Buy new:
$17.19$17.19
$3.99
delivery:
Friday, April 26
Ships from: The Turquoise Place Sold by: The Turquoise Place
Buy used: $8.88
Other Sellers on Amazon
& FREE Shipping
95% positive over last 12 months
+ $3.99 shipping
91% positive over last 12 months
Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.
FREE Shipping
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Aviators, The: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight Hardcover – November 5, 2013
Purchase options and add-ons
This is the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond, including daring military raids and survival-at-sea, and will appeal to fans of Unbroken, The Greatest Generation, and Flyboys. With the world in peril in World War II, each man set aside great success and comfort to return to the skies for his most daring mission yet. Doolittle, a brilliant aviation innovator, would lead the daring Tokyo Raid to retaliate for Pearl Harbor; Lindbergh, hero of the first solo flight across the Atlantic, would fly combat missions in the South Pacific; and Rickenbacker, World War I flying ace, would bravely hold his crew together while facing near-starvation and circling sharks after his plane went down in a remote part of the Pacific. Groom's rich narrative tells their intertwined stories--from broken homes to Medals of Honor (all three would receive it); barnstorming to the greatest raid of World War II; front-page triumph to anguished tragedy; and near-death to ultimate survival--as all took to the sky, time and again, to become exemplars of the spirit of the "greatest generation."
- Print length464 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherNational Geographic
- Publication dateNovember 5, 2013
- Dimensions6.3 x 2 x 9.2 inches
- ISBN-101426211562
- ISBN-13978-1426211560
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Editorial Reviews
Review
"A gripping document of a brilliant era in our history and a few of the men who helped make it so." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“As Mr. Groom's absorbing narrative unfolds, we see one man enduring a horrendous ordeal on the open sea; another nearly losing his life in a bombing run; and yet another finding a sort of redemption for his battered public image.”
–The Wall Street Journal
"Groom’s rich narrative tell the intertwined stories of these aeronautical pioneers as they took to the air to become exemplars of the spirit of the “greatest generation.” --Flight Journal
"That the imagination that conceived Forrest Gump could conjure up fresh ways to tell stories of American history is astonishing...Groom's epic story is a tribute...Readers of all his fiction and nonfiction might well feel inclined to testify that he is fast becoming a national treasure. Forrest Gump would agree." --The Advocate
“Winston Groom writes history like a novelist. Readers will appreciate his careful and accurate use of aviation and military terminology, and description of each aircraft in the narratives. Groom handles this complex subject in clear, understandable terms, woven into a great air war story.” –American Aviation Historical Society
"Groom is at his best sharing history through the personal stories of the people involved. Not only is this history a learning experience, it is a joy to experience the suspenseful adventures of these extraordinary aviators as they spent their lives developing and promoting aviation in this country. An important narrative not to be missed!" --Stephanie Crowe, Page and Palette Bookstore
This will be an alternate selection in History Book Club, Military Book Club, and Book-of-the-Month Club.
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : National Geographic (November 5, 2013)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 464 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1426211562
- ISBN-13 : 978-1426211560
- Item Weight : 1.48 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.3 x 2 x 9.2 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #571,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #337 in Aviation History (Books)
- #907 in Military Aviation History (Books)
- #5,100 in World War II History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Winston Francis Groom, Jr. (born March 23, 1943) is an American novelist and non-fiction writer. He is best known for his book Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a film by Robert Zemeckis in 1994. The film became a cultural phenomenon, and won six Academy Awards. He published a sequel, Gump and Co., in 1995. He has also written numerous non-fiction works, on diverse subjects including the American Civil War and the Great War.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
This book is no exception as the author looks at three larger than life men from the early age of flight.
Rickenbacker managed to cram more adventure into one life than most could do in several.
Groom presents him as he was, tough, determined and very intelligent.
Doolittle is an extra ordinary pilot, instrumental in the development of instrument flight and famous for raiding Japan in 1942.
Lindbergh, the “Lone Eagle” is best known for flying the Atlantic and the kidnapping of his son.
Somewhat infamous as a supporter of Hitler, his WWII activities are a surprise.
This is a very well written book, alternating between the three men while keeping the times in perspective.
This is a complete look at these men as the author covers their good and bad activities.
Winston Groom writes well, he is the author of "Forrest Gump". The book isn't 3 separate biographies, but is arranged in approximately chronological order. This is sometimes confusing because you can sometimes forget which man did what in the less dramatic events. The book is well worth reading
These men are true heroes, repeatedly pushing themselves to their limits. And when you are pushed to your limits weaknesses reveal themselves. The author shows us their weaknesses, but in the context of extraordinary lives and circumstances. Nearly all of us "regular" folks would have crumbled far earlier and contributed far less.
Mr. Groom has done an excellent job of telling these stories, and I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in aviation or American history.













