Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team

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.