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ncrabb's review against another edition
4.0
Sadly, I’m among that unfortunately under-informed group of people who never gave much thought to the existence of female aviators in World War II, military or otherwise. This highly readable book details the motivations, struggles, and lives of women who were often trained better than men and in some cases had more hours in the air, but who were never afforded full military honors for work that was both as necessary and dangerous in some respects as that done by the guys.
You’ll read with interest about the in-fighting and turf guarding among the most preeminent of the female navigators. You’ll read about their successes, and you’ll shake your head in wonder when you read about congressional hearings whose purpose was to determine what the role of female navigators should be in the war effort. Congress, as it turns out, was more than a bit skittish about the negative publicity the military would have to face if the press learned that a female aviator had crashed while conducting military business. Ultimately, the women were put to use, but not always credited or recognized for their accomplishments for years after the war.
The final sections of the book focus on the years between the war and the Mercury space program. It looks at 13 women who were selected to enter the space program, but who never did. Never mind that the Soviets sent a female Communist Party secretary with very little aeronautics training into space.
It may no longer be Women's History Month as I write this, but there's just no wrong time to read the book.
You’ll read with interest about the in-fighting and turf guarding among the most preeminent of the female navigators. You’ll read about their successes, and you’ll shake your head in wonder when you read about congressional hearings whose purpose was to determine what the role of female navigators should be in the war effort. Congress, as it turns out, was more than a bit skittish about the negative publicity the military would have to face if the press learned that a female aviator had crashed while conducting military business. Ultimately, the women were put to use, but not always credited or recognized for their accomplishments for years after the war.
The final sections of the book focus on the years between the war and the Mercury space program. It looks at 13 women who were selected to enter the space program, but who never did. Never mind that the Soviets sent a female Communist Party secretary with very little aeronautics training into space.
It may no longer be Women's History Month as I write this, but there's just no wrong time to read the book.
aartireadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
This book is much more about aviation history than women's history. Lots of details on flight patterns and planes that I didn't understand or need.
aartireadsalot's review
3.0
This book is much more about aviation history than women's history. Lots of details on flight patterns and planes that I didn't understand or need.
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