Joe Crosson became a national hero between the world wars flying mercy missions in the North, including a dangerous search in a dark Siberian winter for a lost pilot, Carl Ben Eielson, and a bitterly cold winter flight in an open cockpit carrying serum through unchartered mountains to Barrow, Alaska.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Author Dirk Tordoff's loves for Alaska and aviation come shining through in this thoroughly compelling story of one of aviation's earliest heroes. The book makes for fascinating reading if only for the tales of survival and air disasters, let alone the stories of the early flights over the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness... aviation fans take note: Consider this book a must-read. --Fearless Reviews
All in all, a quite satisfying book, well worth reading, as Crosson's career is a mini-history of aviation in Alaska. Highly recommended. --Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK
All in all, a quite satisfying book, well worth reading, as Crosson's career is a mini-history of aviation in Alaska. Highly recommended. --Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK
About the Author
Dirk Tordoff, a lifelong Alaskan, conducted the research for MERCY PILOT to satisfy his project requirement while earning a master's degree in northern studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real Alaskan story told by a real Alaskan,
By A Customer
This review is from: Mercy Pilot : The Joe Crosson Story (Paperback)
Mercy Pilot, the Joe Crosson Story is an enjoyable step into the early world of aviation. The book paints a facinating story from the point in 1913 that Joe and his sister Marvel first decide to become flyers, through Joe's early flights in Alaska, the Arctic and the Antarctic, his marriage to Lillian and family years, to building an airline that ultimately connected Alaska with the continental 48 states, to the contribution he made to pilots in World War II. Joe's love of flying was not dampened by the loss of his sister Marvel nor many good friends in crashes (including famous pilot Wiley Post). The reader learns what level of ability and courage it took to fly in a land with no maps, navigation aids, nor even runways in the 1920s and 1930s. In addition, the book is full of outstanding photographs showing people, places and planes of the era. Appendices illustrate the evolution of airlines in Alaska and list planes flown by Crosson. Tordoff's knowlege and love of Alaska, aviation and history are neatly blended into a great read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alaska Aviation,
By A Customer
This review is from: Mercy Pilot : The Joe Crosson Story (Paperback)
An excellent biography on one of the foremost aviation pioneers in cold weather. The book is both well written and informative, containing many interesting photographs and maps pertaining to the life and career of Joe Crosson. The author gives an intriguing account of the early years of aviation in Alaska and the pacific northwest through the exploits of one of the era's greatest pilots. A good read for anyone interested in aviation or ALaska.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific reading from beginning to end,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mercy Pilot : The Joe Crosson Story (Paperback)
Mercy Pilot: The Joe Crosson Story is the amazing biography by Dirk Tordoff of one of the most outstanding bush pilots in North America. Here is the impressive story of Joe Crosson whose pioneer work in forging Alaskan air routes, his service in flying mercy missions (including a famous 1929 search in Siberian winter darkness for a lost pilot and friend Carl Ben Eielson) is terrific reading from beginning to end. Black-and-white photographs enrich the descriptive text of a great flyer's achievements in this captivating biographical portrait, which is also a very strongly recommended addition to personal and academic Aviation Studies supplemental reading lists.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN THE EARLY 1900s, flying was starting to come of age. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Joe Crosson, San Diego, Alaskan Airways, Ben Eielson, Pan American, Pacific Alaska Airways, New York, Wiley Post, Will Rogers, Interior Alaska, Super Swallow, Marvel Crosson, Noel Wien, Bob Gleason, Jerry Jones, Alaska Railroad, Brooks Range, George King, Hubert Wilkins, Lockheed Electra, Winnie Mae, Boeing Field, Fairbanks Airplane Corporation, Los Angeles, World War New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN THE EARLY 1900s, flying was starting to come of age. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Joe Crosson, San Diego, Alaskan Airways, Ben Eielson, Pan American, Pacific Alaska Airways, New York, Wiley Post, Will Rogers, Interior Alaska, Super Swallow, Marvel Crosson, Noel Wien, Bob Gleason, Jerry Jones, Alaska Railroad, Brooks Range, George King, Hubert Wilkins, Lockheed Electra, Winnie Mae, Boeing Field, Fairbanks Airplane Corporation, Los Angeles, World War New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 2
books:
4
books
cite this book:
- Icebound in the Siberian Arctic by Robert Gleason in Front Matter
- North Dakota (The States and the Nation series) by R.P. Wilkins on page 129
- Wings over Denali: A Photographic History of Aviation in Denali National Park by Bruce McAllister in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Alaska's Women Pilots by Jenifer Fratzke on page 5, and Back Matter
- Alaska (On-The-Road Histories) by Ryan Madden in Back Matter
- Bushplanes by Geza Szurovy in Back Matter
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