Daughter of the Air: The Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort [Paperback]

Rob Simbeck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2001

Praised by the Daily Oklahoman as "touching and entertaining," Rob Simbeck's biography of Cornelia Fort is wonderfully evocative and moving. Like Beryl Markham's and Amelia Earhart's, Cornelia Fort's daring life as a pilot was both inspiring and groundbreaking. Raised on her parents' Nashville estate and educated at a prestigious finishing school, Fort rejected the role expected of her in society to become a pilot. A member of the first women's flight squadron and one of the few to witness the bombing of Pearl Harbor from the air, she persevered in her courageous career, as one of the war's first female pilots, despite rampant prejudice toward women. Selling out just six weeks after its first printing, Daughter of the Air interweaves Cornelia Fort's own eloquent letters and diaries, historical documents, and the interviews of those who knew and flew with her, to create a vivid portrait of an infinitely courageous woman. It both tells Cornelia's remarkable story -- a life shaped by bravery, intelligence, and charm -- and describes the era's political and social atmosphere.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first woman pilot to die on active duty in U.S. history, Cornelia Fort (1919-1943) was a member of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), a civilian unit established during WWII to transport newly manufactured military planes from the factories to U.S. air bases. Raised in a wealthy Nashville family and slated to become a privileged Southern socialite, Fort had first flown in 1940 and "was happiest in the sky." She quickly earned her commercial and instructor's licenses and was in the air over Honolulu training a student pilot on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. This episode, dramatically recounted here, left her plane riddled with bullets and nearly ended her life. Although Simbeck details Fort's early years, this biography really only comes to life when he chronicles her experiences during the war. Although most of the women pilots entering the WAFS were better trained than their male counterparts, they were not only subjected to more coursework than the men, but were paid less and, despite their documented hard work, never received commissions as the male civilian pilots did. Simbeck effectively captures the seriousness and dedication with which Fort and her colleagues approached flying, and the camaraderie that developed between them. Fort died during a flight over West Texas, when her plane collided with another while flying formation (forbidden by the military) and crashed. Despite rumors that the other pilot was trying to impress or scare Fort, Simbeck, was convinced by interviews with witnesses that it was an accident. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This slim volume documents the U.S. Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, a group of pilots who delivered aircraft wherever they were needed in North America during World War II. Simbeck tells the story through Cornelia Fort, the Sarah Lawrence-educated Southern belle who was the second woman to enlist and the first to be killed in the line of duty. The text is thoroughly grounded in Fort's own words and in the recollections of her family and friends. Unfortunately, Simbeck's analysis sometimes tends toward the simplistic: for example, in his eagerness to promote a forgotten history, he blames all the women's difficulties on misogynyAan argument that is contradicted by Marianne Verges's seminal history, On Silver Wings: The Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, 1942-1944 (Ballantine, 1991). Simbeck also fails to mention the other squadron members who joined Fort in death. Still, this is an informally written, well-documented portrait of a fascinating, little-known figure. For public and high school aviation and women's studies collections.ABarbara Ann Hutcheson, Greater Victoria P.L., BC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802137911
• ISBN-13: 978-0802137913
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #884,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grander than fiction, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Daughter of the Air: Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort (Hardcover)

Simbeck has gathered all the facts--people, places, events--and presented them in a masterfully told story. The life of Cornelia Fort would make excellent fiction. The author has chosen to portray her in a clear, honest way which both draws her near, and amplifies the larger-than-life experiences that were hers.

Required reading for historians, feminists and pilots. A joy for everyone.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, crisp style, and a fun read, February 12, 2000

By 

Harold R. Fann "sashafann" (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daughter of the Air: Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort (Hardcover)

This book brings the '30s and '40s to life, as only a handful of other authors have done. And what a story! A remarkable woman, who found herself IN THE AIR at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese launched their surprise attack... as a flight instructor, with a student pilot at the controls. There is so much more to this story, though-- how a woman in the '40s became a pro in what was a "man's profession"-- aviation. For those who have studied WWII, this book fleshes out the era with a personal testimony to the courage and commitment of America's unsung heros, the WAFS. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried like a baby when I read about Cornelia's death.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only I had a tenth of Cornelia's courage....., December 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Daughter of the Air: Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort (Hardcover)

I'm from Nashville and I had no idea who Cornelia Fort was. The neighborhood I grew up in is practically on the land the family estate used to sit on, yet I had never heard of her. We didn't learn about her in school. I first learned of her existence on a public radio program here in Nashville that was interviewing Rob Simbeck. I was enthralled. I had to read this book. And I was not disappointed. What a fabulous role model for young women today. She never believed that being a woman prevented her from doing anything she desired- even if this meant bucking the rules of society. I can only hope that the memory of Cornelia's life lives on and inspires generations of young women for many years to come.

I had to opportunity to meet Mr. Simbeck a few weeks ago at a book signing. In our conversation, he told me what was involved in writing this book; the research, the documentation. You can rest assured that it is as accurate a piece of history as can be painted fifty years after the death of Cornelia Fort. Her life could easily have been sensationalized. He chose to stick with the truth as he knew it.