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Mon, Nov 24, 2003

A WWII Gripper

Devilish Snooks Hits Book Store Shelves

The battles over the Japanese Islands during World War II were some of the heaviest aerial missions in any war. The stories of the B-29 bombers often are overshadowed by the legendary Enola Gay and her payload that was dropped on Hiroshima. The new book, Devilish Snooks: B-29 Saga of C.B.I. and Pacific Theaters, is author Neil F. Coleman's first person account of the aerial war over the Pacific theater.

"Very little information has been written or published concerning B-29, perhaps due to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. This book gives readers first hand information to the American people about the aircraft and the men who ultimately carried out its mission to end the tragic war," Coleman says.

Devilish Snooks is the story of Coleman's tight knit B-29 combat crew. Coleman, the central fire gunner for the crew, covers his intensive training and trip overseas to India. He details the poor living conditions, the inadequate food and the hardships of living, working and fighting in such extreme heat.

Over Japanese-held territory, bombs burst and artillery machine guns tattered through the clouds. He and his crew flew combat missions against the Japanese targets in Burma and crossed the Himalaya Mountains to bomb enemy targets in Japan and occupied China. Danger lurked around every turn. Enemy fighters could appear from the glare of the sun ready to engage at any moment and the plane could suffer mechanical or fuel problems or be shot down or in a matter of seconds.

Coleman was born in New York. With a lucrative tool and die job waiting, he was drafted into the Army. He served the United States during World War II, Korea and Vietnam, winning numerous awards, such as the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals. After retiring, he went into the bowling business and eventually became an electronics instructor. Coleman has written one other book, a spy novel titled Honeycomb.

FMI: http://www.1stbooks.com

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