SERENADE TO THE BIG BIRD by BERT STILES 1952 FIRST EDITION WDJ WWII B-17 & P-51

Description: SERENADE TO THE BIG BIRD by BERT STILES - PUBLISHED by W. W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. 1952 FIRST UNITED STATES EDITION FIRST PRINTING WITH THE LACK OF ANY OTHER DATES/PRINTINGS MENTIONED (FIRST PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND IN 1947) DUST JACKET IS IN A NEW ACID-FREE PROTECTIVE COVER, JACKET STILL HAS ORIGINAL PRICE OF $2.75, JACKET HAS CHIPPING AT CORNERS AND SPINE TIPS, A FEW SMALL PIECES OFF AT SPINE TIPS AND ONE AT TOP EDGE FRONT COVER, THERE ARE A FEW CREASES MOSTLY AT TOP OF SPINE AND SURROUNDING PARTS OF TOP EDGES AND AND ALONG SPINE, THERE IS ABOUT A 3” SCRATCH ON BACK COVER, THERE IS SOME FOXING MOST NOTED ON BACK COVER AND PART OF SPINE (SEE PICTURES), THERE IS A MOISTURE STAIN AT TOP LEFT CORNER AREA OF BACK COVER THE COVER HAS A BLACK CLOTH WRAPPED SPINE WITH GOLD LETTERING AND BLUE CLOTH BOARDS, IT IS SQUARE AND TIGHT AND OVERALL CLEAN OTHER THAN SOME MINOR FOXING AT PARTS OF TOP EDGES, THERE ARE A FEW SMALL VERY-LIGHT HINTS OF WHAT LOOK LIKE MOISTURE STAINS ALONG PARTTS OF THE BLACK SPINE FRONT SIDE HARD TO SEE UNLESS HELD AT THE RIGHT ANGLE OF LIGHT, CORNERS HAVE LIGHT RUBS THE INSIDE BOARDS AND END PAGES ARE TIGHT WITH A PENNED NAME AT TOP OF INSIDE FRONT BOARD AND A SMALL PENCILED NUMBER AT TOF LEFT OF FRONT END PAGE (SEE PICTURE), THERE ARE HINTS OF TANNING AT EDGES THE 216 PAGES ARE TIGHT AND CLEAN WITH A CLEAN GLOSSY PHOTO OF AUTHOR BUT THE TOP EDGE OF ADJACENT PAGE HAS SOME LIGHT SPOTTING MAYBE FOXING, REDDISH COLORED TOP PAGE ENDS, THE OUTER PAGE ENDS (NOT TOP OR BOTTOM) HAVE A FEW SMALL BROWNISH COLORED STAINS OR FOXING CAN BE SEEN IN PICTURES ***** SYNOPSIS: IN ALL THE LITERATURE OF THE WAR THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING COMPARABLE TO BERT STILES’ ONE, SHORT BOOK. IT IS A YOUNG AMERICAN AIRMAN’S ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF AND OF THE STORY HE LIVED IN ENGLAND AND IN THE SKY OVER THE ENEMY. IT TELLS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM AND TO HIS FRIENDS WHILE THEY FOUGHT THIER WAR, OR WENT ONPASS IN LONDON, OR TALKED, OR WAITED OUT STILL ANOTHER MISSION, OR REMEMBERED HOME. IT TELSS OF A TIME WHEN MATURITY CAUGHT THEM BY SURPRISE. BUT MORE THAN THAT IT INTIMATELY REVEALS THE INTRICATE PERSON THAT WAS BERT STILE. KNOWING BERT STILES IS AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. HE WAS KILLED SHORTLY AFTER FINISHING THIS BOOK, BUT THIS IS HIS SERENADE TO LIFE. ***** SERENADE TO THE BIG BIRD RECOUNTS AUTHOR BERT STILES EXPERIENCES AS AN ARMY AIR FORCE PILOT IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF WORLD WAR II. STILES ENLISTED IN THE AIR FORCE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PEARL HARBOR, ANS SERVED AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE 401ST BOMB SQUADRON, 91ST BOMB GROUP AND LAER IN THE 505TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 339TH FIGHTER GROUP. STILES EXPRESSED DOUBTS ABOUT THE CONFLICT, STATING THAT “WE AREN’T SOLVING ANYTHING WITH THIS WAR.” HOWEVER, HE REALIZED “THERE IS A TIME WHEN EVERY MAN MUST FIGHT.” AFTER COMPLETING A TOUR OF DUTY (THRITY-FIVE MISSIONS) IN B-17 BOMBERS, STILES TRANSFERRED TO A FIGHTER SQUADRON WHERE HE FLEW THE P-51 MUSTANG. SADLY, FOUR MONTHS (16 MISSIONS) LATER, ON NOVEMBER 26, 1944, HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHILE ON AN ESCORT MISSION TO HANOVER, GERMANY. . . STILES WAS 23 AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH. DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF HIS MOTHER, SERENADE TO THE BIG BIRD WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND IN 1947 AND IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1952. . . ***** 9S9A10#71(125) I USUALLY SHIP WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED * PAYMENTS MANAGED BY EBAY * SHIPPING IS MEDIA MAIL, SECURELY PACKAGED * SHIPPING DISCOUNTS ON COMBINED ORDERS * PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS * THANK YOU

Price: 195 USD

Location: Windham, Maine

End Time: 2024-01-05T21:57:14.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.37 USD