The Fall of Fortresses

On an August morning in England in 1943, a group of American airmen were told that before the day was out they would deliver the blow that would win the war.

Flying the legendary B-17 Flying Fortress, their mission was to destroy the industrial facilities that kept the Nazi war machine in business—Schweinfurt's ball-bearing factories.

But a determined and ferocious defense awaited the bomber crews of the USAAF's Mighty 8th.

Somehow, Navigator Elmer Bendiner and his crew survived, their faithful B-17, Tondelayo, carrying them home. Hundreds of their young compatriots did not.

Vivid, powerful, and often viscerally engaging, The Fall of Fortresses is a stunning testament to the skill, courage, and sacrifice of the men who fought in World War II's deadliest campaign.