The Ace [Paperback]

Jack D. Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2008

Four Americans - a 20-year-old social outcast, a breezily iconoclastic Army officer, a ruthless US senator, and a guilt-ridden heiress - are inexorably drawn together in their struggles to deal with America's chaotic involvement in World War I. Their interwoven destinies lead from poverty-stricken slums through the opulence of 1917-1918 Washington, London, and Paris, and, climactically, into the Western Front's vicious aerial combat, which establishes the matrix for all air warfare to come. This is, above all, an intricate portrayal of indomitable love belabored by human frailties and the cruel pressures of war.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

During a career spanning six decades in print and broadcast journalism, military and Congressional service, corporate public relations, and aviation art, Jack D. Hunter has authored 16 acclaimed, award-winning novels. In THE ACE, an offbeat love story, he revisits the fiery arena of World War I aerial combat portrayed in THE BLUE MAX, his best-selling classic whose movie version still enjoys worldwide popularity.

From AudioFile

When the German-American youth John King pulls an aviator out of a plane's wreckage, he forms a friendship that will eventually find him flying in Europe during WWI. There's exciting action in the air, to be sure, but Paul Michael Garcia concentrates on the character drama, evolving the voice of John King from that of a thoughtful youth to that of a tortured soul as the war takes its toll on his mind and spirit. Garcia also makes real the corruption and sadness surrounding the wealthy and powerful people who enter King's life as he becomes a hero. Garcia draws listeners into King's tragic life and sets them up for a powerful ending. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Blue River Press (September 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979924065
• ISBN-13: 978-0979924064
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,242,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ace, February 16, 2009

By 

Tracy Roberts (Nova Scotia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ace (Paperback)

In the second year of World War I, a totally unprepared United States was forced to meet the threat of Germany's powerful air fleet, and in his novel, The Ace, author Jack D. Hunter tells the story of four Americans caught up in the military, industrial, and political chaos that surrounded America's effort to build an effective air service out of virtually nothing.

The story focuses on John King, a self-effacing 20-year-old living in the slums of Lackawanna, a steel factory adjunct of Buffalo, N.Y. John's life changes forever when he rescues Bill Carpenter, an army pilot and rebellious free spirit, from the wreckage of a crashed "Jenny" plane. Jon and Bill instantly bond and develop a student/mentor relationship. John, encouraged by Bill, joins the army, where both he and Bill become entangled in the intrigues of greedy Congressman Thaddeus Slater, who enlists Bill to help him with his schemes to profit from the rise of the American military air fleet. Slater corners the nation's ash lumber supply and recruits Bill to convince the military to use only ash wood in the construction of its badly needed aircraft. Interwoven with this high-level and often corrupt in-fighting is John's emotional struggle as Mary Lou Whiting, heiress to one of the nation's greatest fortunes, falls in love with him.

Hunter delivers a passionate story with strong writing and intriguing subject matter. By incorporating factual historical accounts and documents of WWI in the fiction, he has foreshadowed the world we know today while offering an engaging and entertaining look at major themes, such as greed, the psychological effects of war, love and heartache, guilt, and blind ambition. As the plot unfolds, each character reveals humanities strengths and weaknesses. Through his relationship with John King, Bill Carpenter's growth becomes one of finding his humanity. John King's development involves an internal struggle with his own humanity as he faces the real human costs of war. Mary Lou's desire to understand John's pain reveals the emotional costs of war on loved ones. The emotional struggles of each character are a reminder of the painful human cost when war becomes a political and economic venture.

The technical details of WWI fighter planes and their performance in combat are well-researched and described in commanding detail. The most notable descriptions include plane types, specifications, and how they fared in the fighting that introduced the world to the concept of air power.

Hunter successfully shines a light on how America's WWI aviation endeavors helped shape the military industrial complex of today. The Ace is highly recommended to historical fiction fans, war buffs, and aviation enthusiasts.

Tracy Roberts, Write Field Services

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pales in Comparison, January 9, 2011

By 

M. Werner (California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ace (Paperback)

The Ace pales in comparison to the Blue Max that Hunter wrote decades ago. The main characters show no real emotions, are stilted, and uninteresting in their desire to either fly or fight. The descriptions of the aircraft, flying, and air combat are brief and without the depth.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ACE is a Compelling Psychodrama and a Good Read, February 16, 2009

By 

Katzenmutti (Tampa Bay Area, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ace (Paperback)

In many ways, Jack Hunter's latest novel, THE ACE, might be viewed as a "bookend" to his first published novel, THE BLUE MAX. Both novels deal with World War I, more specifically, its aerial combat. THE BLUE MAX is told from Germany's point-of-view, while THE ACE comes from America's perspective. While THE BLUE MAX depicts a longer span of aerial dog-fighting, THE ACE is set during the time before and after America joins the Great War. The United States, its armed forces and its government are desperately trying to prepare their country for the conflict they are joining - and for which their combat air forces are not yet prepared.

Hunter introduces four primary characters into this rich stew. Bill Carpenter is a cynical Army aviator who tries to hide his better instincts beneath a hard exterior and plenty of alcohol. Thaddeus Slater is a corrupt, striving congressman who has fought his way to a position of importance overseeing development of the fledgling air force programs. Mary Lou Whiting is a wealthy heiress who desperately wants to find love and meaning with someone who values her for herself and not her father's fortune. Last of all is John King, a. k. a. Johann König, a young German-American who becomes a combat flier, risking his sanity in doing so.

Hunter manipulates his characters with great skill and psychological insight, uncovering the deep uncertainty, loneliness, insecurity, and even madness that lurk behind their bravado, scheming, acts of kindness and bravery, and brief attempts at love. His compelling characters, vivid descriptions and intimacy with the period's history combine to produce a tale teeming with aerial warfare, political intrigue and complicated human emotions.
I heartily recommend THE ACE to anyone desiring an evening spent with a fascinating book.