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dtab62's review against another edition
5.0
I knew more about Lindbergh than Rickenbacher or Doolittle, but I learned much about all three. Well worth the read. Highly recommended.
willerniekid's review against another edition
5.0
A well written, engaging book about three pioneers of American aviation and their involvement in the aviation industry and two world wars.
The only criticism I have is that the author clearly admires these men a lot and forgives them their sins a bit too easily.
The only criticism I have is that the author clearly admires these men a lot and forgives them their sins a bit too easily.
teal2wine's review against another edition
5.0
Having someone read to me about history wasn't appealing. This audiobook 'sat on my shelf' for a while on that thought alone. But heck, I caught a bit of THE SPIRIT OF AT LOUIS movie on TCM and decided to learn more.
Boy did I. And I enjoyed every minute. Laughed, got nervous, and shocked at tidbits I learned in this book. Then I found out it was written with collaboration with NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. Definitely explains the fact finding style. In the end, no graphics or such needed. Good book.
Boy did I. And I enjoyed every minute. Laughed, got nervous, and shocked at tidbits I learned in this book. Then I found out it was written with collaboration with NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. Definitely explains the fact finding style. In the end, no graphics or such needed. Good book.
davidcalhoun's review against another edition
4.0
Great fun book that's an easy read. To the author's credit, my one complaint is the author used a metaphor I didn't like twice in this book - "a smile beaming as bright as the harvest moon", which is just more than a bit petty on my part.
Admittedly, the book gets slow midway through, but it soon picks up around the time of the Doolittle raid, where I got hooked and zoomed through to the end of the book (also because the library book was due today).
I picked this up originally because I'm interested in all things WWI aviation, so I was interested mostly in hearing about Eddie Rickenbacker. I got more than I signed up for. What I got out of it was three biographies in one, as the book also interweaves the life stories of Jimmy Doolittle and Charles Lindbergh, with the men's lives sometimes overlapping directly and indirectly. An example of the latter was all three meeting with Ernst Udet, the WWI ace who loved to invite guests to shooting competitions inside his apartment (his poor neighbors...), strewn with signed photos of Hollywood silent film celebrities. And how all three visited post-WWI Germany, with various personalities (Udet, Göring) building up its arsenal, and subsequently all warning the US about their fears about Germany's plans.
Really inspiring in the end - like an inspiring movie, it's a book that makes you think about doing something great with your life, just like these men did.
Admittedly, the book gets slow midway through, but it soon picks up around the time of the Doolittle raid, where I got hooked and zoomed through to the end of the book (also because the library book was due today).
I picked this up originally because I'm interested in all things WWI aviation, so I was interested mostly in hearing about Eddie Rickenbacker. I got more than I signed up for. What I got out of it was three biographies in one, as the book also interweaves the life stories of Jimmy Doolittle and Charles Lindbergh, with the men's lives sometimes overlapping directly and indirectly. An example of the latter was all three meeting with Ernst Udet, the WWI ace who loved to invite guests to shooting competitions inside his apartment (his poor neighbors...), strewn with signed photos of Hollywood silent film celebrities. And how all three visited post-WWI Germany, with various personalities (Udet, Göring) building up its arsenal, and subsequently all warning the US about their fears about Germany's plans.
Really inspiring in the end - like an inspiring movie, it's a book that makes you think about doing something great with your life, just like these men did.
hidingzeus's review against another edition
4.0
This was an exploration of a very interesting period of time starting when flight was just beginning to take off (no pun intended:) through to WWII and beyond when it was firmly established as an industry.
Definitely enjoyed it.
Definitely enjoyed it.
nilrups's review against another edition
3.0
Doolittle and Rickenbacker story lines had the most appeal to me.
bookitmik's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. These type of narrow focused history books seem so antiquated. This is basically 3 separate biographies interspersed in the most confusing way possible. There’s no interweaving of the stories of the men and the timeline jumps back and forth to tell each of the lives independently.
jonesannleslie's review against another edition
5.0
Just finished the advanced readers edition. Each of these three men has a compelling story and the author weaves their lives together and coveys an enormous amount if information. Nonfiction at its finest.