Mac

The Wind Beneath My Wings

Non-Fiction - Biography
391 Pages
Reviewed on 04/17/2024
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Author Biography

I discovered a cardboard box of letters, pictures , commendations and medals from WWII. My father had served as one of the first men to pilot the new B-24 bomber and later, the newer B-29 bomber. He flew an incredible 83 combat missions after being shot down and surviving 3 weeks in enemy occupied islands—on his first mission. His story and storied career following WWII inspired me to write his biography. My life as his daughter, took me from Virginia to Saigon, Vietnam and to Paris, France.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings is a work of non-fiction penned by author Sherry Hobbs in the biography, military history, and slice-of-life subgenres. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience. Readers are invited to experience a heartfelt tribute to the author's father, known as Mac, and his remarkable journey during World War II. Mac's story is one of incredible bravery and sacrifice. As a young man, when Pearl Harbor was bombed, he quickly joined the U.S. Army Air Force and became a pilot, flying the brand-new B-24 Liberator. Like the famous Louis Zamperini from Unbroken, Mac's plane faced heavy enemy fire, forcing them to ditch in the ocean on their first combat mission. His subsequent survival and 51 more combat missions in the Solomon Islands in 1943 are a testament to his resilience, and his story unfolds with love and dedication from his loving family.

Author Sherry Hobbs has achieved so much with this accomplished biography, loving tribute, and enlightening piece of history. Mac's journey is an incredible blend of sharply-penned action scenes, emotional recollections, and touching memories that bring together history, courage, and the indomitable human spirit. Hobbs's tribute to her father is both poignant and inspirational, shedding light on an often-untold part of the war's history and the heroes who lived it. She writes in a friendly tone that welcomes you in as a friend of the family, introducing you to this incredible man and the lasting impact he made on so many lives around him. Readers interested in personal wartime narratives and history will certainly find this work both educational and captivating, and I could easily see it fitting in at book clubs and educational settings alike. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings for both history and biography enthusiasts alike.

Joanne Ang

Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings by Sherry Hobbs is the biography of an incredible man who faced danger when he found himself at the center of World War II. Col. Harold Graham McNeese, better known as Mac, was humorous, resilient, loving, and hopeful. Not only was he a dedicated war pilot that fought for his country with bravery, but in the eyes of his daughter he was also the world’s best dad. When Sherry was born, the war was put behind him, and his piloting days were relegated to the distant past and only spoken of on occasion. That was until Sherry was given an unassuming brown box - a time capsule that gave her a full view of Mac’s war-time days, and explained how his character developed into the father that she had always known. This book is a heartwarming biography about a father with a full-on fighting spirit until his last breath.

Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings by Sherry Hobbs is an emotional biography. It is an incredibly detailed account of Mac's days in the war. It was like stepping into his headspace and seeing exactly what he saw and how he felt. I loved that the book also included Mac’s childhood, how he was an active young boy, and how he became a strong and independent teenager who eventually became a pilot during World War II. The story even backtracked to the author’s ancestry, which I appreciated, as it gives a full history of the McNeese family. I also liked the way that the author described how the war developed, using a clear timeline that is easy for readers to follow. I particularly enjoyed the memorable photographs that overwhelmed me with nostalgia. This book shows how the troops soldiered on to defend what was theirs, and to what extent they were willing to fight for it. An intimate, moving, and inspiring biography about a strong-willed man whose fighting spirit endured until his last moments on earth.