Reviews
"Even before Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart went off to war, he was a fighter, working hard to prove his passion for military aviation to the U.S. government. In this meticulously researched book, film historian Matzen ( Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3) provides the rich, detailed backstory of Stewart's time as a WWII bomber pilot. He delves deep into Stewart's restless spirit, chronicling his family's legacy of war service, his rise to movie stardom, the many women in his life, and his struggles to fly and serve his country. Matzen paints a revealing picture of a man who defied bureaucratic and health obstacles to become a U.S. Army Air Force squadron commander. He depicts the excitement and horror of life in a bomber crew as Stewart commanded a series of missions over Germany, interspersing his story with those of other WWII survivors, such as radio operator Clem Leone and Gertrud Siepmann, who was a young child in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. He also shows that, although considered a war hero, Stewart had difficulty getting reestablished as an actor until Frank Capra cast him in It's a Wonderful Life . Military and movie buffs alike will revel in this vivid portrayal of a man who successfully straddled two worlds." -- Publishers Weekly, "Exhaustively researched, exceptionally well written, Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe is as informed and informative as it is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library American Biography collections and a 'must' for all Jimmy Stewart fans, it should be noted for personal reading lists that Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe is also available in a Kindle format." -- Midwest Book Review, "Exhaustively researched, exceptionally well written, Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe is as informed and informative as it is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library American Biography collections and a 'must' for all Jimmy Stewart fans, it should be noted for personal reading lists that Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe is also available in a Kindle format." -- Midwest Book Review, "A truly excellent in-all-aspects account of Jimmy Stewart's life and film career--including previously untold accounts of his World War II experiences as an Army Air Corps Flight Commander in Europe. Author Robert Matzen has done it, and done it well." --Rudy Behlmer, author, Behind the Scenes, " Mission digs deep into the untold true story of how a Hollywood ladies' man fought hard to fly bombers in World War II--and paints a vivid picture of how James Stewart's often horrific experiences in the air informed his remarkable post-war career." --Lou Lumenick, Film Editor and Chief Film Critic at the New York Post, "This week's must-read books...A revealing look at the wartime service of one of America's most beloved actors." -- New York Post, "Unlike many Hollywood stars, James Stewart (1908-97) didn't make morale-boosting combat films during World War II; he was busy flying combat missions over Europe. Like many veterans, he preferred not to talk about his experiences when the conflict was over. One of the first major studies of the actor's risky missions over Nazi Germany, this title chronicles Stewart's improbable rise from small-town life in Indiana, PA, to his college years at Princeton, where he acquired his love for acting and befriended Henry Fonda, Joshua Logan, and Margaret Sullavan. His shy persona attracted the likes of actresses Marlene Dietrich, Olivia de Havilland, Norma Shearer, and Loretta Young. The bulk of this book covers Stewart's stay in England, his relationships with fellow crew members, who dealt daily with fear, loneliness, mud, and bitter cold. Stewart returned from Europe a changed man, reflected in his edgy, sometimes angry antihero roles in 1950s westerns and Alfred Hitchcock films. Author Matzen relies on extensive research and the cooperation of surviving crew members; however, as in his Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 , small details and comments about the subject's thoughts must be taken on faith. VERDICT: Overall, an illuminating, recommended look at a hidden chapter in Stewart's life." -- Library Journal, "Unlike many Hollywood stars, James Stewart (1908-97) didn't make morale-boosting combat films during World War II; he was busy flying combat missions over Europe. Like many veterans, he preferred not to talk about his experiences when the conflict was over. One of the first major studies of the actor's risky missions over Nazi Germany, this title chronicles Stewart's improbable rise from small-town life in Indiana, PA, to his college years at Princeton, where he acquired his love for acting and befriended Henry Fonda, Joshua Logan, and Margaret Sullavan. His shy persona attracted the likes of actresses Marlene Dietrich, Olivia de Havilland, Norma Shearer, and Loretta Young. The bulk of this book covers Stewart's stay in England, his relationships with fellow crew members, who dealt daily with fear, loneliness, mud, and bitter cold. Stewart returned from Europe a changed man, reflected in his edgy, sometimes angry antihero roles in 1950s westerns and Alfred Hitchcock films. Author Matzen relies on extensive research and the cooperation of surviving crew members; however, as in his Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 , small details and comments about the subject's thoughts must be taken on faith. VERDICT: Overall, an illuminating, recommended look at a hidden chapter in Stewart's life." -- Library Journal, "As Jimmy Stewart's children, we have always known that our father's service during the war was the most significant event of his life, although he rarely spoke of it. This book gives us the best glimpse we will ever have of what that experience was like for him and the men he flew with. Thank you, Robert Matzen." --Kelly Stewart, daughter of Jimmy Stewart, "Matzen provides an intriguing mixture of biography and history as he relates not only the story of Lombard's life, but those of the other passengers on Flight 3, as well as the curious elements of the plane crash." -- Publishers Weekly on Fireball, "Robert Matzen's compelling narrative gets inside his subject's head to recreate specific moments in the heat of preparation for combat . . . his work is rooted in such extensive research that it has the ring of truth in every case." --Leonard Maltin, author, Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide, "Great gift for anybody like me who just loves Jimmy Stewart and loves a good story of history that you've never heard before."--Glenn Beck, "This week's must-read books...A revealing look at the wartime service of one of America's most beloved actors." -- New York Post, "Absorbing . . . Matzen adds value by blending archival evidence with contemporary fact-finding to get more specific, depicting a probable sequence of entwined cockpit events that cascaded into tragedy." --Air & Space Smithsonian on Fireball, "As Jimmy Stewart's children, we have always known that our father's service during the war was the most significant event of his life, although he rarely spoke of it. This book gives us the best glimpse we will ever have of what that experience was like for him and the men he flew with. Thank you, Robert Matzen." --Kelly Stewart, daughter of Jimmy Stewart
