Fourth Down

Sergeant Paul R. Gordon served with the 8th Air Force as a B-17 ball turret ­gunner during World War II. On his fourth mission, his bomber was overwhelmed and shot down by the Luftwaffe. Seriously wounded and alone in occupied France, Paul was given shelter in the town of Mouchin before being discovered by the ­Germans. He spent the next two and a half years as a prisoner, surviving harsh treatment and brutal living conditions in a series of P.O.W. camps, ­including ­Dulag Luft, Stalag Luft III, Stalag Luft I, Stalag VII-A, and Stalag XVII-B. Throughout his ordeal, he maintained an uplifting spirit and a sense of humor that helped him endure when others could not.

Paul's is an inspiring story of survival and perseverance. Featuring supplemental articles, documents, and photographs, his book takes you on a first-hand journey from his capture in 1942 to his return to Mouchin fifty years later.