Stuart J. Wright tells the gripping story of a World War II American aircrew of the 453rd Bomb Group serving under Operations Officer Major James Stewart (the Hollywood movie star) and flying missions from England in a B-24 Liberator bomber nicknamed Corky. In recounting the harrowing conditions and horrors of bombing missions over Europe, An Emotional Gauntlet emphasizes the relationships among the crew and the spirit these men shared. In this true account based on years of research and correspondence with crewmembers and their families, Wright adds a dimension rarely explored in other World War II narratives, beginning the chronicle during peacetime and introducing the crewmen as civilians—kids during the 1920s. An Emotional Gauntlet follows the men as they mature through the years of the Great Depression to face a world at war and begin to raise questions about “just” and “unjust” wars, imperialism, and patriotism.