Luck of the Draw: My Story of the Air War in Europe

Originally published in 2001, this memoir from a former navigator with the 100th Bombardment Group is a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought in World War II. Frank Murphy, who died in 2007, flew with the VIII Bomber Command to run highly dangerous bombing runs over Germany. By the end of the war, the group had lost 4,300 bombers and 17,650 men. In addition, nearly 21,000 men were taken prisoner or interned in a neutral country. Murphy was taken prisoner after his plane was shot down near Münster in October 1943. He was held prisoner at Stalag Luft III in Poland, the scene of a March 1944 escape dramatized in the film The Great Escape. This reissue includes hefty contributions from his daughter, Elizabeth, and granddaughter, CNN entertainment reporter Chloe Melas, and it presents a personal account of an airman’s life and the daily struggles in a prisoner camp. Murphy will be featured in the forthcoming Apple+ series Masters of the Air, based on Donald Miller’s book of the same name.