{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260418T162306Z","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/113727963X?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"113727963X","authors":["Stephen Dando-Collins"],"book_id":"9781137279637","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/operation-chowhound-113727963X","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781137279637.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","description":"The true story of a little-known, yet remarkable World War II operation, which had all the hallmarks of a suicide mission. Beginning with a crazy plan hatched by a suspect prince, and an even crazier reliance on the word of the Nazis, Operation Chowhound was devised. Between May 1 and May 8, 1945, 2,268 military units flown by the USAAF, dropped food to 3.5 million starving Dutch civilians in German-occupied Holland. It took raw courage to fly on Operation Chowhound, as American aircrews never knew when the German AAA might open fire on them or if Luftwaffe fighters might jump them. Flying at 400 feet, barely above the tree tops, with guns pointed directly at them, they would have no chance to bail out if their B-17s were hit—and yet, over eight days, 120,000 German troops kept their word, and never fired on the American bombers. As they flew, grateful Dutch civilians spelled out \"Thanks Boys\" in the tulip fields below. Many Americans who flew in Operation Chowhound would claim it was the best thing they did in the war. In this gripping narrative, author Stephen Dando-Collins takes the reader into the rooms where Operation Chowhound was born, into the aircraft flying the mission, and onto the ground in the Netherlands with the civilians who so desperately needed help. James Bond creator Ian Fleming, Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn, as well as Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Churchill all play a part in this story, creating a compelling, narrative read.","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9781137279637","publication_date":"20150224","publisher":"St. Martin's Press","slug":"operation-chowhound","subtitle":"The Most Risky, Most Glorious US Bomber Mission of WWII","title":"Operation Chowhound"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"HIS027140","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Military Aviation","score":0.7918,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"HIS027100","confidence_band":"medium","label":"World War II History","score":0.785,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"HIS027370","confidence_band":"medium","label":"World War II: European Theater","score":0.7666,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"HIS027140","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Military Aviation","score":0.7918,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"HIS027100","confidence_band":"medium","label":"World War II History","score":0.785,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"HIS027370","confidence_band":"medium","label":"World War II: European Theater","score":0.7666,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"HIS027100","confidence_band":"high","label":"World War II History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Military Aviation","score":0.7918,"slug":"military-aviation"},{"label":"World War II History","score":0.785,"slug":"world-war-ii-history"},{"label":"World War II: European Theater","score":0.7666,"slug":"world-war-ii-european-theater"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers who enjoy Military Aviation","Good for readers interested in history","Good for fans of History"],"related_lists":[{"intro":"","slug":"shelf-his027100-world-war-ii","title":"World War Ii Books","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/lists/shelf-his027100-world-war-ii"}],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Jan Cress Dondi"],"book_id":"9781454956358","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781454956358.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":17.6923,"title":"The Navigator's Letter","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781454956358"},{"authors":["Bruce Henderson"],"book_id":"9781668051412","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781668051412.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":17.417,"title":"Midnight Flyboys","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781668051412"},{"authors":["Gregory A. Freeman"],"book_id":"9780451224958","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780451224958.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":17.3445,"title":"The Forgotten 500","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780451224958"},{"authors":["Donald L. Miller"],"book_id":"9780743235457","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780743235457.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":17.2348,"title":"Masters of the Air","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780743235457"},{"authors":["Harry H. Crosby","Chris Monteiro","Tantor Audio","& 0 more"],"book_id":"9781504067331","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781504067331.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":17.0092,"title":"A Wing and a Prayer","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781504067331"},{"authors":["Adam Makos","Larry Alexander"],"book_id":"9780425255735","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780425255735.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":16.9609,"title":"A Higher Call","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780425255735"},{"authors":["Antoine de Saint-Exupéry","Lewis Galantiere","Lewis Galantière"],"book_id":"9780156318808","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780156318808.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":16.8715,"title":"Flight to Arras","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780156318808"},{"authors":["Cornelius Ryan"],"book_id":"9781439126714","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781439126714.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":14.5027,"title":"A Bridge Too Far","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781439126714"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:netherlands history"],"label":"History","score":0.9238,"slug":"history"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:world war ii"],"label":"World","score":0.2022,"slug":"world"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: History.","Reading lane: Military Aviation and World War Ii History.","Publisher: St. Martin's Press."]},"llm_signals":null,"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":false,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":0,"goodreads_ratings_count":143,"goodreads_reviews_count":46,"quality_score":0.8825}}