The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told

In thirty-five chapters, The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told covers many of the leading American and British Commonwealth fighter aces of WW I and II, together with a few bomber crews whose gallantry made a substantial contribution to the end of WW II. Other nations had their aces, but this book concentrates on American and Commonwealth pilots. These aviators were chosen not only because of their “scores” and their great courage, but also for other qualities which set them apart, like the WWII Royal Air Force Wing Commander who shot down more than 20 Germans while flying with two artificial legs. Here are a few of the aces. Note that the air forces of Europe and the United States did not always have today’s names, used here for simplicity’s sake: Albert Ball, RAF, son of the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, winner of the Victoria Cross. He had 44 victories in WWI when he was killed at the age of 20, well known to his German foes, who much admired him. Gabby Gabreski, USAF. Son of hard-working Polish immigrants. An ace in WWII with 28 kills and later in Korea, with another six. He was an accomplished commander, finished a long career as a colonel. Mick Mannock, RAF. Tough and aggressive in spite of his fear of fire, he won not only the Victoria Cross, but five other high awards for gallantry. Highest British scorer of WWI with 73 victories, he detested Germans, and rejoiced with every kill. He was shot down by ground fire in the last year of the war. David McCampbell, USN. Scored 34 WWII kills to become the U.S. Navy’s all-time ace. In 1944, set an all-time record with nine victories on a single mission. Winner of the Congressional Medal. Pick Pickard, RAF. Led the RAF rooftop bomber raid on Amiens Prison In WWII, freeing many underground members, some of whom were facing death, and who were promptly spirited away by French partisans. Frank Luke, USAF. Deadly American famous for his busting of German observation balloons in WWI. Shot up over German territory, he managed to land safely, but, being Luke, tried to fight it out with enemy infantrymen with only his pistol. The book will also touch on the equipment these aces flew, from the famous Fokkers and Sopwith Camels to the ungainly two-seater FE2b, which was driven by a pusher engine and looked like a bathtub with wings and a miniature oil derrick glued on the back. Also included are our own Grumman carrier fighters, the P-40s, the P-38s, as well as the P-51 Mustang, probably the finest fighter of the war, a happy marriage of an American airframe and a British engine. The deadly, graceful Spitfire has its place, as do the Hurricane, the biplane Gladiator, and even the four-engine Lancaster.

Heroism and valor in the sky! * A new title in the relaunch of our successful Greatest Stories Ever Told franchise. * Air combat has captured the imaginations of people since the fighter plane was first introduced during WWI. * Stories of aces such as Eddy Rickenbacker and Captain Baron Manfred Von Richthofen have become staples of books and movies as well as the stuff of legend. In The Greatest Air Combat Stories Ever Told, the editor has pulled together some of the finest tales of heroism and valor in the skies over the battlefield! It is an unforgettable collection, and includes stories by Baron Manfred Von Richthofen, Len Deighton, Jay A. Stout, and many others. It includes tales of legendary aces from the Great War up through the present day, and is the newest title in the series that includes: *The Greatest Special Ops Stories Ever Told *The Greatest Sniper Stories Ever Told *The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told *The Greatest Coast Guard Rescue Stories Ever Told

The orders to proceed were nothing more than an invitation to die, and usually in unpleasant ways. But the soldiers proceeded nonetheless, because a higher cause was at stake. This stunning collection of stories is a tribute to the courage, steely resolve, and discipline of men who accomplished daunting missions in the face of almost certain death. Nonetheless, they stepped into the breach and performed heroically. That was their duty and they did not question. They had a mission and they accepted. Here are ten powerful stories of American soldiers and sailors that span more than 200 years of action with one common theme, summed up succinctly a participant who took control of Omaha Beach on D-Day, 1944. “We were doing the very thing that we had trained so long to do, and we were fascinated, and eagerly excited about it. We realized that any number of things might happen to us and knew too that some things we’d never dreamed of might very well be waiting for us on the beach.”’ From Marines taking Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi or defending Khe San, Navy pilots taking to the air to defend Pearl Harbor, or an outnumbered American regiment in Korea defeating the Chinese at the Battle of Chipyong-ni, courage was the common watchword, death the common consequence. Such is the lot of soldiers everywhere. Here is a not-so-gentle reminder of the price of freedom--paid by American men for more than 200 years of struggle, from the Revolutionary War, the Spanish-American War, Civil War, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam.

In Only the Valiant: True Stories of Decorated Heroes, editor Lamar Underwood has pulled together some of the finest writings about the nation’s decorated heroes that capture readers imaginations, meticulously culled from books, magazines, movies, and elsewhere. It includes tales of legendary heroes from the Civil War through Afghanistan.

The ace in the air was once a celebrity figure, a glamorous warrior of the skies. But this was daunting and dangerous work in the midst of brutal and bloody wars. An action-packed narrative keeps the reader riveted to the tales of real-life awesome aces, and cuts through the glitz to get to the nitty-gritty of these fights and flights. Readers will learn about the top aces from around the world, all kinds of planes, the wars in which they flew, and victories, emphasizing record holders. Topical quotes, songs, and poems will engage readers as well.

In terms of enemy aircraft shot down or destroyed, Squadron Leader Thomas 'Pat' Pattle was the greatest fighter pilot of the Second World War. A South African who flew with the RAF, Pattle was an airman of outstanding skills and leadership who became the Allies' top-scoring fighter pilot after winning scores of stunning victories in deadly aerial combat. But for years after the war ended, Pattle was virtually an unsung hero because the records of his extraordinary achievements were destroyed amid the turmoil of war. Compiled with the help of surviving pilots and members of the squadrons with which Pattle fought in the air over Greece, ACE OF ACES is a gripping and authoritative account of his amazing flying career, and the book which finally brought Pattle the recognition he so richly deserved.

From the First World War to the Korean War, Canada has produced "knights of the air" whose remarkable achievements are registered in their tally of aerial combat "kills". Billy Bishop was the most famous, but there were others who were just as skilled and ruthless. In Air Aces, Dan McCaffery tells the stories of a dozen Canadian "aces." These men, drawn from very different backgrounds, had much in common: each was immensely brave, had a powerful killer instinct, and was very, very good at his "profession." Many were also extraordinary characters, colourful swashbucklers whose skills as pilots were matched only by their flair for the dramatic. A thoughtful account of the nature of war and wartime heroism, Air Aces examines the popular figure of the fighter ace as it emerges in the First World War, and wanes before the carnage of later conflicts.

Twenty-seven fighter pilots recount their war experiences to record aerial combat from World War I through Vietnam.