B-24 Liberators. Just as important, he had a reputation as a “lucky” pilot who hit his targets and brought his unit back safely. Stewart sought combat, volunteering for dangerous missions and spurning the chance to use his fame to avoid danger.

This book pays homage to a man’s character and his patriotic ethic, both of which are rare. Stewart sacrificed a life of privilege that paid him thousands of dollars a month to earn $21 a month as a buck private in the Army. He interrupted a glowing film career to go to war and do what he thought an American ought to do. Even this humble man’s family was unaware of his combat exploits. In fact, his daughter thanked Smith for letting her in on this part of her father’s life.

Like every book, this one has a few infelicities. Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is referred to as “Kirkland”; there are a few punctuation errors; and some of the vignettes seem to end abruptly. All that aside, Smith tells an important story and tells it extremely well. He knows how to read people and share his insights. He is neither pedantic nor pedestrian, but a raconteur of the first rank. Smith does an exemplary job of telling the other side of Jimmy Stewart’s remarkable life and his devotion to “duty, honor, and country.” Far more than writing a tribute to Jimmy Stewart, Starr Smith gives us a window on what patriotism is all about. Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot is a timely chronicle.

Dr. Grant T. Hammond
Maxwell AFB, Alabama

*This review reprinted courtesy of the Montgomery Advertiser.

Disclaimer

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.