About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
A woman’s journey to uncover the fate of seven RCAF crewmen who perished in the Second World War.
For most of her life, Lisa Russ knew little about her second cousin, Robert “Bud” George Alfred Burt. All she had were two grainy photos, a poem Bud had written shortly before his death, and the knowledge that he was a tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber during the Second World War. It was only when Russ—a self-described “discouraged modern-day war bride”—found herself displaced, unemployed, and homesick in Australia that she began to search for a deeper connection to her family back in Canada and stumbled upon the remarkable story of Bud and his fellow crewmen, who were shot down en route to Stuttgart, Germany, in March of 1944.
Just nineteen at the time of his death, Bud was one of the bomber boys of Lancaster II, a member of 408 “Goose” Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Although he was but one of tens of thousands of long-forgotten Allied soldiers who perished in the War, for Russ he became an emblem of courage and sacrifice. Last Flight to Stuttgart is a riveting story, told in parallel timelines, of one woman’s quest for remembrance of a brave crew and their ill-fated mission. For every leader who has his story told, there are many thousands of servicemen whose stories never come to light. This book honours the marginalised by telling their story.
Editorial Reviews
Last Flight to Stuttgart puts readers in the cockpit along with the brave heroes who flew in World War II. It weaves a tale of one woman’s desire to better understand her military family history, but also pays homage to the lesser-known servicemen and women who risked their lives. This well-researched read blends memoir and military history as a beautiful and meticulous act of remembrance.
— Kelly S. Thompson, author and former officer in the Canadian Armed Forces
Last Flight to Stuttgartis two stories. The first tells of seven young men bound to a common fate in the flaming wreckage of a bomber on a dangerous night mission over Germany in the late winter of 1944. The second is a personal search for the characters and personalities that lie behind acts of heroism. The result is a fitting and personal memorial to these ordinary heroes, whose names and acts of valour might otherwise be lost to the ashes of the past. Lisa Jean Russ’s journey is a reminder to all of us of the importance of keeping these stories alive.
— Keith Ogilvie, author of The Spitfire Luck of Skeets Ogilvie
