Cherny describes the Berlin airlift “as much an American fable as that winter in Valley Forge, the last desperate stand of the Alamo, or the bus boycott in Montgomery. It was a turning point in the nation’s history, the moment America came to fully accept the mantle of leader of the free world. But more than that, it was the moment when America became beloved by the very people it had defeated in battle and whose cities it had leveled—and was revered by people around the world who looked to the United States as a source of decency and good.” He continued “Never before—or since— would America be so admired around the world and stand so solidly on the side of light.”

Cherny begins the book with a discussion of the 1948 Republican National Convention and the overwhelming consensus that the Republican Party would reclaim the White House that November. As I began this book I thought it a curious place to start a book about the Berlin airlift. I expected something different. After finishing the book however I realized it was a great place to start.

Cherny then spends the next few chapters introducing the cast of American characters who were most influential in the actual airlift. This background helps build a connection to these characters as the events of 1948 play out.

Before reading the book I knew that the Berlin airlift had occurred but did not know the details beyond the candy bombers existed. It was fascinating to learn the details behind operation vittels and operations little vittels. The book contained great detail enhanced my understanding of the scope of the operation.

Since the end of WWII the German people consistently responded that they would prefer food and economic stability over democracy in opinion polls. When the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin the citizens of the city could choose food or democracy. The American foreign policy establishment was not sold on an airlift. Most believed it was only a matter of time before Berlin would have to be abandoned.

Characters like Lucius Clay, William Tunner, and President Truman were insistent that Berlin would not be abandoned and were determined to make the airlift successful.

Cherny notes “In later years, Berliners would look back on that winter and remember the hardship—the hunger, the lethargy, the freeze, and the deprivation. But they would also remember those months at the end of 1948 as among the most special of their entire lives, as a time when they treasured the small pleasures of life, rejoiced in the company of their family, celebrated a spirit of fellowship, and drew together in community tighter than they ever had before and ever would again.”

Cherny does an excellent job of showing the difference one person can make. He writes “Halvorsen had started out as one man. The Berliners—the children and then the adults—called him “the Candy Bomber.” But his spirit and example had proved catching. Other pilots joined in and looked at their mission in Germany in a different way. Clay and Howley came to regard the people they ruled over with great affection instead of cold detachment. In Washington, the hard-nosed, practical men in the Pentagon and the State Department, the foreign policy theorists who had thought deeply about the affairs of nations, learned that simple acts of human kindness could unleash powerful forces. As the Airlift went on, they all became Candy Bombers.”

Overall this is one of the best books I read this year. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.