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Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II
The first major history of the American glider pilots, the forgotten heroes of World War II, by New York Times bestselling author Scott McGaugh. A story of no guns, no engines and no second chances.
This book distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire. Based on their after-action reports, journals, oral histories, photos and letters home, The Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin reveals every terrifying minute of their missions.
They were all volunteers, for a specialized duty that their own government projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate. None faltered. In every major European invasion of the war they led the way. They landed their gliders ahead of the troops who stormed Omaha Beach, and sometimes miles ahead of the paratroopers bound for the far side of the Rhine River in Germany itself. From there, they had to hold their positions. They delivered medical teams, supplies and gasoline to troops surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge, ahead even of Patton's famous supply truck convoy. These all-volunteer glider pilots played a pivotal role in liberating the West from tyranny, from the day the Allies invaded Occupied Europe to the day Germany finally surrendered. Yet the story of these anonymous heroes is virtually unknown. Here their story is told in full – a story which epitomizes courage, dedication and sacrifice.
This book distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire. Based on their after-action reports, journals, oral histories, photos and letters home, The Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin reveals every terrifying minute of their missions.
They were all volunteers, for a specialized duty that their own government projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate. None faltered. In every major European invasion of the war they led the way. They landed their gliders ahead of the troops who stormed Omaha Beach, and sometimes miles ahead of the paratroopers bound for the far side of the Rhine River in Germany itself. From there, they had to hold their positions. They delivered medical teams, supplies and gasoline to troops surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge, ahead even of Patton's famous supply truck convoy. These all-volunteer glider pilots played a pivotal role in liberating the West from tyranny, from the day the Allies invaded Occupied Europe to the day Germany finally surrendered. Yet the story of these anonymous heroes is virtually unknown. Here their story is told in full – a story which epitomizes courage, dedication and sacrifice.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published March 7, 2023
About the author
Scott McGaugh
12 books18 followersI'm proud to be a New York Times bestselling author of nonfiction military thrillers. My upcoming book, The Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin (March 2, 2023), is the untold combat aviation story of World War II volunteer glider pilots. A Civil War biography, Surgeon in Blue, was a bestseller. Honor Before Glory takes readers on a riveting rescue mission by Japanese American soldiers and is in film development. And I'm always looking for ideas for my next book...
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 23, 2022
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WW2 since it provides a detailed insight into the rarely reported topic of glider warfare. Every invasion and most major campaigns require troops and equipment to be brought to the frontline as quickly as possible so as to maintain the element of surprise and to establish a combative force sizeable enough to capture and hold territory. WW2 saw the first use of gliders in this regard by both sides. Mc Gaughs book covers the early use of gliders in combat and then describes the successive campaigns where they were employed from the Invasion of Sicily through to the crossing of the Rhine.
I found the book riveting! It takes the reader through the steep learning curve that the pilots and their leadership had to overcome in order to achieve greater success in subsequent campaigns. Needless to say, landing large numbers of troops and equipment by often hundreds of gliders flying into combat zones through enemy fire trying to land in small fields surrounded with collision hazards is a high stakes game and casualty numbers were very high. The author cleverly uses personal stories of individuals to tell the story which adds drama but is also effective in understanding the circumstance under which each of these missions were executed and how the people involved dealt with so many unknowns.
The focus of the book is on the American glider technology and the the US air crews who flew both the gliders and the tow planes. This is the only criticism I have of the book since it would have been very interesting to have the same detailed examination of the British forces who used a different glider design, sometimes different tow planes and organised their forces in a different way. Nevertheless, this book is an excellent progression in helping the public understand such a key role during WW2, the brave men who took part and the high level of casualties.
Many thanks to the Publisher and Netgallery for providing this opportunity to review this book.
I found the book riveting! It takes the reader through the steep learning curve that the pilots and their leadership had to overcome in order to achieve greater success in subsequent campaigns. Needless to say, landing large numbers of troops and equipment by often hundreds of gliders flying into combat zones through enemy fire trying to land in small fields surrounded with collision hazards is a high stakes game and casualty numbers were very high. The author cleverly uses personal stories of individuals to tell the story which adds drama but is also effective in understanding the circumstance under which each of these missions were executed and how the people involved dealt with so many unknowns.
The focus of the book is on the American glider technology and the the US air crews who flew both the gliders and the tow planes. This is the only criticism I have of the book since it would have been very interesting to have the same detailed examination of the British forces who used a different glider design, sometimes different tow planes and organised their forces in a different way. Nevertheless, this book is an excellent progression in helping the public understand such a key role during WW2, the brave men who took part and the high level of casualties.
Many thanks to the Publisher and Netgallery for providing this opportunity to review this book.
March 6, 2023
The first major history of the American glider pilots, the forgotten heroes of World War II, by New York Times bestselling author Scott McGaugh. A story of no guns, no engines, and no second chances.
I read the Kindle edition, and this book will make you laugh, cry, remember veterans, and appreciate the bravery of these men. "This book distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire." Author Scott McGaugh shares the stories of a few of these courageous men and delivers an action-packed 200-plus page must-read.
American glider pilots were forgotten heroes who carried troops, jeeps, and guns to the front lines—known as Flying Coffins, Tow Targets, Death Crates, Puke Ships, and Plywood Hearses. One of the stats that stood out to me was glider pilots earned an Air Medal for each mission, while bomber pilots had to complete five missions and fighter pilots ten to receive the same medal. Let that stand for how dangerous these missions were.
Author McGaugh did a stellar job bringing these stories to life within the pages of this book. Each man is represented and followed, allowing readers to connect with them. The author cleverly tells stories of learning curves, suspense, humor, sadness, and more. The book is very well-written and exciting. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates World War II history and for study. I am considering this book for my book club read!
Many thanks to the Osprey Publishing, author Scott McGaugh and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to review this book.
I read the Kindle edition, and this book will make you laugh, cry, remember veterans, and appreciate the bravery of these men. "This book distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire." Author Scott McGaugh shares the stories of a few of these courageous men and delivers an action-packed 200-plus page must-read.
American glider pilots were forgotten heroes who carried troops, jeeps, and guns to the front lines—known as Flying Coffins, Tow Targets, Death Crates, Puke Ships, and Plywood Hearses. One of the stats that stood out to me was glider pilots earned an Air Medal for each mission, while bomber pilots had to complete five missions and fighter pilots ten to receive the same medal. Let that stand for how dangerous these missions were.
Author McGaugh did a stellar job bringing these stories to life within the pages of this book. Each man is represented and followed, allowing readers to connect with them. The author cleverly tells stories of learning curves, suspense, humor, sadness, and more. The book is very well-written and exciting. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates World War II history and for study. I am considering this book for my book club read!
Many thanks to the Osprey Publishing, author Scott McGaugh and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to review this book.
June 8, 2023
I don't think I have ever drank enough, or lost my mind enough, to the point that I would volunteer to be a World War II glider pilot. I would have said this before I read Scott McGaugh's amazing Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin. Now that I have read it, I definitely would have volunteered to clean latrines for the rest of my life instead.
What is a glider exactly? Well, think of a paper airplane and then imagine flying that paper airplane into Nazi territory. Is that hyperbole? Not nearly as much as you think.
McGaugh tells the story of these absolutely insane heroes. Don't worry, I am not being disrespectful. They called themselves much, much worse. If you read a fair amount of World War II literature, you will see references to gliders in all the major airborne battles of Europe. However, this is the first book that I have seen which focuses on gliders and their story. It's a fantastic book worthy of its subjects.
(This book was provided as a courtesy copy by Osprey Books.)
What is a glider exactly? Well, think of a paper airplane and then imagine flying that paper airplane into Nazi territory. Is that hyperbole? Not nearly as much as you think.
McGaugh tells the story of these absolutely insane heroes. Don't worry, I am not being disrespectful. They called themselves much, much worse. If you read a fair amount of World War II literature, you will see references to gliders in all the major airborne battles of Europe. However, this is the first book that I have seen which focuses on gliders and their story. It's a fantastic book worthy of its subjects.
(This book was provided as a courtesy copy by Osprey Books.)
March 23, 2024
Excellent research and story on glider pilots during WW II. These pilots were developing a new form of aviation in the US with aircraft that were yet to be battle-tested. Their first missions were in combat, often with the fate of twenty or more soldiers sitting behind them. Aside from facing enemy aircraft and ground fire, they also had to deal with unpredictable weather (winds, fog, etc.) and untried landing areas with no possibility of returning to their air base like conventional aircraft with an engine. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
May 7, 2023
“No engines; no guns; no second chances” sums up the risks of piloting gliders. This book fills a significant gap in World War 2 history. It is very well researched, conceived, and written.
April 28, 2023
I finished Scott McGaugh's, Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II.
A very interesting book on a subject that I had only peripheral knowledge of. Those of us read on World War II know about the gliders and the glider pilots, but mostly that that were used for dropping supplied and pathfinders on D-Day.
A short book at 256 pages, I found it be an strong 4 star read. The focus of the book dealt with the development of the glider program after if was effectively used by the Germans in their invasion of Western Europe.
Gliders was a scratch and largely a crash program, the U.S. Army Air Corps, differentiated glider pilots from pilots in the motorized flight program and logistics, manpower and training requirements largely evolved separately. The United Stated went through various models of gliders before they settled largely on CG-4A glider. The glider went through multiple design changes during the course of the war, mostly to make them easier to land and stronger for the survival of the pilots and passengers.
The gliders were used largely 5times during the war. The invasion of Sicily which was considered a poor example of glider usefulness with such high casualty rate that the program was almost scrapped. Ultimately General Hap Arnold and General Eisenhower went forward with the program and with more training and design evolution were successfully used with a much lower than projected casualty rate in the "Operation Neptune" in the invasion on Normandy. The 3rd major deployment was in Operation Market Garden which was less then stellar use of the program often finding the pilots to engage as infantry after the landing until Market Garden was ended. The 4 significant deployment was augmentation tool to get much need supplies and personnel to the troops in Bastogne until the 3rd Army under Patton was able to break through. The last significant usage was in bridging the Rhein towards the end of the war. The glider program while successful was largely finished after World War II.
I would strongly encourage any interested in this under studied topic to to pick this up for greater understanding of the men who served and the mission they fulfilled.
A very interesting book on a subject that I had only peripheral knowledge of. Those of us read on World War II know about the gliders and the glider pilots, but mostly that that were used for dropping supplied and pathfinders on D-Day.
A short book at 256 pages, I found it be an strong 4 star read. The focus of the book dealt with the development of the glider program after if was effectively used by the Germans in their invasion of Western Europe.
Gliders was a scratch and largely a crash program, the U.S. Army Air Corps, differentiated glider pilots from pilots in the motorized flight program and logistics, manpower and training requirements largely evolved separately. The United Stated went through various models of gliders before they settled largely on CG-4A glider. The glider went through multiple design changes during the course of the war, mostly to make them easier to land and stronger for the survival of the pilots and passengers.
The gliders were used largely 5times during the war. The invasion of Sicily which was considered a poor example of glider usefulness with such high casualty rate that the program was almost scrapped. Ultimately General Hap Arnold and General Eisenhower went forward with the program and with more training and design evolution were successfully used with a much lower than projected casualty rate in the "Operation Neptune" in the invasion on Normandy. The 3rd major deployment was in Operation Market Garden which was less then stellar use of the program often finding the pilots to engage as infantry after the landing until Market Garden was ended. The 4 significant deployment was augmentation tool to get much need supplies and personnel to the troops in Bastogne until the 3rd Army under Patton was able to break through. The last significant usage was in bridging the Rhein towards the end of the war. The glider program while successful was largely finished after World War II.
I would strongly encourage any interested in this under studied topic to to pick this up for greater understanding of the men who served and the mission they fulfilled.
May 10, 2024
On the whole, I have to report that I found this book somewhat disappointing. This unease began from when I started, where one is presented with McGaugh's apologetic for what he is not going to deal with in this work, which includes the minutiae of how American military units work. I'm most concerned though with what McGaugh may not recognize himself, as I'm not sure that he has any appreciation for operational military history. This sense was locked down when I ran across McGaugh's seeming assertion that Operation "Neptune" only referred to the airborne assault on D-Day in Normandy, not the whole naval operation, with its airborne adjunct. From that point on I really didn't trust anything McGaugh had to say, unless I could cross-check from my own studies.
This is a shame, in that it's been decades since there have been studies that touched on the glider pilots, and I really expected more out of this book. It also doesn't reflect well on the publisher, as Osprey is almost always at least workmanlike and trustworthy. Call this a missed opportunity, and a commentary on the pitfalls of writing with too narrow of a focus, as McGaugh certainly seems to have done the footwork.
Given the opportunity, I could rate this book as a 2.5; but no more.
This is a shame, in that it's been decades since there have been studies that touched on the glider pilots, and I really expected more out of this book. It also doesn't reflect well on the publisher, as Osprey is almost always at least workmanlike and trustworthy. Call this a missed opportunity, and a commentary on the pitfalls of writing with too narrow of a focus, as McGaugh certainly seems to have done the footwork.
Given the opportunity, I could rate this book as a 2.5; but no more.
March 27, 2024
Walter Cronkite a World War II correspondent once said after riding in a glider, "I tell you straight out. if you got to go into combat, don't go by glider, walk, crawl, parachute, swim, float-anything but don't go by glider." After reading this book I have to agree.
AMERICA’S GLIDER pilots job was to fly engineless planes, without parachutes and land them in small fields deep inside enemy territory, often under fire. Tow planes were vulnerable to enemy fire. Night missions were suicidal. "No Engines, No Parachutes, No Second Chances". The American CG-4A Waco glider was constructed of metal tubing, plywood and linen/cotton fabric coated with a chemical compound called “Dope". American glider pilots who piloted these gliders were forgotten heroes who carried troops, jeeps, and guns to the front lines—known as Flying Coffins, Tow Targets, Death Crates, Puke Ships, and Plywood Hearses. A virtual coffin. One would think you were crazy to even think of flying in one of these death traps. Yet, America’s glider pilots played a key role in the Allied victory.
This is a fascinating read that brings waves of angst, pride, heartbreak and inspiration as these unsung heroes face incredible odds from Normandy to the invasion of Germany. What I like was how this book was presented while minimizing the minutiae of tactical military jargon in favor of the personal narrative. Well written account of the greatest generation warriors of sky and land.
AMERICA’S GLIDER pilots job was to fly engineless planes, without parachutes and land them in small fields deep inside enemy territory, often under fire. Tow planes were vulnerable to enemy fire. Night missions were suicidal. "No Engines, No Parachutes, No Second Chances". The American CG-4A Waco glider was constructed of metal tubing, plywood and linen/cotton fabric coated with a chemical compound called “Dope". American glider pilots who piloted these gliders were forgotten heroes who carried troops, jeeps, and guns to the front lines—known as Flying Coffins, Tow Targets, Death Crates, Puke Ships, and Plywood Hearses. A virtual coffin. One would think you were crazy to even think of flying in one of these death traps. Yet, America’s glider pilots played a key role in the Allied victory.
This is a fascinating read that brings waves of angst, pride, heartbreak and inspiration as these unsung heroes face incredible odds from Normandy to the invasion of Germany. What I like was how this book was presented while minimizing the minutiae of tactical military jargon in favor of the personal narrative. Well written account of the greatest generation warriors of sky and land.
January 8, 2023
An interesting and informative book about the courageous American volunteer glider pilots of World War 11 who carried troops, jeeps and guns to the front lines. This is a fascinating part of history that has not been well-covered in the WW11 literature, and these pilots – mainly young men – really deserve recognition. The author focuses on a number of individuals, drawn from different backgrounds, but unfortunately there were too many characters for this reader to follow all the individual stories, which is a pity. I found the book a little stilted, and would have enjoyed more context in terms of how the battles fit into the big picture of WW11. Having said this, I recommend this to anyone interested in WW11 – you’ll be amazed at how brave these young men were who were sent into battle in their “flying coffins”, aircraft that had not even existed four years earlier. They paid an incredibly high price. Pre-flight information was often inaccurate, they were at the mercy of their towplanes and ropes, usually had to approach at a mere 600 feet, faced intense flak and then horrendous landings usually in fields or vineyards surrounded by tall trees or buildings, or full of poles, wrecked gliders or other obstacles. As one General put it, they “were the only aviators during World War 11 who had no motors, no parachutes and no second chances.” Well worth a read.
May 2, 2023
One thing I liked about the brotherhood of the flying coffin is the black in white pictures.
Before reading the book I did not know much about world war 2 gliders or their pilots. The book talks about the creation of the Arm air force glider program, talks about several battles gliders were involved in Sicily, Normandy, Southern France, Germany.
I also learning about some training accidents involving gliders which could be pretty terrible. One accident I don't think it was during training it might have been. A C-47 took off and their were no pilots in the glider and the C-47 crashed.
It was certainly interesting to learn about the glider pilots who flew the gliders. Some flew in more than one mission.
And the author even talks about how gliders were used after the war by Canada, and a private company.
Now I know a lot more about world war II gliders and pilots that's for sure.
Before reading the book I did not know much about world war 2 gliders or their pilots. The book talks about the creation of the Arm air force glider program, talks about several battles gliders were involved in Sicily, Normandy, Southern France, Germany.
I also learning about some training accidents involving gliders which could be pretty terrible. One accident I don't think it was during training it might have been. A C-47 took off and their were no pilots in the glider and the C-47 crashed.
It was certainly interesting to learn about the glider pilots who flew the gliders. Some flew in more than one mission.
And the author even talks about how gliders were used after the war by Canada, and a private company.
Now I know a lot more about world war II gliders and pilots that's for sure.
April 28, 2023
A fabulous book on the glider pilots of World War II. The glider pilots are seldom written about and this book concisely provides a riveting history. The book recounts the history of the glider and follows its use through all the campaigns. Several of the pilots are featured in different landings. The style of the author is exciting and informative.
The US unlike Britain did not have the pilots fight as infantry. Rather due to thier training they were recycled back to fly the next invasion. Often the pilots did not have a co-pilot and flew while towed for several hours. The author does a great job of describing the landings and the chaos around them
A particulaly good chapter is how a glider flew a medical team into Bastogne since doctors were urgentlyneeded during the Battle of the Bulge.
The US unlike Britain did not have the pilots fight as infantry. Rather due to thier training they were recycled back to fly the next invasion. Often the pilots did not have a co-pilot and flew while towed for several hours. The author does a great job of describing the landings and the chaos around them
A particulaly good chapter is how a glider flew a medical team into Bastogne since doctors were urgentlyneeded during the Battle of the Bulge.
October 20, 2023
Fabulous book - such a great review of a subject (GliderPilots) rarely mentioned in WWII history.
November 24, 2023
My uncle was a glider pilot and now I know how terrifying it must have been. So glad 8 read this. The author really brings it home with the recollections of glider pilots.
January 2, 2024
This is an important addition to the chronicles of World War II. The young men who flew gliders into combat were sitting ducks.
March 8, 2024
Very interesting - I learned quite a few things. (Which is one of the main reasons to read, afterall)
August 5, 2024
Have always wondered about those who towed, flew and rode in to combat in gliders. The book answered many of my questions. Do wish there had been maps of the missions.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews