Race of Aces

With deft, grit, and no shying away from the horrifying realities of war, Bruning...brings these heroes back to life, defining the struggles of morality, mortality, and glory that suffused their careers....[R]ich with historical information, Race of Aces reads like a novel and features interactions with figures such as Eddie Rickenbacker and Charles Lindbergh. Bruning's suspenseful storytelling utilizes personal interviews with U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) veterans, oral histories, archives, military history agencies, and letters/diaries written by the aces themselves....Eloquent and finely researched. --Library Journal (starred review) The riveting and emotional story of five American fighter pilots caught up in a deadly competition to claim the title of our nation's Ace of Aces, this book is so powerfully written that you can almost smell the engine exhaust and feel the G-forces in those furious dogfights. Race of Aces is quite simply is one of the best books ever written on World War II and cements Bruning's place as one of our generation's best combat historians. --David Bellavia, Medal of Honor Recipient and author of House to House: A Soldier's Memoir Race of Aces brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots as they strive to achieve ace-level status...Bruning's unique and intimate look at the struggles of these men to balance honor, duty to country, and their pursuit to be the best makes this account even more fascinating. This is a book you can't put down, and a story you will reflect upon long after turning the last page. --Sara Vladic, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Indianapolis Race of Aces is a superb read, taking us through the high-stakes world of our great Aces and the WWII air war...Extraordinary. Wear your G suit and hang on -- this must-read will become a classic. --Dan Pedersen, Founder of the Topgun program and bestselling author of Topgun: An American Story Satisfying...Combat aviation buffs will enjoy Bruning's explorations of a little-known history. --Kirkus Reviews A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America's elite fighter pilots during World War II. With a cockpit view of the fight, readers will hear the roar of the engines, feel the surge of adrenaline, and wrestle with the exhaustion that gripped these aviators in the marathon battle to become America's top fighter pilot. --James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of Target Tokyo and Rampage In Race of Aces, John R. Bruning brilliantly recreates the excitement and terror of one of the greatest untold stories of World War II: the nerve-shredding three-year contest to become America's deadliest fighter pilot. Exhaustively researched and expertly written -- with dogfights as vivid and gripping as any I've read -- the book confirms Bruning's status as the premier war historian of the air. --Saul David, author of The Force and Operation Thunderbolt Set against the sprawling and violent Pacific War, Indestructible is the incredible story of one man's courage, tenacity, and dogged fight to rescue his family caught behind enemy lines. The book left me with chills. --James M. Scott, bestselling author of Target Tokyo: James Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor This is a beautifully told story of a faimly separated by war, and of an extraordinary father, driven to avenge his family, who by sheer force of character changed the nature of warfare. A superbly told tale of love, honor, courage, and devotion. --Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of Avenue of Spies From the opening pages, Bruning grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the story, not letting go as he masterfully guides you through a part of World War II that is largely unknown. This is the work of a skilled wordsmith who knows how to tell a story. --Gregory A. Freeman, bestselling author of The Forgotten 500 Here is a true story with something for everyone. Love, war, treachery, adventure, and above all an intimate portrait of the made-for-Hollywood life of a man who broke all the rules and remade them to his liking...Bruning shows us a big-hearted man determined to save his family -- and a brilliant scientist-pilot who was determined to win the war along the way. --Adam Makos, New York Times bestselling author of A Higher Call and Devotion This thriller-like narrative not only reveals the disturbing plight of courageous American families held in Japanese interment camps, but also delivers a gripping portrait of a uniquely American hero, Pappy Gunn, who fought two wars -- one for his country and one to rescue his wife and children. --James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys, The Imperial Cruise, and The China Mirage Praise for John R. Bruning's Indestructible