Lucky 666

The Impossible Mission

By: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

From the authors of the New York Times best-selling The Heart of Everything That Is and Halsey's Typhoon comes the dramatic untold story of a daredevil bomber pilot and his misfit crew who fly their lone B-17 into the teeth of the Japanese Empire in 1943, engage in the longest dogfight in history, and change the momentum of the war in the Pacific - but not without making the ultimate sacrifice.

It is 1942, the Japanese war machine has rolled up nearly all of the Pacific Theater, and American forces are clinging to what little unconquered territory remains. While US Marines claw their way across Guadalcanal, small contingents of US Army airmen make their way to the lonely, embattled Allied airbase on Papua New Guinea. Their mission: to defend Australia from invasion, harass Japanese supply lines, fly perilous bombing missions over enemy-held strongholds, and make reconnaissance runs to provide intelligence for America's nascent island-hopping campaign.

Among these men are pilot Captain Jay Zeamer and bombardier Sergeant Joseph Raymond Sarnoski, whose swashbuckling reputations precede them. Zeamer, who cannot convince his superiors to give him his own plane, teams up with Sarnoski to recruit a crew of fellow misfits to rebuild a dilapidated B-17 bomber from spare parts in the base's junkyard. They christen the plane Old 666, naming it from its tail identification numbers. In June 1943, Zeamer and Sarnoski and their crew volunteer for a 1,200 mile suicide mission into the heart of the Japanese Empire that may well change the course of the war - but that only one of the two friends will survive.

In Lucky 666, Drury and Clavin bring to vivid life one of the last great untold stories of World War II. Featuring personal letters, diaries, US Army Air Force after-action reports, even the translated Japanese Imperial Air Force's official account of the longest dogfight in history, Lucky 666 is a tale of friendship, heroism, and sacrifice set against the horrific backdrop of vicious aerial warfare, wounded crewmates, and a white-knuckle emergency landing in the jungles of New Guinea - a must-listen for anyone who loves pulse-pounding narrative nonfiction.

©2016 Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Beautifully written and narrated.

One of the best audiobooks I have ever heard! Well worth the money and time.

a true mix of unbroken and inglorious bastards

Where does Lucky 666 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

it ranks behind unbroken and a higher call but ahead of pacific air.

What other book might you compare Lucky 666 to and why?

i would compare it to a higher call while it touches a bit on unbroken because its not a knight in shining armor, but a bunch of no good bunch of hooligans who have the guts to overcome amazing odds.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The author could not have done a better job.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I remember at the end of the mission where joe was breathing his final breaths while old 666 was striving to stay aloft!

Any additional comments?

Spoilers !!! i'm still laughing about the mission where they were ordered to bomb a geisha house and the higher ups were mad at them for bombing a oil refinery instead!!

great story, but it drags a bit, but the ending is

Slow to start, lots of history and a great story. Great to learn about our unknown hero's.

Amazing Story

This is an amazing story of the heroism of a great team of men. Written in great detail, you can visualize the events as if you are sitting there with the men.

Must Read

Gives me a whole new respect for the pilots of WW2. What an inspirational story. Well done.

Outstanding book about airman their creative thinking and their bravery

The sport details events inventions and time that surprises the thinking the idea of taking a B-17 and making it more powerful with more guns and learning to fly at like a fighter she actually dog fight against the Japanese zero.
There is so much been written about the eighth Air Force in Europe this was so refreshing to hear about bravery beyond description when you think about men flying over shark infested waters knowing that so many things can go wrong from the moment of take off until you land.
This book you so much details and how these men emotionally physically were able to endure all the combat missions with all the dangers this is absolutely a must read for anyone who is interested in the bombers the fighters and the enemy of World War II in both A Os

Absolutely incredible story of amazing men.

This one one book that needs to be made into a mini series and required to be read by every student of middle school age. Left me feeling ashamed that some gave so much and I /we reaped the benefits. Read this then read the story of Pappy Gunn whose men surely benefited from the 666’s mission so they could better prepare for the bAttles in the Bismarck sea which began the turning of the US forces to defeat japan. Amazing history

Amazing story of courage

simply amazing what humans can accomplish in times of conflict. in this day and age when heroism is linked to some pro athlete overcoming an injury, everyone shoukd read this and understand what true heroism is.

Classic tale of heroism

Loved this history of American ingenuity and heroics in battle. narrator does a great job of bringing this story to life.

Amazing story with Pacific Theater WWII education

What made the experience of listening to Lucky 666 the most enjoyable?

It was educational as well as inpiring

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jay Zeamer of course!

Which scene was your favorite?

The end when he's pulling Old 666 back to base and his legs are all blown to hell and both arms shot up

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It almost made me cry and that's saying alot

Any additional comments?

I love the way the author pulls in the entire story of the Pacific War in telling one planes story making it all gel