Synopses & Reviews
It was the pilots of the U.S. Air Mail service who made it possible for flight to evolve from an impractical and deadly fad to today's worldwide network of airlines. Nicknamed "The Suicide Club," this small but daring cadre of pilots took a fleet of flimsy World War I "Jenny" Biplanes and blazed a trail of sky routes across the country. In the midst of the Jazz Age, they were dashing, group-proud, brazen, and resentful of authority. They were also loyal, determined to prove the skeptics wrong. MAVERICKS OF THE SKY, by Barry Rosenburg and Catherine Macaulay, is a narrative non-fiction account of the crucial, first three years of the air mail service - beginning with the inaugural New York-to-Washington D.C. flight in 1918, through 1921 when aviator Jack Knight was the first to fly across the country at night and furthermore, through a blizzard. In those early years, one out of every four men lost their lives. With the constant threat of weather and mechanical failure and with little instrumentation available, aviators relied on their wits and instincts to keep them out of trouble. MAVERICKS OF THE SKY brings these sagas to life, and tells the story of the extraordinary lives and rivalries of those who single-handedly pulled off the great experiment. Synopsis
Nicknamed "the Suicide Club," the pilots of the air mail service were a brash collection of World War I aces who returned as heroes from Europe looking for a way to continue their obsession with flying. At a time before established air routes, when planes were still a developing technology, these proud, dashing, rebellious men pushed the limits of flight to the extreme—climbing into their flimsy wooden and cloth-covered biplanes to move the mail through torrential rain and blinding snowstorms, relying on their wits and instincts to keep them alive.
Mavericks of the Sky recounts the crucial first three years of the U.S. Air Mail Service—from the inaugural New YorktoWashington, D.C., flight in 1918 throughJack Knight's desperate, against-all-odds night flight in 1921 that would determine the future of air mail. A unique tale of adventure, heroism, and suspense, Rosenberg and Macaulay's thrilling narrative brings to life the exploits of these fearless and colorful pioneers who were true symbols of the Jazz Age and the American spirit.
Synopsis
Recounts the exploits of America's first commercial aviators, the daring fliers of the U.S. Mail Service, who risked their lives in a fleet of flimsy World War I biplanes to transport the mail across America and who played a key role in the early history of commercial aviation. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.
About the Author
Barry Rosenberg is a longtime journalist specializing in aviation, technology, and issues of national defense. He has written for respected industry publications such as Aviation Week & Space Technology for the past twenty years, and regularly writes reports on issues of peace and security for the Carnegie Corporation of New York and others.