Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed
By John F. Ross
Throughout his life, Eddie Rickenbacker learned first-hand how to overcome the odds stacked against him, whether in a damaged biplane spiraling toward his imminent death over the front lines of WWI, or a racecar hurtling over the bricks at Indy in the inaugural 500-mile race.
His list of accomplishments is both long and wide, including multiple Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Medal of Honor as the USA’s most successful fighter ace of the First World War, a top-10 finish at Indy and tenures as an auto manufacturer, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and head of Eastern Airlines, to name but a few.
This book puts substance to that style, illuminating the details of a picture that is probably at least familiar to many of us. Throughout his life, Rickenbacker’s exploits could be defined by two now over-used terms, “action hero” and “survivor,” but he was the one who helped establish the template for those appellations. This well-crafted book gives readers a full appreciation of a man like no other.
Available for US$26.99 at enthusiast bookstores or directly from publisher St. Martin’s Press at www.stmartins.com
