Will Rogers & Wiley Post: Death at Barrow

Bryan and Frances Sterling have spent thirty years researching and writing about Will Rogers. In Will Rogers & Wiley Post: Death at Barrow, they provide dual biographies of Rogers and the renowned pilot Wiley Post and search for the truth of the events that led to their untimely deaths.
Will Rogers was one of the most beloved entertainers and the most widely quoted humorist of his day. The part-Cherokee cowboy comedian who quipped "I never met a man I didn't like" enjoyed poking fun at Congress and political parties, but always with a gentle humor and an endearing modesty. His love for the American people was equalled only by their love for him.
Wiley Post was a world famous pilot, a mechanical genius and pioneer of aviation. He made aeronautical history when he set a record flying around the world with Harold Gatty, and he broke that record two years later flying solo. Post was the first person to fly the jet stream and the suit he designed for his substratospheric flight was a forerunner of the spacesuits used by NASA in its Apollo missions.
When Rogers and Post crashed in Walakpa Lagoon near Barrow, Alaska, on August 15, 1935, it was the tragic loss of two American icons and international heroes. Their deaths affected most American homes. Rogers was a film star, syndicated columnist, and radio broadcaster and Post, an American hero of aviation, was always in the news for his daring exploits. Their loss was deeply felt.
Incredibly, mystery still surrounds the exact circumstances of their deaths. The government's investigation into their deaths was a travesty. Here, now for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling describe the crash in detail and record all the factors that may have contributed to it. Furthermore, they reconstruct the government's investigation, identifying an amateurish and misguided cover-up.
While other famous folks of Rogers' era, such as politicians, ball players, movie stars, and even presidents are but dimly remembered, Rogers' legacy of American humor lives on. There are plays, musicals - such as the long-running "The Will Rogers Follies," now on Broadway - books, and tapes inspired by Rogers' work. His wit and wisdom imbue the work of modern day humorists and comedians from Russell Baker to Jay Leno. Will Rogers continues to capture the hearts and imagination of the American people.
For all of the millions of their fans, this dual biography - with sixteen pages of photographs, many never before published - is sure to fascinate and illuminate the lives and times of Will Rogers and Wiley Post.

Rogers, one-time cowboy, ex-Broadway star, syndicated columnist and the top cinematic box office draw in the 1930s, was one of the country's best-loved men. Post, who had set two around-the-world flying records was, next to Lindbergh, the most esteemed aviator in America. On August 15, 1935, on a flight to Russia, their plane crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska, and both were killed. The authors ( The Best of Will Rogers ) argue that the tragedy was solely Post's responsibility: his uninspected aircraft was nose-heavy to start and adding pontoons made it more so. Post had little experience flying a plane with pontoons and, in addition, he had ignored the advice of Alaska hands not to fly to Point Barrow in heavy fog. So it was Post's fault, but really, 58 years later, is it of consequence?
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Moving, inspiring, interesting, and tragic are all words that can describe this book. It is a double biography of two men, one world-renowned and the other not so well known. Written by the authors of Will Rogers' World (Evans, 1989), it also functions as a historical account of the pair's fateful flight to Alaska and the crash that snuffed out their lives. The folksy yet factual narrative describes all the events leading up to the crash as well as the post-accident investigation. The book is written in a style that Rogers would have appreciated. Essential for fans of Rogers and highly recommended for school and public libraries.
- H. Robert Malinowsky, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.