"ENDURING COURAGE" brings vividly to the reader the essence of the man who was Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973). Pioneer race car driver, mechanic, World War I fighter ace and squadron leader, national hero, airline executive, and controversial figure. Rickenbacker looked death in the eye many times, both in war and peace, and miraculously survived each time. No-one who knew Rickenbacker ever forgot the experience, for he endeared himself to as many people as well as those he alienated through his brusque, hard-nosed manner.

My only fault with the book was the author's tendency to sometimes resort to hyperbolic, overblown prose. Otherwise,"ENDURING COURAGE: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed" made for engrossing reading. 

This book offers an interesting, concise history of the U.S. Army's first heavier-than-air aviation unit (the 1st Aero Squadron) whose 8 Curtiss JN-3 biplanes - under the command of Captain Benjamin D. Foulois, one of the Army's earliest pilots - accompanied the Army's Punitive Expedition into Mexico during 1916 to pursue the Mexican bandit and revolutionary leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa, in response to a raid his force of brigands had carried out on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico on March 9, 1916. 

The 1st Aero Squadron was tasked with providing intelligence (through aerial reconnaissance) and serving as a means of communication for General John J. Pershing, who commanded the Punitive Expedition. It was not an easy undertaking for the squadron whose aircraft were underpowered and bedeviled with a host of problems that were both mind-boggling and frustrating. The U.S. had few aircraft companies at the time and Curtiss Aircraft, which was one of the largest aircraft companies in the country and had provided the 1st Aero Squadron with its aircraft, had serious quality control issues that hampered the squadron's efficiency in carrying out its mission. Indeed, many times, trained squadron personnel (with some assistance from Curtiss) had to take it upon themselves to fashion needed components to keep its surviving aircraft flyable. So, it is all the more remarkable that the 1st Aero Squadron was able to serve a useful role during its time in Mexico, where the effects of climate and terrain were often harsh on their aircraft . 

What is more: the achievements of the 1st Aero Squadron helped to spur national interest in developing a modern aviation industry in the United States, as well as laying the foundation for a well organized, trained, and supplied U.S. Army Air Service which saw action in France after the U.S. had entered World War I in April 1917. Anyone with an interest in aviation history will enjoy reading this book.

This book provides a fairly comprehensive history of the first generation of Polikarpov fighter planes -- all biplanes --- produced by the Soviet Union during the 1930s, which came into being in response to Moscow's decision to modernize the Soviet air force and aviation industry in the Soviet Union. Many of these fighters (e.g. the I-15 and the I-152) saw combat in the Spanish Civil War, in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol (fought between the Soviet Union and Japan from May to September 1939), the Sino-Japanese War (with the Chinese Air Force), and during the early stages of World War II. 

The Polikarpov fighters, when they first arrived on the scene, were among the most advanced aircraft in the world. But by the time Europe was on the eve of war in 1939, these Soviet fighters had become obsolete, due to the widespread adoption of the monoplane fighter by a majority of the world's modern air forces. The day of the biplane was now passé. Nevertheless, Stalin insisted that a more advanced biplane fighter be developed. Thus was born the Polikarpov I-153, which had a retractable landing gear, and boasted a higher speed, as well as heavier armament, than its predecessors. Though a robust fighter, the I-153 proved to be unsuitable for fighter-vs-fighter combat during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 and was largely relegated to the ground attack role until it was phased out of service in 1943. 

This is a fantastic book, with many photos and a page containing illustrations of the various Polikapov fighters (1st generation) in their various uses from the Spanish Civil War, the Sino-Japanese War, to World War II. 

This book sheds light on the unsung contributions made by women pilots to aviation between 1927 and 1937, a time often referred to as the Golden Age of Aviation. Its focus is on 5 women aviators of the 1920s and 1930s (i.e., Louise Thaden, Florence Klingensmith, Ruth Elder, Amelia Earhart, and Ruth Nichols, whose pilot license was signed by aviation pioneer Orville Wright himself) and their struggles to gain acceptance and respect in the field of aviation. Aviation in its early days was considered more of a "man's sport" and women were discouraged from being a part of it. But these women -- many of whom proved to be extraordinary fliers in their own right --- were made of sterner stuff. These 5 women persisted - and some of them paid the ultimate price for that. 

The only quibble I have with this book is the author's frequent use of the word 'airship' in place of 'airplane'. By common understanding in the aviation industry, 'airship' refers to a 'dirigible', a lighter-than air machine. For that reason, I've taken a star away from what otherwise would have been a 5-star rating.