Nancy Love And The WASP Ferry Pilots Of World War II (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir) (Hardcover)

by Sarah Byrn Rickman (Author)
Key Phrases: women ferry pilots, male ferry pilots, women pilots, Ferry Pilots of World War, Nancy Love, Ferrying Division (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Today's military pilots owe Nancy Love a debt of gratitude for breaking the ground that allowed all members of future generations to serve." -- Brig. Gen. Linda K. McTague, Air National Guard

"Rickman has done her subject justice; this is a book rich in insight and opportunity." -- Deborah G. Douglas, Curator, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Museum

Product Description
She flew the swift P-51 and the capricious P-38, but the heavy, four-engine B-17 bomber and C-54 transport were her forte. This is the story of Nancy Harkness Love who, early in World War II, recruited and led the first group of twenty-eight women to fly military aircraft for the U.S. Army.

When the United States entered World War II, the Army needed pilots to transport or "ferry" its combat-bound aircraft across the United States for overseas deployment and its trainer airplanes to flight training bases. Male pilots were in short supply, so into this vacuum stepped Nancy Love and her Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). Initially the Army implemented both the WAFS program and Jacqueline Cochran's more ambitious plan to train women to do many of the military's flight-related jobs stateside. By 1943, General Hap Arnold decided to combine the women's programs and formed the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), with Cochran as the Director of Women Pilots. Love was named the Executive for WASP.

Nancy Love advised the Ferrying Division, which was part of the Air Transport Command, as to the best use of their civilian WASP ferry pilots. She supervised their allocation and air-training program. By example, Love won the right for women ferry pilots to transition into increasingly more complex airplanes. She checked out on twenty-three different military aircraft and became the first woman to fly several of them, including the B-17 Flying Fortress. Her World War II career ended on a high note: following a general's orders, she piloted a giant C-54 Army transport over the fabled China-Burma-India "Hump," the crucial airlift route over the Himalayas.

Young women serving today as combat pilots owe much to Love for creating the opportunity for women to serve. Now author Sarah Byrn Rickman, aviation historian, presents the first full-length biography of Nancy Love and her role in the WAFS and WASP programs. Her book will appeal to all with a love of flight.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 332 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press (March 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574412418
• ISBN-13: 978-1574412413
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #79,367 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating biography of a truly extraordinary woman aviator., April 3, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Award-winning author Sarah Byrn Rickman presents Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II, the fourth installment of the "North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series" published by University of North Texas Press. Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II tells of the women who served their country as ferry pilots when the United States needed them most, during World War II. A trailblazing figure for women's service in the military along with her rival Jacqueline Cochran, Nancy Love was a dedicated and determined aviation enthusiast and served admirably as the Executive for the unified women's programs under the name Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Extensive notes, a glossary of military and airplane terms, and an index round out this captivating biography of a truly extraordinary woman aviator.

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book I discovered accidentally , July 23, 2008

By	Whitworth Stokes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An excellent book from the point of historical accuracy with full footnotes, bibliography, and exhibits. But,it is also enjoyable reading as a pure biography providing insights into the complexities of a wartime marriage with lengthy separations. The postwar trials of the Love family, while not unusual for a relationship of any duration, add depth to the story and make it more than just another World War II, or Rosie the Riveter book.

5.0 out of 5 stars The high-flying life of Nancy Love, June 5, 2008

By	Karen A. Boyle (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Rickman's delightful writing style transports the reader right into the high-flying life of World War II pilot, Nancy Love. A compassionate, yet honest, focus on the human side of our hero makes this a captivating and educational read. Detailed research, including many first-hand interviews, gives Rickman a commanding grasp of her subject. Warfare, aviation, women's rights and family matters all join together for a portrait that informs and inspires."