Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century

Eddie Rickenbacker epitomized the American spirit in the twentieth century. Daring, skilled, and rugged-moving fast and defying death-he drove race cars in the early days of the automobile, then flew canvas-over-wooden-frame aeroplanes in the Great War, downing twenty-six enemy flyers and emerging at war's end as the nation's ace of aces. Only Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing and the much-decorated Sgt. Alvin York emerged from that struggle as equally lauded American heroes. Failing as an automobile maker after the war, Rickenbacker returned to aviation, joined Eastern Airlines in 1934, and quickly reached the top of the corporate ladder. With the start of World War II, he took on special missions to theaters of combat, surviving twenty-one days adrift on a small rubber raft after his plane went down at sea. But the seemingly indestructible Eddie did not thrive well under the new competitive conditions in the postwar airline industry. Despite having built Eastern into a major carrier, he departed the company under pressure in 1963. W. David Lewis's biography of Rickenbacker reveals both the achievements and the vulnerability of this quintessential American hero. Rickenbacker embodied what was new, exciting, and romantic about the country in the postwar years. His poignant story also sheds light on the ephemerality of American success and the fragility of celebrity. Capturing Rickenbacker's life in rich and vivid detail, W. David Lewis has written the definitive biography of America's ace of aces.

Table of Contents:
Prologue. A Boy and His Flying Machine 1. Starting Line 2. Ignition 3. Acceleration 4. Full Throttle 5. Shifting Gears 8. A Matter of Luck 9. Climax 10. Homecoming 11. Domestic Front 12. Frustrations 13. Comeback 14. Apex 15. Pivot 16. Call to Duty 17. Pacific Mission 18. New Mandate 19. Anticipating Victory 20. Turbulence and Descent 21. End Game Epilogue. In the Arena Acknoldgments Notes Essay on Primary Sources Index

About the Author :
Until his death in September 2007, W. David Lewis was a Distinguished University Professor at Auburn University.

Review :
This well-written and well-researched biography tells the life story of one of America's greatest, most widely-recognized, and controversial airmen. Skyways Mr. Lewis' research, 15 years of it, is meticulous, showing the beauty of how fact-based reality can top fiction for excitement, irony and tragedy. Mr. Lewis has painted a balanced, complete picture of an extremely complex man. It's obvious the author has a love for his subject, but this is not hagiography: All aspects of Rickenbacker's personality are laid on the table. Washington Times Lewis is comprehensive about his subject. Booklist A riveting read-certainly the best telling of the Rickenbacker story we are ever likely to have. Airways Makes for an avid story not just of Rickenbacker and his world, but of an evolving transportation industry. California Bookwatch Lewis provides readers with the definitive biography of this extraordinary man. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society This book will give a whole new generation of readers insights into a truly unique American character. The Western Front Association Lewis's intent is to replace Rickenbacker's self-promoting, ghost-written autobiographies with a reliable scholarly life. Journal of American History Lewis has given us an unabashedly individual and heroic story from the heart of our era's passion for motorized speed. Technology and Culture [Lewis] has compiled the definitive biography of Eddie Rickenbacker, an often forgotten American hero and entrepreneur. Exhaustively researched and well written, Lewis's study chronicles the life and achievements of Rickenbacker from his humble beginnings as the son of Swiss immigrants through his rise to heroic military veteran and founding father of American auto racing and airline travel. H-War, H-Net Reviews