Written by gifted storyteller Winston Groom (author of Forrest Gump); The Aviators tells the saga of three extraordinary aviators--Charles Lindbergh; Eddie Rickenbacker; and Jimmy Doolittle--and how they redefine heroism through their genius; daring; and uncommon courage. This is the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond; including daring military raids and survival-at-sea; and will appeal to fans of Unbroken; The Greatest Generation; and Flyboys. With the world in peril in World War II; each man set aside great success and comfort to return to the skies for his most daring mission yet. Doolittle; a brilliant aviation innovator; would lead the daring Tokyo Raid to retaliate for Pearl Harbor; Lindbergh; hero of the first solo flight across the Atlantic; would fly combat missions in the South Pacific; and Rickenbacker; World War I flying ace; would bravely hold his crew together while facing near-starvation and circling sharks after his plane went down in a remote part of the Pacific. Groom's rich narrative tells their intertwined stories--from broken homes to Medals of Honor (all three would receive it); barnstorming to the greatest raid of World War II; front-page triumph to anguished tragedy; and near-death to ultimate survival--as all took to the sky; time and again; to become exemplars of the spirit of the "greatest generation."
#732457 in Books McClellan James E 2015-10-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x 1.21 x 7.00l; 2.40 #File Name: 1421417758552 pagesScience and Technology in World History An Introduction
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Macro LevelBy PaulA must have for anyone wanting to add to their collection of great books!3 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Patchy and Uneven Treatment of History of Science and TechnologyBy Seo-Woo ChoiThis book gives an accessible introduction to the intellectual; biographical; and social history of the Scientific Revolution; focusing on figures like Copernicus; Kepler; Galileo; Descartes; and Newton. Darwin and his theory of evolution is illustrated. Chapter 18 and 19 include a nice overview of social and cultural aspects modern science and technology. However; this book has several noticeable shortcomings. First and foremost; there are numerous topics that deserve more pages. Despite the phrase 'world history' in its title; diffusion and exchange of scientific ideas; methods; technology etc. within and between civilizations do not receive enough attention. For example; Jesuit activities in China is summarized within a single paragraph; and comparable event in Japan is not mentioned at all. The processes and consequences of introduction of modern Western science to the rest of the world are not asked. Only limited number of scientific and engineering fields appear in this book. Outside a few-pages-long outline of works of some classic figures such as Priestley; Lavoisier; and Dalton; almost all of the history of chemistry is neglected; and the rest is scattered among passing comments. Even when the field gets to be covered; the description is unevenly spread across time periods and subfields. Later developments in classical mechanics and thermodynamics; and the controversy over atom during 19th century is virtually absent. The early history of modern physics is hastily summarized within ten or so pages; which is not nearly enough to convey its significance. These are only part of a much longer list. I admit that including all the events and details would probably double or triple the volume of this book; but if the authors were going to be selective; they should provide justification of their selection. I find it hard to understand overall structure of the book. For instance; developments in technology; physics; and biology are merely put in parallel to each other in roughly chronological order. Passages near the end of the chapter; where the relationship between science and technology is illustrated; is largely independent of the earlier chapters. Comparable analysis on pre-modern science and technology could be much richer; especially if more fields of science and engineering are included.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Horrendous book conditionBy BrianI bought this book thinking I was getting what it was labeled as a "new" book. Yet I find damage to the front; rear; and spine covers; the front cover had been bent and ripped as well as dented. The pages were bent and scuffed on the bottom. And the book jacket was missing.
