A narrative history, from first-hand interviews, of the valiant American women pilots of World War II.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Sally Van Wagenen Keil has restored the WASPs to history with full honors in this affectionate and savvy book." -- The New York Times Book Review
... takes a bit of neglected American history and goes through it like a P-51 through a bevy of barrage balloons. -- Sarasota Herald-Tribune
An important, exciting book. -- Library Journal
If you think the skies belong to birds and men, you might want to consider a different notion. Ladybirds and Ladybirds II is a history of American women in every aspect of aviation from a woman balloonist of 200 years ago, to the early days of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, to today's commercial women airline pilots (co-author Lori Griffith is a Boeing 737 captain with USAir). Those Wonderful Women and Their Flying Machines hones in on World War II to recount the story of the over 1,000 women pilots who flew in the military as part of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). Over 25,000 women applied and 1,800 were selected to train at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. From 1942 to '44, these pilots flew over 60 million miles in every type of plane the airforce had, and 38 women lost their lives in service. Here, in biography style, the niece of one of these pilots recreates the amazing story of what she calls "one of the best-kept secrets of World War II." Together, these books record an unexplored part of American and aviation history along with the passion of women who loved to fly. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women
... takes a bit of neglected American history and goes through it like a P-51 through a bevy of barrage balloons. -- Sarasota Herald-Tribune
An important, exciting book. -- Library Journal
If you think the skies belong to birds and men, you might want to consider a different notion. Ladybirds and Ladybirds II is a history of American women in every aspect of aviation from a woman balloonist of 200 years ago, to the early days of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, to today's commercial women airline pilots (co-author Lori Griffith is a Boeing 737 captain with USAir). Those Wonderful Women and Their Flying Machines hones in on World War II to recount the story of the over 1,000 women pilots who flew in the military as part of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). Over 25,000 women applied and 1,800 were selected to train at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. From 1942 to '44, these pilots flew over 60 million miles in every type of plane the airforce had, and 38 women lost their lives in service. Here, in biography style, the niece of one of these pilots recreates the amazing story of what she calls "one of the best-kept secrets of World War II." Together, these books record an unexplored part of American and aviation history along with the passion of women who loved to fly. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women
About the Author
Writer, pilot and niece of a World War II female B-17 pilot.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An inspiring read for any adventurous spirit or history buff,
By Melanie Patterson (Los Angels, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Those Wonderful Women in Their Flying Machines: The Unknown Heroines of World War Two (Hardcover)
Facinating! A true and candid account of history's flygirls and the Women Pilots during WWII, this book is almost impossible to put down. So little has been told about these pioneering women of the skies. The amazing, daring accounts of pilot training, WWII travels, and the prejudices battled during service are a revealed in such heart-felt and sometimes shocking detail. No other book about women pilots has delved into the day to day life or recounted the history of women flyers with such vigor. You'll head for the nearest flight school!
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Definitive Account of American Women Aviators in WWII,
By E.M. Singer (Central Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Those Wonderful Women in Their Flying Machines: The Unknown Heroines of World War Two (Hardcover)
(by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes")This well-written, thorough, engaging account is prefaced by short biographies on Amelia Earhart and Jacqueline Cochran. The author focuses mainly on the WASPs, but England's Air Transport Auxiliary gets a chapter (which is only right, because the ATA was the forerunner of the WASPs). Roberta Leveaux, who wrote the foreword to Mother Flies Hurricanes, is featured along with other American women who served in the ATA. (She was known as Bobby Sandoz then.) These 25 women, most of them, went by boat across the North Atlantic in 1942, the worst year of the war for U-boat sinkings on Allied shipping. Once in England, they had to endure the same privations and hardships as the British people-rationing, bombings, poor or non-existent heating in the places they were billetted, among other things. This book paints a vivid picture of ATA training, which was strict, comprehensive, and exacting. It had to be, since the pilots had to ferry dozens of different types of aircraft to hundreds of RAF maintenance units and squadrons scattered all over England. Keil's account also explores the feelings of culture shock and homesickness the women felt at being in a foreign country, which was a war zone on top of everything else. They overcame all the physical, mental, and psychological challenges thrown at them, and became top-notch ferry pilots who are still remembered today with admiration and affection by their British compatriots. For more recommendations on books about women pilots and the role they played in WWII, check out the motherflieshurricanes.com website.
8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Women Link Aline Rhonie (Hofheimer) Brooks won WW II!,
By
This review is from: Those Wonderful Women in Their Flying Machines: The Unknown Heroines of World War Two (Hardcover)
Those Wonderful Women in Their Flying Machinesby Sally V. Keil is a wonderful attempt at giving credit to true heros of our nation. Today women compete in many areas and mostly against other women. In the air, women obey all the laws of physics that men do. And these women were very special. On such women was the late great Aline Rhonie Hofheimer who besides being on the first to sign up, she also served in ther British Red Cross Ambulance Corp and flew also with the ATA. Prior she created a huge fresco/mural in Hanger F of Roosevelt Field on Long Island. It is important that todays youth understand that such women existed and if not poisoned by our culture can rise to the top again. God bless the WAFS and WASPS and all of those women who put themselves in harms way and never asked for special consideration. Buy the book.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
ONE SNOWY WINTER EVENING, four people, all good friends in their late twenties, sat around a table in a downtown Washington, D.C., restaurant. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
women pilot trainees, women ferry pilots, women pilot program, women pilots training program, ferrying division headquarters, women pilots group, male civilian fliers, ferrying base, flying grades, flying deficiency, licensed women pilots, flying training program, ferrying group, women flyers, ferrying airplanes, civilian flight instructors, ferrying squadron, training school graduates, base commanding officer, male pilots, women trainees, tracking missions, towing targets, pilot material, fatal accident rate Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jacqueline Cochran, Avenger Field, General Arnold, Lieutenant Mitchell, Air Transport Command, New York, Nancy Love, Camp Davis, New Castle, Amelia Earhart, Army Air Forces, United States, Nancy Batson, Flying Fortress, Military Affairs Committee, War Department, Charlotte Mitchell, Long Beach, Ferry Command, Long Island, Civil Service Committee, Bendix Race, General George, Red Cross, Mary Parker New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
ONE SNOWY WINTER EVENING, four people, all good friends in their late twenties, sat around a table in a downtown Washington, D.C., restaurant. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
women pilot trainees, women ferry pilots, women pilot program, women pilots training program, ferrying division headquarters, women pilots group, male civilian fliers, ferrying base, flying grades, flying deficiency, licensed women pilots, flying training program, ferrying group, women flyers, ferrying airplanes, civilian flight instructors, ferrying squadron, training school graduates, base commanding officer, male pilots, women trainees, tracking missions, towing targets, pilot material, fatal accident rate Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jacqueline Cochran, Avenger Field, General Arnold, Lieutenant Mitchell, Air Transport Command, New York, Nancy Love, Camp Davis, New Castle, Amelia Earhart, Army Air Forces, United States, Nancy Batson, Flying Fortress, Military Affairs Committee, War Department, Charlotte Mitchell, Long Beach, Ferry Command, Long Island, Civil Service Committee, Bendix Race, General George, Red Cross, Mary Parker New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 14
books:
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12
books
cite this book:
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- Spirit Of St. Louis by Charles A. Lindbergh on page 14, page 15, and page 274
- The Spirit of St. Louis (Scribner Classic) by Charles A. Lindbergh on page 14, page 15, and page 274
- Last Flight by Tom Chase on page 330
- Merchant Marine (Passbooks) by Jack Rudman in Back Matter
- Lloyd George: Twelve Essays by A.J.P. Taylor on page 17
See all 14 books this book cites
- The Air Raid Warden Was a Spy: And Other Tales from Home-Front America in World War II by William B. Breuer in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II by Penny Colman in Back Matter
- War and American Women: Heroism, Deeds, and Controversy by William B. Breuer in Back Matter
- Women in Air War: The Eastern Front of World War II by Kazimiera J. Cottam (Translator) on page 319
- A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by Sue Macy in Back Matter
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