- AFHF Member Authors
Bomber Boys: WWII Flight Jacket Art
by John Slemp
The stories of those who wore the highly decorated “bomber jackets” in the US Army Air Corps during WWII continues to fascinate, educate, and entertain to this day. Worn as unique identifiers and to create an atmosphere of “esprit de corps” amongst the crew, these jackets offer a visual diary that reflected the hedonistic mindset of these extremely young airmen, pride in their part in fighting the enemy, and the social mores of the time. The high resolution photographs, featuring jackets from all WWII theaters and from museums and private collections across the USA, offer a glimpse into this seldom seem genre of military folk art. Supplemented with contemporary portraits, research, and never-heard-before wartime accounts, additional chapters examine their influence on fashion design worldwide, how to care for them as artifacts, and a section on collecting and appraisals. The book is rounded out with a professionally created index. The large coffee table sized book is arguably the definitive source ever produced on this subject.