Joseph W. Rutter

Wreaking Havoc – A Year in an A-20 is Mr. Rutter’s account of his time as a pilot with the 5th Air Force 312th Bomb Group in the South West Pacific Area theater of operations between July 1944 and April 1945. His book recounts the day-to-day events in his life as a pilot of a low level attack aircraft. All of the facets of the wartime experience are present – boredom, routine, adventure, terror, tragedy, triumph, and, most importantly, outliving the day and coming safe home. His matter-of-fact, understated writing style conveys an overall sense of “typical” in that the reader is left with the impression that had he/she been in Mr. Rutter’s place he/she would have been confronted with similar experiences. In short, it is a book about the "ordinary" experiences of extraordinary circumstances. The book has maps, photographs, a timeline of Mr. Rutter’s missions, and an extensive index. I found it to be an enjoyable and informative read.… (mais)