Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival

In this riveting account, bestselling author Tom Clavin describes the harrowing story of Joe Moser, a quiet man from a small town in Washington whose greatest dream is of flying. Joe joins the forces as an Allied airman. It’s during his forty-fourth combat mission in August 1944 that his Lightening P-38 is shot down by enemy fire. He’s captured by Germans, sent to Fresnes prison, and then on to Buchenwald, an infamous Nazi concentration camp. Nine months and three transfers later, by the grace of God and some courageous souls, Joe is one of the lucky ones who makes it out alive.

In Lightening Down: A World War II Story of Survival, a powerful portrait of human suffrage is crafted. The delineations of life inside the concentration camps and the thoughts and actions of the prisoners who endured them are at times startlingly vivid and truly horrifying. They will manifest in readers a mix of emotions: from deep sadness to sheer fury for those who committed such unspeakable atrocities. The author does a brilliant job of conveying the facts, backed by extensive research and background knowledge, and weaving in acts of humanity that illuminate an otherwise dark and ominous path. This is an unforgettable contribution to literature.