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Race of Aces: WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky Kindle Edition
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In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" -- the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker -- offered a bottle of bourbon to the first U.S. fighter pilot to break his record of twenty-six enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command.
What developed was a wild three-year sprint for fame and glory, and the chance to be called America's greatest fighter pilot. The story has never been told until now.
Based on new research and full of revelations, John Bruning's brilliant, original book tells the story of how five American pilots contended for personal glory in the Pacific while leading Kenney's resurgent air force against the most formidable enemy America ever faced.
The pilots -- Richard Bong, Tommy McGuire, Neel Kearby, Charles MacDonald and Gerald Johnson -- riveted the nation as they contended for Rickenbacker's crown. As their scores mounted, they transformed themselves from farm boys and aspiring dentists into artists of the modern dogfight.
But as the race reached its climax, some of the pilots began to see how the spotlight warped their sense of duty. They emerged as leaders, beloved by their men as they chose selfless devotion over national accolades.
Teeming with action all across the vast Pacific theater, Race of Aces is a fascinating exploration of the boundary between honorable duty, personal glory, and the complex landscape of the human heart.
"Brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots . . . Fascinating." -- Sara Vladic"Extraordinary . . . a must-read." -- US Navy Captain Dan Pedersen"A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America's elite fighter pilots." -- James M. Scott"Vivid and gripping . . . Confirms Bruning's status as the premier war historian of the air." -- Saul David
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHachette Books
- Publication dateJanuary 14, 2020
- File size33364 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Race of Aces brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots as they strive to achieve ace-level status...Bruning's unique and intimate look at the struggles of these men to balance honor, duty to country, and their pursuit to be the best makes this account even more fascinating. This is a book you can't put down, and a story you will reflect upon long after turning the last page.-- "Sara Vladic, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Indianapolis"
A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America's elite fighter pilots during World War II. With a cockpit view of the fight, readers will hear the roar of the engines, feel the surge of adrenaline, and wrestle with the exhaustion that gripped these aviators in the marathon battle to become America's top fighter pilot.-- "James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of Target Tokyo and Rampage"
The riveting and emotional story of five American fighter pilots caught up in a deadly competition to claim the title of our nation's Ace of Aces, this book is so powerfully written that you can almost smell the engine exhaust and feel the G-forces in those furious dogfights. Race of Aces is quite simply is one of the best books ever written on World War II and cements Bruning's place as one of our generation's best combat historians.-- "David Bellavia, Medal of Honor Recipient and author of House to House: A Soldier's Memoir"
"Extraordinary. Wear your G suit and hang on--this must-read will become a classic."
-- "Dan Pedersen, Founder of the Topgun program and bestselling author of Topgun: An American Story"In Race of Aces, John R. Bruning brilliantly recreates the excitement and terror of one of the greatest untold stories of World War II: the nerve-shredding three-year contest to become America's deadliest fighter pilot. Exhaustively researched and expertly written -- with dogfights as vivid and gripping as any I've read -- the book confirms Bruning's status as the premier war historian of the air.-- "Saul David, author of The Force and Operation Thunderbolt"
"Satisfying...Combat aviation buffs will enjoy Bruning's explorations of a little-known history."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"From the opening pages, Bruning grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the story, not letting go as he masterfully guides you through a part of World War II that is largely unknown. This is the work of a skilled wordsmith who knows how to tell a story.-- "Gregory A. Freeman, bestselling author of The Forgotten 500"
Set against the sprawling and violent Pacific War, Indestructible is the incredible story of one man's courage, tenacity, and dogged fight to rescue his family caught behind enemy lines. The book left me with chills.-- "James M. Scott, bestselling author of Target Tokyo: James Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor"
This is a beautifully told story of a faimly separated by war, and of an extraordinary father, driven to avenge his family, who by sheer force of character changed the nature of warfare. A superbly told tale of love, honor, courage, and devotion.-- "Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of Avenue of Spies"
Here is a true story with something for everyone. Love, war, treachery, adventure, and above all an intimate portrait of the made-for-Hollywood life of a man who broke all the rules and remade them to his liking...Bruning shows us a big-hearted man determined to save his family -- and a brilliant scientist-pilot who was determined to win the war along the way.-- "Adam Makos, New York Times bestselling author of A Higher Call and Devotion"
This thriller-like narrative not only reveals the disturbing plight of courageous American families held in Japanese interment camps, but also delivers a gripping portrait of a uniquely American hero, Pappy Gunn, who fought two wars -- one for his country and one to rescue his wife and children.-- "James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys, The Imperial Cruise, and The China Mirage"
Satisfying...Combat aviation buffs will enjoy Bruning's explorations of a little-known history.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
About the Author
John R. Bruning is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen nonfiction books, including the critically acclaimed Shadow of the Sword and House to House. He lives in Oregon with his wife and two children.
Product details
- ASIN : B07RGJPJXY
- Publisher : Hachette Books; Illustrated edition (January 14, 2020)
- Publication date : January 14, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 33364 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 554 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0316508632
- Best Sellers Rank: #478,250 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #369 in Biographies of World War II
- #1,186 in WWII Biographies
- #1,291 in Military & Spies Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
John R. Bruning's latest book, "Race of Aces: WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky" will be published by Hachette Book Group this January 14th. It chronicles the extraordinary story of five fighter pilots who competed furiously in the national spotlight to become America's ace of aces during World War II.
John is the collaborating writer or author of twenty-two non-fiction books, including four New York Times best sellers. A graduate of the University of Oregon, John was given a Department of Defense's Thomas Jefferson Award for best article by a photojournalist in 2010 after he wrote about a forced landing in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. He was embedded with 2-162 Infantry, Oregon National Guard during the stability and support operation in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.
John lives in Independence, Oregon with his two kids, a couch-eating Jordanian dog and a cat who enjoys swimming, hiking in the Cascades, and bossing everyone around.
John can be found at Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/john_r_bruning/
and
https://www.instagram.com/sylvie_the_caninecat/?hl=en
and writes about great Americans here:
https://theamericanwarrior.com/
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The war brought out skills they never knew they had but with fateful consequences to them selves and their families. No chivalry demonstrated here. Only competitive skill and brilliance to be the best no matter the cost which enabled them to raise to the very top of their chosen profession. In war we need these kind of men but the author leaves it to the reader to conclude whether their tremendous successes outweighed the tragedy of their fate.
I'm a big history buff and have read a lot of other books about these guys over the years, but this one will tear your emotions in a lot of different directions.