Customer Reviews

Eagle Wings and Mustang Tales

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Don't stop until you have read this book, written by a truly talented and savvy Navy veteran of 24 years. The incidents of his childhood and career in the Navy are so well selected and artfully drawn that the reader is kept in a state of continued anticipation, awaiting the unfolding of more of the life events. The true life story chronicles the remarkable chapters of Captain Barnard's life and we are in his debt for sharing them with us. A must read for all and a great example for our youth, as well.

This is a great book, of the shaping of a young man in the 1920's South and the changing U.S. Navy of the 1930's and 1940's. Bill has a remarkable memory and delivers a rich account of the everyday events that molded many of our fathers. His stories of growing up, in familar vocabulary and youthful excitement, are strikingly similar to the stories my own father told but never wrote down. His description of the U.S. Navy of the 30's and 40's was through the eyes of the ever optimistic and overly self-confident young sailor. The book is a colorful description of the service force ships, the support squadrons, and the search aircraft of a changing Navy.
It is a delight to read and offers a very positive,humorous and personal perspective of the changing Navy from the "boot" seaman, the pilot, and the squadron commanding Officer.

Eagle Wings and Mustang Tales by William Jackson Barnard (as told to Julia Barnard Nelms and David Nelms) is the instantly engaging and personal memoir of distinguished American aviator who served in World War II, earned the rank of Navy captain, and crossed paths with great figures such as Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Gary Cooper, and Jacqueline Cochran. A tribute to a devoted aviator, both in the military and in civilian life, Eagle Wings and Mustang Tales is the record of a truly fascinating life and a much appreciated contribution to the growing library of World War II era eye-witness autobiographies and memoirs.

William Jackson Barnard's successful career spanned the Depression Era through World War II to a success in civilian aviation after the war. Despite his childhood distaste for academics, it became apparent that he could not hide his talent for learning. It led him to undreamed of heights for most "mustangs," from a Seaman Recruit aboard ships to a multifaceted and interesting career in meteorology and aviation, retiring as a Navy Captain. He flew some 40 different types of aircraft. Serendipity played a large part in his unusual life - being in the right place at the right time to witness history in the making. An example was his presence at the Hindenburgh disaster. His prediction of the '38 Hurricane was of first-hand interest, as I rode it out aboard a ship in NY Harbor which had little warning of the impending storm. The narrative flowed from one fascinating episode to the next - maintaining the reader's interest throughout.

This is one of the funniest and most engaging autobiographies I've read in a long time. Bill Barnard must be part cat, because he has lived a full and often dangerous life and has survived unscathed. From his early escapades involving homemade rollercoasters to his later adventures overseas, Bill manages to describe the excitement in a way that makes the reader feel a part of the action. This book is proof that fascinating people live among us, and thankfully, sometimes, they tell their story.