FLYING CADETS OF WORLD WAR 2

The behind-the-scenes story of pilot training in the pre-WWII era. Gives readers a pulse-racing, pilot's-level look at preparation for WWII air superiority, detailed through 36 accounts; includes profiles of Medal of Honor recipients from Air Corps.

The amazing story of the elite pilots who powered America's WWII air dominance. They merely wanted work during the Great Depression, but had greatness thrust upon them as defenders of America's freedoms. They were the Flying Cadets, trained in antiquated aircraft during the 1930s, opposed by many military and political leaders of the time, and entered into a war lacking planes and equipment. Still, through their duty, honor, and hard-won skills, they readied themselves to fly into the breech and turn back the enemies of World War II. These 23 classes of Flying Cadets are the binding legacy of air power legends like Billy Mitchell, Frank Andrews, and others--men who risked careers and reputations struggling against rigid, authority-hungry commanders. The thin ranks of Flying Cadets not only defended and attacked during the early days of WWII, but also helped to forge the American combat air force which ultimately defeated Germany's Luftwaffe and Japan's Air Force. Written by Robert Maupin, Flying Cadet and World War II combat pilot, this powerful account takes you through the tough training at "the West Point of the air," and gives you a cockpit-level view of these pilots' finest hours in combat. Told from the heart as well as the head, Flying Cadets of World War II gives not only a historic look at the building and use of air power, but a personal glimpse into the lives of the people who mastered it.