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MWSA Review
When Heroes Flew: The Roof of the World by H. W. “Buzz” Bernard is a fictional account of the brave pilots in WWII who flew “The Hump” in Burma. The dangerous airlift mission cut through the unforgiving Himalaya Mountain terrain in harsh, unpredictable weather. Pilots who flew in the China/Burma/India theater of operations have often gone unrecognized. Imagine the bravery of these flyers knowing there was so much blood and mangled aircraft strewn across northern Burma that it was referred to as the “Aluminum Trail.”
One aviator was heard to say, “I would rather fly a fighter against the Japs three times a day than a transport over the Hump once.”
Aviator Major Rod Shepherd, a C-46 aviator and Army Air Forces weather officer, pilots his aircraft into the unpredictable skies to fly critical missions over the Hump time after time. He braves not only the extreme—even impossible—flying conditions but commanders who believe weather support is useless and unnecessary. He fears for himself but even more for the less experienced pilots coming into the base.
Early on, Rod encounters a beautiful, frosty flight nurse who seems to dislike him intensely. Each subsequent encounter with “Nurse Nasty” is fraught with verbal barbs and sarcasm. Rod goes out of his way to avoid her until they have a flight mission together. The rest is a harrowing, life-altering adventure.
On the edge of my seat during gripping scenes in the story, I could appreciate and enjoy Major Rod Shepherd’s cynicism and dark humor.
Author Buzz Bernard has done a magnificent job of verbally painting a picture of what it’s like in the cockpit of a C-46 flying over the snaggle-toothed Himalayan mountain range. Fasten your seatbelts, folks. You are in for the ride of your life.
Review by Nancy Panko (February 2023)
Author's Synopsis
A legendary WWII airlift route cuts through the snaggletoothed Himalaya Mountains, where both the terrain and weather prove uncommonly savage. And where American airmen leave a trail of blood and mangled aircraft.
Major Rod Shepherd, a C-46 pilot and Army Airforces weather officer, flings his airplane into the tumultuous skies to fly critical missions over the Hump--the Himalayas. He braves not only the extreme--even impossible--flying conditions, but commanders who believe weather support is useless, and a flight nurse who, for reasons unknown to Rod, dislikes him intensely.
Rod risks incredible danger with every flight. But when a mission of grave importance is imperiled at high altitudes, Rod faces an unthinkable dilemma.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 302
Word Count: 76,000