“Ray Parker’s brilliant account of his extraordinary experiences in World War II, ‘Down In Flames,’ is — without exaggeration — breathtaking. He’s got the spellbinder’s gift. He catches the reader early on and never lets go. Intimate details of his journey from first awareness of the Great War to his near tragic involvement in it, his days as a prisoner of the Germans, all related with a visceral sense of detail, make for a wonderful read.”

– Lamont Johnson, Emmy Award-winning
Director & Feature Film Producer

“From planes spiraling down to earth in flames to the battling of wits with his Nazi captors, this inspiring memoir reveals the grim realities of the WWII air battle over the skies of Europe and the harsh life in a prisoner of war camp as can be told only by one who lived through it.”

– Bill Vega, retired VP of Research & Engineering,
Convair Division of General Dynamics Corp.

“Ray Parker has written a wonderful and fascinating memoir of what it was like to be a young airman during WW II. Thrust into the chaos of war, shot down, captured, and surviving POW status, Ray’s recollections remind us how extraordinary young men survived with grace, wit, humor and courage. A great read.”

– Colonel James R. Callard, USAF (ret)

“The generation of World War II veterans is rapidly dwindling and their stories are often lost with them. Ray Parker’s ‘Down In Flames’ has preserved his remarkable experiences and his many brushes with death with well documented detail and humor. His is a piece of intense history on a personal level worked into the framework of the terrible sacrifice of our fliers over Europe during WWII. It is a great story of survival in the air and as a German POW made possible by the existence of the Geneva Convention.”

– Watson W. Lunt
Commander, U.S. Navy (Ret)

“War and Captivity. ­ Life and Death. ­ Fear and Bravery. A remarkable true story of World War II that takes us along through the hell of aerial combat against high odds, and the harsh life of survivors in Nazi prison camps. A tale well told, it gives us insight into the courage and character of our gallant young airmen who paved the way for the invasion of Fortress Europe and our ultimate victory over Hitler’s Germany.”

– Major General Donald Ross, USAF (ret.)

“Ray Parker’s true tale of a young man’s experience flying bombing missions over Germany in WWII is remarkably entertaining and thought provoking. Shot down on his twelfth mission, he survives 14 months as a prisoner of war while running a secret underground newspaper for his comrades. His presence of mind in dangerous situations is particularly memorable, and he captures moments ranging from terror and sadness to humor as only someone who lived through them could.”

– Richard Gibbs, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics
at Ft. Lewis College.

“Once I started reading ‘Down in Flames,’ I couldn’t put it down. It’s well written and kept me turning the pages. Ray Parker was head writer on my daily CBS-TV show, ‘House Party,’ but he never talked about bombing missions over Germany during World War II and surviving a Nazi prison camp.
“What a surprise! I can certainly recommend this book.”

– Art Linkletter

“This well written personal account by Ray Parker depicts the human experiences of his life during World War II. He is one of those unheralded heroes who fought the air war over Europe in the Mighty Eighth and survived as a POW. Every American should read his story and be proud of him and his fellow airmen.²

– Bill Petynia, Spacecraft Engineer,
Johnson Space Center, Houston, Tx.