United States History - 20th Century - General & Miscellaneous, War Narratives, U.S. Armed Forces - Biography, United States History - 20th Century - Wars & Conflict, Military Biography, Historical Biography - United States, World War I, United States Arm

Fighting the Flying Circus

Name: Fighting the Flying Circus
Author: Edward V. Rickenbacker
ISBN: 9781417940028

by Edward V. Rickenbacker, Laurence La Trourette Driggs (Foreword by), Laurence La Driggs

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

One of the best accounts of air combat in World War I, by the American “ace of aces.” Eddie Rickenbacker had an extraordinary career: inventor, race car driver, fighter ace, Medal of Honor winner, and finally president of Eastern Air Lines. In this book he recounts how he achieved 26 confirmed kills in less than a year of combat on the Western Front, rising from the ranks to lead the famed “Hat-in-the-Ring” squadron. Early pilots had to contend with primitive engines, unreliable guns, no parachutes, no oxygen, and wings that could tear off in a dive. Just surviving was a daily challenge, and Rickenbacker saw many friends and comrades die through no fault of their own. In this book he unflinchingly explains all of the errors that he made in combat, and how he learned to become a better dogfighter. He also gives the reader a glimpse of the tremendous psychological pressure that came from being America's leading ace – every previous holder had been shot down – and from his own leadership style of leading from the front.

This edition includes an active table of contents and 17 photographs, maps, and combat illustrations. At Tales End Press we take pride in our ebooks: to try before you buy, download a free preview!

Table of Contents:
Foreword
Glossary
I. Introducing “Archy”
II. The Aerodrome
III. Our First Sorties
IV. Downing My First Hun
V. Jimmy Meissner Strips His Wings
VI. Jimmy Hall’s Last Fight
VII. New Responsibilities
VIII. A Victory and a Narrow Escape
IX. Down in Flames
X. Lufbery is Killed
XI. Squadron Festivities
XII. Jimmy Meissner Again
XIII. America’s First Ace
XIV. Rumpler Number 16
XV. Campbell’s Last Fight
XVI. Becoming an Ace
XVII. A Perplexing Bank of Fog
XVIII. Strafing the Drachen
XIX. The Château-Thierry Salient
XX. The Death of Quentin Roosevelt
XXI. The Flying Circus Scores Heavily
XXII. Our Spads Arrive
XXIII. Back Close to Verdun
XXIV. The St. Mihiel Drive
XXV. American Ace of Aces
XXVI. Captain of the Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron
XXVII. An Eventful “D” Day
XXVIII. Frank Luke Strafes His Last Balloon
XXIX. A Night-Mission
XXX. A Day’s Work – Six Victories
XXXI. “Seeing the War”
XXXII. A Regular Dog-Fight
XXXIII. An Aeroplane Movie Show
XXXIV. An Over-Zealous Ally
XXXV. The End Draws Near
XXXVI. Last Victory of the Great War
Official Victories of the 94th Aero Squadron

Synopsis

Written in 1919, this is unquestionably the best of all the American memoirs of air combat in World War I, authored by the most decorated airman of the time, an Ace of Aces who scored 26 victories in only seven months.