How Long to Read A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields

How Long Does it Take to Read A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 55 minutes to read A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields by Frank de Planta

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Bernard Nolan was a member of the "Gentlemen from Hell," the 487th Bomb Group, commanded for a time by Beirne Lay, who went on to write Twelve O'clock High, which became the famous film starring Gregory Peck. Barney was born on November 22, 1922 in Long Island City, New York and grew up before and after the Great Depression. Though not having high school or college degrees, he was long inspired to fly from the enthusiasm of early adventurers in the air like Charles Lindberg and Amelia Earhart, and was part of a generation of young airmen who longed to fly. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drew on the nation's manpower, and Barney studied to be selected as a recruit in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He flew 33 missions striking at Nazi targets in Western Europe.His memoir tells of his early life at a time when you could go see Doris Day or Frank Sinatra perform live in New York. He describes the impacy of the Depression on his family, his having to find work and leave school, and make other sacrifices to one day fly for his country. We see the frustration --- which he surmounted - of thinking himself a fighter pilot, but ending up a copilot in a four-engine bomber. Hitler's Luftwaffe would use radar, fighters, and flak to knock them from the skies, but they prevailed.We hear about his death-defying missions, see the bombs falling on European landscapes as they were then and as they are today, we watch with him as other planes go down in flames, we live though him being shot down himself, and experience it all through the eyes of a young man in the air. He was not a General or part of the ground echelon, and he is not recalling stories from a father or uncle in his memoir; he was in the aircraft massed by many hundreds to strike well-defended Nazi targets in the daylight. There are very few people left who did so, and Barney is one of them.Perhaps the most important real-life lesson learned from this book is the influence of strong will and perseverance to achieve a dream, as Barney surely did. As a child in the Depression excited by the flying heroes of the age, it seemed there would be too many obstacles blocking that dream. We see how his desire to fly made him a pilot by taking advantage of the war and following his heroes into the air. Once a pilot, we see how he worked to keep flying in the Air Services even after he completed his 33 missions in the European Air War crucible, and kept himself in the air when peace came. In fact, this child of the Depression with a dream of flying would one day be, as he called himself, "Mr. Airplanes," of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).Finally, we see how he met and married the love of his life, and is still married after 75 years. A lot is written today about relationships, but Barney and Sunny Nolan were engaged after two weeks of courtship and are closer today than ever after all those years. That story in itself demonstrates Sunny's as well as Barney's character and commitment, their knowledge of themselves and what is important in their lives.

How long is A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields?

A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields by Frank de Planta is 287 pages long, and a total of 73,759 words.

This makes it 97% the length of the average book. It also has 90% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours and 43 minutes to read A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields aloud.

What Reading Level is A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields?

A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields?

A Walking Tour of Italy's WWII Battlefields by Frank de Planta is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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