This is the second book in the series and it follows the story line from book 1, The Children's Crusade. The Ragged Irregulars is a fast-paced, suspenseful and often astounding novel about B-17 bomber crews in action over Europe in World War II, buttressed by enlightening technical details and multi-dimensional characterizations of pilots, bombardiers, navigators, gunners and ground crews -- all based on first-person interviews with USAAF veterans who experienced many of the actual events. It is a gripping book that I found impossible to put down, as my emotions ranged from the merely expectant to the overwhelming. It has a perfect match of idiom and tone for the historical era and for the situations that young American airmen faced. REVIEW: Book 2, The Ragged Irregulars, takes up the story where Book 1 (The Children's Crusade) leaves off with young bombardier Kelly being shot at in the woods of occupied France. We were amazed that the young man was able to withstand his ordeal and return to active duty. We were horrified when pilot Jack was injured and Matt had to complete flying the plane to safety and bring Jack to the medical help he needed. Book 2 left us feeling anxious for the crew of FULL HOUSE and almost wishing they would not have to return to active duty. Matt's flying ability paid off when he was awarded his own plane. Thank goodness he finally got what he so much deserved. We could not stop reading until the end, when young Jesse went through his initiation as the bombardier of FULL HOUSE. Our hearts flew with them on that mission. We knew the war was bad, but we had no idea of the hardships our young men endured during that time period. We look forward to Book 3 and the new adventures of the characters in the story. We feel like they are a part of us. Phyllis and Dale Robinson, Plain City, Ohio
About the Author: A native of New York Mills, New York, Cheryl Pula is a retired Reference Librarian with a degree in B.S. degree in Russian Language with a minor in German and received a Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Though officially retired in August 2011, she now works parttime at the New York Mills Public Library in New York Mills, NY. In 1988, Pula was awarded the New York Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Award. She served on the Board of Trustees of the New York Mills Public Library. Cheryl also teaches for the Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement at SUNYIT in Marcy, New York, teaching a variety of historical subjects to retirees who are interested in continuing their education. She has taught courses on unsolved historical mysteries; the American Civil War; World War II; The Titanic and several other topics. Cheryl is the author of Ethnic Utica, published in 1994 by Utica College. With her brother, she is coauthor and co-editor of a book on the Civil War regiments from Oneida County entitled, With Courage and Honor: Oneida County's Role in the Civil War. She is a contributing author, co-editor and served as proofreader for The Polish- American Encyclopedia, published by McFarland Publishers in January 2011. The book has just been chosen as one of the Top Ten outstanding reference books of 2012. For her work on the Encyclopedia, she was awarded the Polish-American Historical Society's Distinguished Achievement Award in January 2012. She is also the author of the series of novels about Eighth Air Force B-17 bomber crews in World War II England. The first book in the series is, The Children's Crusade, was published by Whitehall Publishing. This is the second in the series of eight books. Cheryl is also a national speaker. To learn more about Cheryl Pula or to schedule her to speak at your next event, we invite you to visit her website at: http: //8thmilitary.co