The Daily News of Bowling Green, Kentucky published a great review under the headline: "'Candy Bombers' a heatwarming tale of love, war."

"Well-written, Halvorsen's story and the saga of the Berlin Airlift is presented against the backdrop of the domestic political scene in the U.S. and one of the most dramatic presidential elections in our history. The author is convinced that the usscess of the airlift was responsible for Truman's narrow victory in 1948.

"The Candy Bombers is narrative history at its best, well worth reading. It will inspire you because it was one of America's finest hours."

Dear Mr. Cherny:

Dear Mr. Cherny,

I am about ¾ the way through your book, The Candy Bombers, and I must say, I didn’t expect to be moved by it the way I have been. The detail you provide about the Soviets, the goings on with the Truman administration and the 1948 election are all terrific, but it is the moments with Lt. Halvorsen that touch me the most. Here was a pilot (like my Dad) who was totally dedicated to the utter destruction of Germany & Japan, yet upon seeing Germans up close, he saw that they were human beings in need. He and the rest of the aircrews, maintenance, ground support, candy companies, and school groups that supported Little Vittles truly represented the best of America. I long for a day when we live in that type of America again.

I have no doubt that Lt. Halvorsen (later Col.?), and a few thousand of his buddies, saved Berlin, West Germany, and Europe from totalitarianism, brutality, and misery. How I wish I could have flown with them!

Thank you for the great writing,

-- William, Fairfax, VA

Thank you as always for all those who took the time not only to read the book but to write such kind notes in response. It appreciate it greatly!

I was invited to give the keynote speech at the opening of a photo exhibit on the Airlift at the German Culture Center of the University of Missouri -- St. Louis. I had a great time meeting everyone there. Here are some photos.

Hal Halvorsen and I visited the set of the CBS morning show, The Early Show. Harry Smith conducted a great interview with an excellent introductory package:

Watch CBS Videos Online

The Washington Times carried a very nice review of The Candy Bombers that was written by Joseph Goulden, a noted historian of the 1940s.

He writes:

The airlift story is told in rich detail in "The Candy Bombers" by Andrei Cherny. Even those familiar with the lift and the era will find Mr. Cherny's account a fascinating read.

Dear Mr. Cherny:

Pat G.

THANK YOU!

A blog called The Smoking Mule gave The Candy Bombers its highest rating ever. Here is the review:

Candy lovers everywhere will love this story ... no, let the Mule revise that slightly, add history lovers, and people who enjoy inspirational stories. A few times a year, the Mule hits the reading jackpot, finding an extraordinary narrative that exhausts the supply of superlatives - this is it:" The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour" by Andrei Cherny. In 1948, with Berlin still in rubble and its population facing starvation, the Soviet Union imposed a blockade of all rail and vehicle traffic into the Allied controlled Western sector of the city. (You may need to punch up a 1948 map on Google to see how the occupation zones were configured.) This provocation was designed to force an already beleaguered Truman administration into making more concessions in the Cold War geopolitical struggle. However, the gambit failed as the U.S. launched its famous, dazzling " Airlift" relief effort, which served to soften recent U.S.-German war animosities and deliver West Germany and West Berlin into the democratic orbit. That's the big sketch, however it is the behind-the-scenes heroics that makes this such a moving drama. When the Airlift was originally conceived, it was intended as a modest endeavor to afford the Allies negotiating room and avert military confrontation with the increasingly assertive Soviets. While the high profile players such as Truman, George Marshall, etc. mapped out policy schemes and options, an obscure cast of dramatis personae would steal the stage. If not for the happenstance whim of an American pilot, one "Hal" Halvorsen, the entire operation might have ground to a halt, falling victim to the protests of detractors, including the self-aggrandizing General Curtis LeMay, who disapproved of the effort, then hypocritically accepted credit when it enjoyed mounting success. But it was Halvorsen, who became the unintended hero of the saga as he skirted regulations and began dropping "candy" to the children of West Berlin. Initially intended as a humanitarian gesture, it evolved into the symbol and centerpiece of Allied and German resistance to the Soviet encroachments. In a stunning outpouring of American decency and generosity, the American people and corporations rallied to the cause, supplying so much candy that the "Candy Bombing" became part of the full relief flight routine. The Soviets were finally forced to relent, Truman converted the Airlift success into an upset win and another term in the White House, and perhaps at no other time in post-World War II history has the American star shone brighter. In 1998, on the fiftieth anniversay, Halvorsen returned to Germany as the country honored him with national celebrations. Cherny's writing is a celebration of history writing at its absolute finest. His packaging of the sources, intricate diplomacy, and American political quarreling is a clinic in itself. He adroitly mixes the technical aspects of the Airlift itself while describing the raw emotional terror of the desperate, reeling German population, as they cling to any morsel of hope to endure. The Mule rarely waxes so effusive, but this one qualifies: astonishing, absolutely spectacular from page one - FOUR HOOVES UP WITH A STOMP AND OFF THE CHARTS!