Book picks similar to
Eddie Rickenbacker by Hans C. Adamson


aviation
industry-invention
american-history

China Clipper: The Secret Pre-War Story of Pan American's Flying Boats


Ronald Jackson - 2017
     China Clipper is filled with fact but reads like a spy novel. In the 1930s the political stability of the U.S. was collapsing. The U.S. was dangerously vulnerable. Through a popular policy of isolationism and international treaty the U.S. had only the most rudimentary and feeble defenses for an inevitable war with Japan. Japan, on the other hand, was ruthlessly storming through Manchuria, Korea and China slaughtering millions. The U.S. was stymied but Pan American Airways' proposed commercial seaplane bases at Pearl Harbor, Midway, Wake, Guam and Manila (all attacked on December 7 and 8 1941) offered the perfect ruse to begin fortifying the Pacific in 1934. You'll discover how the government worked covertly with Pan American to build Pacific island defenses, how Pan American became a monopoly and powerhouse airline. While China Clipper can be read as an exciting war story based on true events, its major power lies in the unique recreation of people and events heretofore previously unknown. Tautly written, filled with vivid characterizations, China Clipper is a compelling and a frightening examination of the forces that eventually caused Pearl Harbor to explode - and - the world go to war. China Clipper also follows the day-by-day flight of American citizen and Chinese patriot, Wah Sun Choy, in July 1938 on the Hawaii Clipper bound for China. A successful New Jersey businessman, Wah Sun Choy had raised over $3 million to help bolster China's war with Japan. But his purpose - to deliver the money to the Chinese Nationalists - clashed with the avowed aims of Japan. Between Guam and Manila, the elegant flying boat completely disappeared. Why the 26-ton flying boat vanished and how is explored in depth - for the first time - in China Clipper. China Clipper breaks new ground and garnered stellar reviews - “… new theory on the mystery of the Hawaii Clipper…” New York Times --- “...compelling, even romantic…” San Francisco Chronicle --- “...this is exciting reading…” San Diego Union --- “…good tale for spy , aviation and WWII buffs…” Nashville Banner

Billy Mitchell (Annotated): Founder of Our Air Force and Prophet Without Honor


Emile Gauvreau - 1942
    Through the press and in person he lobbied naval brass about America's woefully unprepared defensive air power but his talk of dogfights over the Pacific with superior planes was laughed at and dismissed by all. Mitchell's vision of a US Air Arm would have meant massive, costly upgrades to the nation's dated flying machines owned by private firms holding patents on aircraft machinery. Old guard soldiers, like John J. Pershing, dismissed as delusional ravings Mitchell's belief that a battleship could be destroyed by a bomber. Mitchell's outspoken press conferences about an airplane trust supported by corrupt government officials led to his court-martial for insubordination in 1925. He died in 1936, a man ahead of his times.*Includes annotations and images.

MEMORIES FROM MY LOGBOOK: A Bush Pilot's Story


Lynn Wyatt - 2017
    Many times I thought I would not make it, flying overloaded airplanes with the doors removed, external loads strapped to the floats, no navigational aids and totally alone in a vast wilderness with only my skills and determination to get me home. After logging 4,000 flight hours, and flying sometimes 16 hours a day, I actually became as one with the airplane. Controlling the airplane was like scratching an itch, totally unconscious control inputs... I was the airplane. It took many hours, more than a few mishaps, and a lot of luck to reach this skill level. The stories in this book are recalled from reviewing the pages of my pilot's log book. Some of the stories were sad, some were funny, and some were really scary. Some flights were truly beautiful, as can only be experienced in the pristine Alaskan outback. I lived the adventure most people only dream about, and survived it to tell my tales...

Thirty-Five Missions Over Japan


Philip D. Webster - 2019
    Philip D. Webster’s just-published WW2 memoirs, “Thirty-Five Missions Over Japan.” Read first-hand accounts of training and piloting B-17s and B-29s, Webster’s thrilling missions between Saipan and Japan, and the P-51s and P-47s out of Iwo Jima that flew alongside. Written from notes made in 1944/1945, stored undisturbed in an Army-issue briefcase for over 60 years. Drawn from vivid memory and written during the seven and a half hour flights back home after missions--notes about the fighters they had to contend with, planes shot down, flak encountered and damage done. This book puts you in the pilot's seat during one thrilling mission after another.

Blamed


Dana Griffin - 2017
    His last memory is putting the landing gear down. The NTSB and news media blame him and the deceased first officer Ned Partin for the accident that killed thirty-eight, and burned or severely injured ten. Bill knows from experience flying with Ned that they would have prevented the accident. While recovering from his debilitating injuries, Bill investigates why data that would exonerate him has disappeared. Why hasn’t the NTSB figured out there was something wrong with the rudder? And why does his airline’s management thwart his attempts to prove he shouldn’t be blamed? Those who caused the accident will go to extreme lengths to assure Bill does not uncover their secret agenda.

Hugh Glass, a Revenant: The "true" story of Hugh Glass and the Grizzly (Campfire Tales Book 1)


Robert Dwyer - 2015
    First in the Campfire Tales series that includes stories of western men like Hugh Glass and John Colter.

Alaska Challenge: A Journey Through Uncharted Wilderness Leading to a New Life in a New Land


Ruth Albee - 2020
    

Fantastic Facts about the Oregon Trail


Michael Trinklein - 2012
    Read all about these fantastic facts--and dozens of others--in this fun-to-read book.Did you know that some pioneers took a "shortcut" to Oregon that took them perilously close to Antarctica? Or that ferryboat operators on the Oregon Trail could earn nearly $2,000 per day? Or that many pioneers found ice in the middle of the blazing hot desert? It's all true! An entertaining read for young people or anyone interested in the great western journey.

Final Authority


Robert J. Dobransky - 2002
    He has a job he loves, a vivacious, pregnant wife, a young son and a beautiful home in Evergreen, Colorado. Bruce's life is rewarding, full, and his position is seemingly secure. Suddenly, an accident in Reno, Nevada, threatens to snatch away everything he cherishes: his family and his career. Bruce was in command of the ill-fated flight, and the airline and FAA blame him for the catastrophe.Bruce soon finds himself fighting against powerful enemies: the airline's bosses, the government, his wife's wealthy mother, and other unseen but dangerous adversaries. Just when Bruce's situation seems hopeless, help arrives from several sources: David Goldstein, an investigative reporter, reveals that there is much more to the accident than meets the eye. Mike Barrow, a retired Marine colonel and close friend of Bruce's, joins the investigation only to find himself thrust into the corporate intrigue at the highest level. Ava O'Kane, a thirty-eight-year-old executive within the circle of power at the airline, makes a shocking discovery of corruption within the organization and she has to choose between evil and good, love and money.Finally, pushed to the limit, Bruce takes control of his predicament in an unprecedented and decisively violent, though legal manner. It's the only way he can stop the conspiracy. In the process of saving himself, his career and his company, can an airline captain get away with murder?

Flight


Neil Graham Hansen - 2019
    In 1964, I embarked on a journey that was to be my life's adventure.  I hired on as a pilot for Air America and its clandestine operations in Southeast Asia.      Flying for the CIA's secret airline was a dream come true.  Air America's operations were unknown.  Its schedules were irregular.  Its pilots were shadow people.  It was the world of spooks, covert air ops and adventure.  I had already been a pilot for more than half of my life when I left my home in Detroit for the wild escapades that awaited me in Southeast Asia.  Air America had been the pinnacle of my life and, had the trajectory remained steady, my world and my career should have gone onward and upward from that point.      The intent of telling my story is to take the reader on an historical journey of a little-known place in time through my own personal account.  Within the context of history, my narrative is not to be considered anything but my own experience.     The ranks of Air America were comprised of a host of patriotic professionals who deserve a place of honor in the annals of history.  However, many colorful characters wore the Air America wings, and inside the course of my narrative, the reader will be subjected to people and situations that cannot be filed neatly under anything resembling normal sanity.      Most names, except those of a known or high-ranking or public nature, and those I wish to recognize for heroic performances, have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty alike.

Gettysburg: A Lovely Summer Morning (Illustrated)


Frank A. Haskell - 2011
    Haskell is one of the most moving, and honest accounts of battle ever written. Gettysburg: A Lovely Summer Morning is a compilation of vintage civil war photos, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and a letter written by Franklin Aretas Haskell, Aide-de-camp to General John Gibbon. Haskell's letter was first published in 1898 as a book entitled The Battle of Gettysburg. Haskell wrote the letter to his brother shortly after his participation in the Battle of Gettysburg. He did not intend for it to be published commercially.

The Next Hour: The most important hour in your logbook


Richard L. Collins - 2009
    The best way to stay out of an accident report, he suggests, is to understand and manage the risks inherent in flying—every time you get in an airplane. In this completely new book, Collins shares some personal insights learned from his lifetime of flying in general aviation airplanes.You’ll learn:• The three word emergency checklist every pilot should know• Why a pilot’s thought processes matter more than his experience• Why Collins decided to stop flying as pilot in command—on his own terms• The unique challenges (and rewards) of night flying• Why some airplane types have poor accident records• How to manage technology in the cockpit, and when it’s doing more harm than goodThroughout, Collins uses real life examples from his vast experience to illustrate each point. This book is a must-have for any pilot who wants to make their next hour a safer one.

Boeing 747. Queen of the Skies.: Reflections from the Flight Deck.


Owen Zupp - 2019
    From flights over Antarctica to carrying a spare fifth engine beneath the wing, award-winning aviation writer and airline pilot, Owen Zupp, has detailed the varied journeys of the magnificent Boeing 747. Click below to buy this book and share the journey.

An Airline Pilot's Life


Chris Manno - 2020
    Here's the story: Who didn't want to be a jet pilot as a kid? Yet for most, life gets in the way and charts a different course. But what if? Here's your chance to live the dream, the true story of a childhood passion for airplanes and flight to the rigorous military college that lead to Air Force pilot wings, to years as a USAF pilot in the Pacific and Asia, then into the cockpits of the world's largest airline, and decades as a captain. Live the struggle, the adventures, the flying, the ups and downs of airline crew life from an insider perspective. An airline pilot's life: strap in, hang on--it's a wild ride.

Final Approach


Christopher Hodder-Williams - 2016
     John Emerson, brother of the deceased, is suddenly the owner of an international airline. Problem is he doesn’t know much about flying. And the Board is full of people who’d rather he didn’t interfere in things. Funnily enough they felt the same about his brother. As John learns more about the airline, certain discrepancies and irregularities lead him to question his brother’s death. Why are pages missing from the log book? What is the meaning of his brother’s last letter? And did someone know the plane was not fit to fly the day it crashed? Up in the air in Final Approach is death itself. Praise for Christopher Hodder-Williams: ‘original, realistic…combining the elements of science fiction, the straight novel and the thriller’ - The Guardian “Mr. Hodder-Williams deliberately keeps his extremely exciting story to the thriller level in a way that makes its moral impact all the greater.” - Sunday Times “ … an exciting new form of detective fiction … ” - Evening News Christopher Hodder-Williams was an English writer, mainly of science fiction, but he wrote novels about aviation and espionage as well. Before his career in writing, Hodder-Williams joined the army in 1944, and served in the Middle East and lived in Kenya and New York, later settling in the UK. Many of his books are early examples of what would later be called techno-thrillers. He also worked as a composer and lyricist, and wrote numerous plays for television. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.