AMAZON #1 BESTSELLER and #1 NEW RELEASE"My altimeter showed me plummeting through 1,000 feet. I wasn't flying any more--
I was falling out of the sky. It would only be a matter of seconds before I hit the ground at more than 100 miles per hour and exploded in a fireball."
In his thrilling and thoughtful book, Colonel Bruce Hurd vividly describes the adventure, excitement, and triumph he felt during his 30-year career as an Air Force officer and pilot. He also talks movingly about confronting the disappointment, fear, and shame arising from very painful and difficult personal ordeals he faced.
With courage and honesty, Colonel Hurd unveils the fears, disappointments, and shame he overcame to be a life-changing leader both at home and abroad. His wit and ability to see the big picture give us a new perspective on possibilities.
Colonel Hurd describes the pain of growing up with an alcoholic mother--a decades-long, heartbreaking experience that affected him throughout his life. He also discusses other distressing events in his life that caused him shame: being humiliated and verbally abused by a revered 6th grade teacher; going through a painful divorce caused by his first wife's manipulation and dishonesty; and receiving the medical diagnosis he would not be able to realize his lifelong dream of fathering a child. Colonel Hurd also paints a vivid picture of going through Air Force pilot training, a highly demanding, yet ultimately successful, year-long training course. Most importantly, he shows what he learned from these and other experiences, and how he grew from having lived through them.
Through Colonel Hurd's powerful descriptions, often told with a dry wit, readers gain a real appreciation for the rich and full life of a career military officer. After great success in numerous leadership positions as an Air Force officer and a program manager for a large technology company, he also speaks to the importance of being able to reinvent ourselves throughout our lives. He concludes his book by introducing the reader to his eight "Aim Point" principles that have been his touchstones when confronted with the need for personal reinvention throughout his life.
- He will inspire those questioning their life journey with stories of finding direction and reinvention in the midst of adversity and change.
- He will thrill those following their dream with his accounts of close calls and near misses.
- He will teach those struggling in life with his lessons and life strategies for learning to fly again.
Colonel Bruce Hurd crafted an extraordinary 30-year Air Force career as a pilot and officer - and this book talks about his amazing journey along the way. He excelled as an award-winning squadron and group commander, a visionary leader restructuring U.S. military supply chain processes throughout Europe, and a highly sought-after American diplomat working with foreign governments, among other endeavors. Each of his 16 assignments required him to reinvent himself as he undertook different challenges associated with the new positions he assumed.
Throughout it all, Colonel Hurd is most proud of the outstanding men and women he had the privilege of leading. The units he commanded earned numerous awards, including the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (twice), the Maintenance Effectiveness Award for best large aircraft maintenance in the Air Force, and the General Spaatz Trophy for best air refueling squadron in the Air Force.
After retiring from the Air Force, Colonel Hurd reinvented himself again as a very successful software development program manager at a large technology company in San Diego. He most recently reinvented himself once more as an author, speaker, and reinvention coach, with a focus on helping people successfully navigate change in their lives through connection with their values and exploring what inspires them.
Colonel Hurd was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Air Force Air War College year-long post-graduate courses of study in residence.
