cover image The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew at His Side

The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew at His Side

Damien Lewis. Atria, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4767-3914-4

In this heartwarming and well-paced man-and-his-dog story, Lewis (Sergeant Rex) takes readers on a roller-coaster ride with as many ups and downs as a bombing mission. During WWII, Czech airman Robert Bozdech and his canine companion Antis strove to contribute to the war effort, first from France, then Great Britain. Together, the two set out on wartime adventures full of severe injuries, harrowing narrow escapes, and death-defying bravery, testing the limits of the bond between man and beast. After the war, Bozdech and Antis retired to Czechoslovakia, but they were forced to flee as the Soviets targeted RAF airmen. They made their way back to the U.K., where Bozdech rejoined the RAF and eventually became a British citizen. This is a captivating read, from the moment we meet Antis as a forlorn, abandoned pup in a French farmhouse, and on through one deathly peril after another. Lewis has captured the spirit of the era and told the story using Bozdech’s manuscript as source material without making it maudlin or sentimental. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story of heroism and true friendship, and for lovers of WWII history and animals it is not to be missed. [em](June) [/em]