Overall Take:
Forgotten story of American war hero Eddie Rickenbacker’s crash landing in the Pacific during World War II.
Star Rating:
4 Stars
Genre:
History
Synopsis:
The forgotten story of American war hero Eddie Rickenbacker’s crash landing in the Pacific during World War II, and his incredible twenty-three-day crusade to keep his crew alive
In the darkest days of World War II, an unlikely civilian was sent to deliver a letter from Washington to General MacArthur in New Guinea. Eddie Rickenbacker was a genuine icon, a pioneer of aviation, the greatest fighter pilot of the First World War, recipient of the Medal of Honor, who’d retired to become a renowned race car driver. Now in his fifties, one of the most admired men in America, Rickenbacker was again serving his nation, riding high above the Pacific as a passenger aboard a B-17.
But soon the plane was forced to crash-land on the ocean surface, leaving its eight occupants adrift in tiny rubber life rafts, hundreds of miles from the nearest speck of land. Lacking fresh water and with precious little food, the men faced days of unrelenting sun, followed by nights shivering in the cold, fighting pangs of hunger, exhaustion, and thirst, all the while circled by sharks. Each prayed to see a friendly vessel on the horizon, and dreaded the arrival of a Japanese warship. Meanwhile, as the US Navy scoured the South Pacific, American radio and newspapers back home parsed every detail of Rickenbacker’s disappearance, and an adoring public awaited news of his fate.
Using survivors’ accounts and contemporary records, award-winning author John Wukovits brings to life a gripping story of survival, leadership, and faith in a time of crisis.
Thoughts:
This is a good book. Not one I would call great, but not a bad book either. I would recommend it to certain people. I listened to the audio of this one, so it was only after that I learned of the inclusion of maps, and photos. That would have been nice. I found the constant repetition to be frustrating. I do not constantly need to be reminded of things as a reader, and once it happens more than a few times, I find myself growing increasingly frustrated. Then the author takes an interesting turn and the book becomes about religion in an interesting way. Sure, I get that people facing the end of their life would probably contemplate religion, but there was just a lot of it. I did find Eddie as a man very fascinating. He did so much in his lifetime and the author does a good job of highlighting his accomplishments. On audio this book was a little dull at times, had I been reading with my eyes I think I would have put this one down often, and that’s not something I enjoy doing. I just didn’t find myself being drawn to this story like I am others.
Like I said, this is a good book, but it wasn’t a great read for me
Publication Date:
May 16, 2023
Author:
John Wukovits
Page Length:
432 pages
Publisher:
Dutton Caliber
Thank you to:
Thank you to @prhaudio for this audio copy. All thoughts are my own.
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