"The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

I've been going through this rather strange (to review) book.
Huge tome about the life and times of the "Memphis Belle", Simons&Friedman.
Published in 2008, it's a fairly recent book, but on opening one is struck by the very bland format. Not a colour picture or profile in sight. Many B/W throughout alright, but no colour is surprising considering it's recent publication.
It is a very comprehensive book and tells the complete story of men and machine. I won't need to buy another on the M/B.
What I did find interesting was that Margaret Polk did not remain the Memphis Belle for long, as Robert Knight Morgan the pilot ended up with no less than six wives eventually. How fame changes lives !!!
The real problem with the book I feel is the price. It definitely is over priced at £60 though...

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

.....and what myths are dispelled?

(Asks one who cannot recall a single myth to dispell.....:o )

Cheers
Stig

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

One might well ask!.
Maybe this title is one of first of the recent trend of off the wall titles.
A recent example is "No Way Out: The Untold Story Of Lady be good". ( known to one and all since 1959!!)
Otherwise some decent books spoiled by " The definative account".... "The machine that won the war".... and so on.
Ughhhhh.

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

Ahh yes :)

That figures....

Cheers
Stig

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

Don't forget also that in book titles "secret" and "forgotten" translate as "things most people already know".

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

Forgotten those!!!
Popular at the moment is "The Ultimate........

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

Have not read this book, but as far as I know from "After the Battle", the Memphis Belle was NOT the first crew of 8th Air Force that finished their tour, they were actually the second, does this count as a myth to be dispelled ?

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

There are enough actual "secret" books out and coming soon that deserve that word. "The Oranges are Sweet." A book that without the fighter on the cover I would have passed over on the shelf.

Myths. On the internet, some anonymous person who, nine out of ten times, wants someone else to dispel something. Or just bored. Who knows?

Let's not forget that for every veteran reader out there, there is still new blood picking up a book for the first time, even those that cover well-known subjects.

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

Unfortunately, many books nowadays that have the words 'Forgotten' 'Lost' 'Secret' 'Last' 'Mystery' are anything but - see 'Churchill's Last Wartime Secret: The 1943 German Raid Airbrushed from History' for the ultimate title in bullshit bingo wording. In fact, the whole book was systematically demolished by historians as nonsense/baseless.

Re: "The Memphis Belle: Dispelling The Myths"
 

And, as Dan sharp has pointed out, just about every military-related activity in wartime is “secret” for a while.