War Reads: The Wings of Freedom tour visited Jamestown, N.Y. earlier this month. At each stop, the Collings Foundation sells a work that allows the reader to learn more about the crew of the B-17, one of the planes that was included in the group that landed in Jamestown.

The book is titled SHOT DOWN: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth.

According to Steven Snyder, the author and former president of the 306th Bomb Group Historical Association, the book is set within the framework of World War II and tells about the dramatic experiences of each member of a B-17 crew after their plane was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgian border and about the courageous Belgian patriots who risked their lives to help them.

The pilot of the plane was the author’s father, giving the work a personal connection and fascinating perspective that is shared. Howard Snyder was one of the 10-man crew who managed to evade capture and was then missing in action for seven months. Meanwhile, other crew members were captured and some lost their lives.

The story follows the story of each crew member and tells in detail the events both leading up to and following the plane crash.

The book also shares facts about what was happening elsewhere in the war during the same time period, providing the big picture as well as the snippet of the war through the eyes of one crew stationed in Thurleigh, England.

The hardcover book has more than 200 time period photographs of the people who were involved and the places where their stories took place.

SHOT DOWN has a 5-Star rating on Amazon and has received 25 national book awards.

In addition, it is sold in the gift stores of the major air museums in the U.S. including the National WW II Museum in New Orleans, LA; National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH; National Museum of the Eighth Air Force in Pooler, GA and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.