A novel that transports readers to the shadowy forests of WWII Austria, where a weary and battle-worn Army platoon discovers the war's darkest secret.

Based on a true story.

"A gut punch of a novel."
-Reed Farrel Coleman, NYT bestselling author of SLEEPLESS CITY

 

". . . grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go."
-Jedwin Smith, author of FATAL TREASURE and OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER

About Down a Dark Road

DOWN A DARK ROAD is a heart-wrenching WWII historical fiction thriller based on the true story of young infantry Lieutenant Jim Thayer.

As the war in Europe draws to a close, Jim and his platoon find themselves on the point of the advance into Austria. There, they are about to discover the war's darkest secret. They are no strangers to the horror of war, but what they find hidden in the shadowy forests of western Austria is beyond anything they have yet experienced.
Battling remnants of the legendary Waffen SS, Germany's elite fighting force, Jim and his men come face to face with the cruel brutality of the Nazi regime and bear witness to the fields of death left in its wake.

About the Author

H. W. "Buzz" Bernard's debut novel, EYEWALL, became a number-one Kindle bestseller. Three of his subsequent novels won EPIC eBook Awards.

The first two novels of his WHEN HEROES FLEW series were awarded Gold Medals by the Military Writers Society of America. The third novel is up for the award in 2023.

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Praise for H.W. “Buzz” Bernard

"Bernard's Down A Dark Road is a gut punch of a novel. A tale of war's end, when the bill comes due in blood, and what honorable people are willing to do to right unspeakable sins."
Reed Farrel Coleman, NYT  bestselling author of SLEEPLESS CITY

 

"Buzz Bernard's gripping novel brings to light with stark detail and white-knuckle authenticity the WWII story of the American aviators who flew over the Himalayas."
TOM YOUNG, author of SILVER WINGS, IRON CROSS and RED BURNING SKY

 

"The [WWII] Ploesti raid . . . demonstrated the supreme heroism of the pilots and crews who made the raid, and this book vividly and unforgettably shows you why. Highly recommended.”
P.T. DEUTERMANN, author of PACIFIC GLORY, winner of the annual W.Y. Boyd award for best military fiction

 

"Expertly interweaving the boredom, horror, humor, injustice, and irony of war, H. W. "Buzz" Bernard has delivered a bravura performance to the canon of World War II literature. Well done!”
DWIGHT JON ZIMMERMAN,New York Times bestselling author

 

"You don’t need to be an aviation buff or a military historian to get swept up into Bernard’s skillful vision that causes you to chuckle and weep in tandem while forgetting everything around you but the story itself."
KATHLEEN M. RODGERS, 2019 MWSA Writer of the Year Finalist and author of THE FLYING CUTTERBUCKS

 

 

 

 

The brilliant WHEN HEROES FLEW series is set against the most legendary aerial exploits of WWII. Told from the viewpoints of young men whose bravery may never be equalled, the stunning dramas stretch from the Libyan desert to the plains of Romania, from the vast Pacific Ocean to war-torn China, from the towering Himalayas to the rainforests of Burma.

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