About this item
Beginning with a crazy plan hatched by a suspect prince, and an even crazier reliance on the word of the Nazis, Operation Chowhound was devised. Between May 1 and May 8, 1945, 2,268 military units flown by the USAAF, dropped food to 3.5 million starving Dutch civilians in German-occupied Holland. It took raw courage to fly on Operation Chowhound, as American aircrews never knew when the German AAA might open fire on them or if Luftwaffe fighters might jump them. Flying at 400 feet, barely above the tree tops, with guns pointed directly at them, they would have no chance to bail out if their B-17s were hit -- and yet, over eight days, 120,000 German troops kept their word, and never fired on the American bombers. As they flew, grateful Dutch civilians spelled out "Thanks Boys" in the tulip fields below. Many Americans who flew in Operation Chowhound would claim it was the best thing they did in the war. In this gripping narrative, author Stephen Dando-Collins takes the reader into the rooms where Operation Chowhound was born, into the aircraft flying the mission, and onto the ground in the Netherlands with the civilians who so desperately needed help. James Bond creator Ian Fleming, Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn, as well as Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Churchill all play a part in this story, creating a compelling, narrative read.
About the Author
Stephen Dando-Collins won the Silver Award for Biography in the 2020 Indie Awards in the US for CYRUS THE GREAT; He is the award-winning author of 45 books, including biographies, works on ancient and modern history, and children's novels. The majority of his works deal with military history ranging from Greek, Persian and Roman times to American, British and Australian 19th century history and World War I and World War II. Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages including Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Albanian and Korean. He has also won and been shortlisted for several literary awards in his native Australia. Considered an authority on the legions of ancient Rome, his 2010 book LEGIONS OF ROME has been called the definitive work on Rome's imperial legions, and was the culmination of decades of research into the individual legions. With all his books, Dando-Collins aims to travel roads that others have not, unearthing new facts and opening new perspectives on often forgotten or overlooked people and aspects of history. In 2021 he has two new releases on Roman history, CONQUERING JERUSALEM: The Roman Campaign to Crush the AD 66-73 Jewish Revolt, and CONSTANTINE AT THE BRIDGE: How the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Created Christian Rome, both published in the US and UK by Turner Publishing.
