Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team

John Steinbeck

1942 • 156 pages

Ratings3

Average rating1.7

A magnificent volume of short novels and an essential World War II report from one of America’s great twentieth-century writersOn the heels of the enormous success of his masterwork The Grapes of Wrath—and at the height of the American war effort—John Steinbeck, one of the most prolific and influential literary figures of his generation, wrote Bombs Away, a nonfiction account of his experiences with U.S. Army Air Force bomber crews during World War II. Now, for the first time since its original publication in 1942, Penguin Classics presents this exclusive edition of Steinbeck’s introduction to the then-nascent U.S. Army Air Force and its bomber crew—the essential core unit behind American air power that Steinbeck described as "the greatest team in the world."

Genres

Want to edit this book?Become a Librarian

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

Chris Blocker

Steinbeck was absolutely calling it in on this one.

I'm now nearing the end of my journey through the complete works of John Steinbeck. The handful of his works I have yet to read don't inspire too much optimism for anything mindblowing (The Short Reign of Pippin IV, Steinbeck in Vietnam, The Grapes of Wrath Journals, and A Life in Letters), but I know I've reached the bottom with Bombs Away.

This book is really that bad. It's propaganda, pure and simple. And though I know Steinbeck vacillated between patriotism and disaffection throughout his life, I'm still shocked by these moments of adoration for the war machine.

I knew going into this that I probably wouldn't like it, but I expected to see more of Steinbeck's character. This is a 185-page pamphlet about the U.S. Air Force. Often, sentences and ideas are repeated over and over again (a young man may enter the Air Force wanting to be a pilot or a navigator or a bombardier or a gunner or a radio operator or an engineer, but the Air Force will give him tests that will determine which position he is best suited for. Also, he may enter the Air Force wanting to be a pilot or a navigator or a bombardier...)

I searched these pages for some semblance of heart. There isn't any. It's dry. The only place where there's any style whatsoever (and it's light), is in the final few paragraphs, a sad attempt to stir some sense of pride in the men heading out to battle.

If you, like me, needed to read everything Steinbeck read, Bombs Away is unavoidable. For anyone else, I strongly suggest not giving it another thought.