Bert Stiles - 'Serenade to the Big Bird'

[Dixon Cannon]

About the Author:

Bert Stiles was a co-pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in World War II – but Serenade to the Big Bird in like no other book in all the literature of war. In this one short book, written in England between missions, he tried to set down all that he had learned about war, his feelings about killing and his hopes for peace.

The final words of the book are these:

“In the end it is only people that count. All the people in the whole world. Any land is beautiful to someone. Any land is worth fighting for to someone. So it isn’t the land. It is the people. That is what war is about, I think. Beyond that I can’t go very fare. So if we can get through this war, I’ll get started…”

But Bert Stiles didn’t get through. After finishing his tour on bombers he transferred to the fighter forces. He died on an escort mission to Hanover at the age of 23.

The book is now published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 4880 Lower Valley Road Atglen, PA 19310 www. Schifferbooks.com ISBN: 0-7643-1396-7

http://www.acmedepot.com/stiles/pubs.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Stiles


-dixon cannon

 

[Clyde R.]

Sounds extremely interesting. I'll have to check it out.

 

[PADDY]

First Edition copy..

I have a First Ed. copy of this book and it's marvellous. Many of the guys here who are into WW2 aviation will tell you that it is one of the finest autobiographical accounts by a flyer in WW2 that they have read. If you can get it (do a search on The Bay or Amazon or Abe Books online) then I'd highly recommend it!