Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth

I just finished reading this book. I found it to be a very well written researched book. A very hard book to put down. The many, many photos accompanying the story are extremely interesting. The book is written by the son of the pilot of the WWII B-17, the Susan Ruth, the main character in the book. The book goes into depth about from what the pilot training was like in the States, the transitioning to larger aircraft, joining up as a crew, joining a combat bomber command in England, to what the actual aerial combat in a B-17 in WWII was like. It also details what each crew-members duties were like along with a a short biography on each actual crew member. There is also actual comments from the German fighter pilots perspective, along with recollections from the very German fighter pilot who shot the Susan Ruth down, (who was also at the same time shot down by the Susan Ruth’s gunners) and what his life was like as a German fighter pilot. A lot of detail as well as WWII aviation history, something I really enjoyed reading being a career military flyer. The book also details what it was like for the French and Belgium people under German occupation, along with the resistant underground fighters. Many personal letters written by the crewmembers as well as from their loved ones back home give a unique outlook on what it was like from both sides of the ocean during the war. This book is very sobering, funny, interesting, and sad at times. An outstanding outlook into what combat flying in a B-17 was like in WWII. A great read. Highly recommend!

Shot Down by Steve Snyder is a multilayered nonfiction and historical documentary. It follows Howard Snyder and his family before, during, and after WWII. As the title hints, Steve explains the falling of Howard's plane, the Susan Ruth, and what happened to its crew members after German FW 190 fighters shot them down in Belgium. Each crew member faced many uncertainties and hardships during their attempt to return to their base in England. Howard had German ancestry and Midwestern values. Howard named his plane Susan Ruth after his oldest daughter, whom he longed to meet after the war. After successful military training, the Air Force selected him as a pilot. Each B-17 plane consisted of ten members (4 officers, 5 gunners, and 1 radio person). Steve describes the roles of each, giving us a glimpse of the anxiety, fear, and struggle these men had gone through. After Howard's plane burns down, Howard hides from place to place and recovers from his injuries while avoiding the Nazis. Howard eventually teamed up with the rural guerrilla in Northern France, the Maquis, who were integral in defeating the Gestapo. Shot Down captivates from beginning to end, despite knowing the fate of WWII. I rate this book five out of five stars, and highly recommend it, for the following reasons: (1) Humanizing: Steve humanized the people in this historical account through pictures, intimate letters, and fun dialogues between Air Force members. Howard's crew often changed because of illnesses, injuries, and group balancing. However, the reader empathizes with every officer, gunner, or radioman. (2) Educational: Steve thaught me about planes (B-17, BT-9, and PT-13), the physical and emotional difficulties of training and combat for the Army Air Force, details of war, separation of families, and how goodwill prevailed between strangers in times of crisis. (3) No political bias or agenda: This book is an account of WWII. Books existed about the Susan Ruth, but Steve wrote a more detailed account of its crew members. He channeled his mom's love for history and his dad's dedication to freedom in this magnum opus. I highly recommend this book.

"Truth is stranger than fiction. You can't make this stuff up," -Steve Snyder. An exceptionally apt statement from the prologue launches the reader directly into the world of a WWII B-17 bomber pilot and his flight crew. Encompassing all of the various aspects of training, deployment, flying missions, waiting, life on and around a war-time military base both stateside and abroad, including the toll on family members back home, Shot Down: the True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth by Steve Snyder gives the reader an eye witness account of one of the most turmoil laden times in modern history. One can almost smell the fumes from the fuel, feel the percussive booms of the bombs exploding, and imagine the intense range of emotions and physical stresses endured by pilots and flight crews alike! At only two chapters in, it was immediately apparent that the level of research behind Shot Down was extremely thorough and the writing style has enough sense of professional detachment that the reader isn't bogged down by the author's personal emotions and opinions. That certainly is not to say that the book is devoid of emotion; on the contrary, Mr. Snyder does a wonderful job of conveying the probable emotions of his subjects. He is aided in this by the clever inclusion of many letters home that were written by said subjects. The author points out and praises the non-combat roles at the war-time air bases, including mechanics, cooks, laundry and PX workers, and the myriad of often overlooked positions that are nevertheless essential to the war effort. The men and women filling these rolls and the emotional support from friends and family back home was quite literally all that "kept 'em flying." Shot Down is billed primarily as the description of the events surrounding each of the crew members of the B-17 Susan Ruth after she was shot down. Unfortunately this is not entirely accurate. While interesting and educational, the first two thirds of the book focuses on training, various moves between bases, life aboard base, etc. Once the author gets to the plane going down, for the most part, the accounts were fairly brief. The author included many trivial facts (such as "this person was from the same home town as this celebrity" or "this person and that person shared a birthday") which again, while interesting, were not pertinent to the story so became a bit of a distraction. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The author is a solid technical writer and constructs a detailed vision for the reader. A few minor grammatical errors and distractions are all that keep me from giving a full five stars. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in military and/or aviation history. It is suitable for adults and young adults alike.

Fantastic work by the author to in detail not only the story of the pilot, his father Howard Snyder but being able to pass on important details of the kingdom of Belgium and how its citizens supported and safeguarded our downed American crewmen in a Nazi controlled Europe.

This is an awesome book. It offers a gripping and well-explained account of a World War II aircrew whose lives are forever changed after being shot down behind enemy lines. The author brings their ordeal to life with vivid detail, emotional depth, and a strong sense of historical authenticity. The narrative balances tense action with personal reflection, making it easy to connect with each member of the crew and understand the extraordinary courage they showed under unimaginable pressure. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply enjoy compelling true stories of resilience, this book delivers a powerful and memorable experience. Highly recommended.

Having just completed a book about the air war in the Pacific during WWII, I thought it would be a good idea to read (and listen) about what was going on over the skies of Europe. In this case, the story centers on the fate of a B-17 crew shot down over Belgium. The captain of the B-17 in question, Howard Snyder, also happens to be the father of author Steve Snyder. While the story of the shoot down and the efforts of the various crew members to evade capture takes up a sizeable portion of the book, the author has jam-packed his story with numerous references to other battles and historical events during this period. In most cases, the background material is interesting. In other instances, however, the author goes overboard with the amount of detail he provides. One example involves the crew of the B-17. You couldn't tell this story without giving some background on the individuals and the training they received. But do we need to know the serial numbers on the dog tags for each of them? There are too many instances where technical details, such as the specific designation of the engines on the B-17, would have been better suited for an end note. As written text, it's easy to skip over what is obviously unnecessary detail. The narrator of the audio version, as well as the listener, didn't have this luxury. The B-17, also known as the flying fortress, has always interested me. The reality, however, of having to fly in an unpressurized aircraft, poorly heated, while wearing an oxygen mask, and then getting shot at, has taken away the romance. As much as I disagreed with many of the details the author decided to include in his story, I did find the slew of statistics the author cites at the end of the book concerning aircraft (how many were built, how many were shot down, how many survived) and a similar accounting of the flight crews, very informative. I was given a copy of the audio version in exchange for a review. I purchased the eBook version.

This isn’t just another WWII story - it’s a deeply human one. Shot Down pulls you right into the life of a B-17 crew, showing the grit, fear, and faith behind every mission. Steve Snyder does an incredible job weaving together the history, personal letters, and real accounts without losing the emotion that makes it hit home. What I love most is how he brings out the ordinary humanity behind extraordinary circumstances - the choices people made, the compassion of strangers, and the quiet resilience that carried them through. It’s not about war as much as it’s about what people are capable of when everything familiar is stripped away. As a veteran, I felt every page. As a reader, I couldn’t put it down. If you want to be reminded of courage, loyalty, and the power of human connection, read this one.

"Shot Down" chronicles the story of the B-17 "Susan Ruth" and its crew. Written by the son of the pilot, Howard Snyder, this book gives the reader an inside look at the Eighth Air Force as it grew from a small force to the greatest air armada of World War II. Snyder and his crew went through training in the United States before being sent overseas. Once in Great Britain, they were attached to the 369th squadron of the 306th bomb group. Missions over Germany soon followed. In February, 1944, the Susan Ruth was shot down by enemy fighters. This was the beginning of a seven month odyssey for Howard, who jumped from the burning plane along with eight others of the crew. Howard eventually joined the Belgian resistance to fight back against the Germans. With the help of numerous Belgian civilians, Howard managed to make it out alive. "Shot Down" is a fine book. Not only does author Steve Snyder tell his father's story, he also tells the story of the build-up of the Eighth Air Force. The reader not only learns about the bombing missions, but other ares, including flying in combat, training, and the problems faced while trying to return to base. I've read several books about the Eighth Air Force, and "Shot Down" is a worthy addition to its history. Highly recommended.

I found Shot Down to be an excellent and very accessible read, which was well written and well researched. Focusing on a single aircrew and their story, the author still provided excellent context of the overall actions around them which formed the conditions and circumstances in which they had to fly and fight. Well worth the read. Highly recommended.

This is a fascinating book, partly because it's written by the son of the pilot featured in this real-life story, and perhaps this is what graces it with such a personal touch, because it has warmth and that human touch. It is so enrapturing and sad to learn of the fate of the B-17, the Susan Ruth, and of her crew. These heavy bombers were built to withstand such a lot of battle damage and still limp home, but so often the damage was too great and they were shot down. Howard Snyder piloted the Susan Ruth, and this book follows his journey from bailing out of a burning aircraft at twenty thousand feet to evading the Germans, and the help he received from the underground - the Resistance, while he successfully evaded and avoided capture. Unfortunately, that was not to be for all of the crew. So often, you will read a little paragraph or two about a particular crew who were shot down during the Second World War, and you wonder what they really endured, and perhaps what happened to them afterwards. Well, Steve Snyder's book is a picture portrait filled with well-researched facts of just that - what actually happened and the fate of each man on that fateful mission. Not only that, but the book follows his father, Howard from his initial training as a pilot to his arrival in England with the 306th Bomb Group. Based at Thurleigh in East Anglia, Snyder was one of thousands of American Airmen who forged the 'friendly invasion' in England, shaking up the British way of life, bringing some glamour and fun to sleepy villages and towns. The friendly invasion left its mark and influenced the shaping, changing Britain in such a way that when the war finally ended and the GI's left, many British people were bereft at the loss, and at the return of their quiet, sleepy homes. The book is well recommended and you won't be disappointed. Follow the journey of this crew, and learn on a more personal level about life flying missions with the Mighty Eighth, on a B-17 Flying Fortress, sailing through the war-torn skies over Europe. Smell the cordite, hear the rip of the cannon fire from enemy fighters and witness the damage done. Taste the fear that hangs all around and learn about the people in the Belgium Resistance who risked all for crews like these men in the book. The author, Steve Snyder has gone to extraordinary lengths to produce this book and it is a mighty tribute to his father and to the crew, a poignant, intriguing, beautiful account, with facts woven in such a way to create an interesting, engrossing read.

I love it!...incredible book!,very interesting , I truly recommend,every single day we need to remember all of them,they lost the live for our freedom!

It was a very interesting book, both when he was training, when he was flying mission, then when he was shot down, then evading capture.

Good read for ww2 aircraft enthusiasts I chose the kindle version because it is convenient to read anywhere