Rating: 
Summary: One to read over and over
Review: The word around the campfire is that Chuck Yeager is real SOB. Fortunately, I heard this long after I'd read this book and decided he was anything but. I still question this "SOB" assessment. General Yeager signs books, answers fan mail and cracks great jokes. This is the Chuck Yeager that comes across in the pages of this book, which is undoubtedly one of the best aviation yarns ever written. Yeager had a way of being at the right place at the right time. Those places and times form the heart of this book, and the heart of the golden age of aviation itself. If there is a person most qualified to tell the story of how America transitioned from piston-fired aircraft into the supersonic jet age, Chuck is that person. Told in a loose, casual manner, the story whizzes along at mach speed, slowing only to allow "other voices" (friends, family, comrades) to further illustrate Chuck's highly adventurous life. The book can be very funny, as when Yeager describes "topping" a tree with his WWII trainer's wingtip; it can be suspenseful, as when Yeager and others describe his nearly fatal flight beyond Mach 2. And the book can be sad, as when he illustrates the dangers of flight testing by revealing that streets at Edwards Air Force Base were named after fallen test pilots. Of course, it's all old news now - some of the lore has even decayed into clichés. But the magic of this book is that the moment you pick it up and start reading, it all seems new again. Yeager bashers always seem to miss what this book hits on so well; it's not the things he did, it's the way he did them. This isn't the story of a war ace turned arrogant test pilot; this is the story of a country boy who inadvertently made a name for himself merely by doing what came naturally to him. We should all be so lucky.
Rating:
Summary: Better than a Tom Clancy novel . . . cause it's REAL!
Review: There are few pilots, few people, that have lived a life as
full as Chuck Yeager. World War II Ace, Jet/Rocket plane
test pilot, countless records and historical landmarks, and
a true American hero.
This autobiography reads better than a movie and keeps you
riveted to the pages through 50 years of this legend's life.
If you like Tom Clancy, you'll love Yeager: An Autobiography,
because what Clancy imagines, Chuck Yeager did.
Rating:
Summary: A great spirit and lots of fun
Review: This book is a bunch of great old yarns told by a guy who led a pretty amazing life. Yeager surely adds to the American mythos of self-determination, with his straight-up, "emperor-has-no-clothes", gutsy, and very fun style of story telling.
Some of the things Yeager managed to survive are pretty extraordinary. If this had been written as a Hollywood screenplay, it would have been totally unbelievable. From getting shot down and evading capture in WW II, to an uncontrolled spin in the X-1A, many combat missions over Vietnam, and nearly having his face burned off while ejecting from the F-104 -- he is definitely one lucky guy.
Yeager obviously has a bit of an ego, as is necessary for someone in his line of work. However, the "Other Voices" sections, written by friends and relations, helped to give breadth to his personality. These sections showed that he helped others as a teammate and friend just as much as he went after his own goals. These sections made the book much stronger, and Yeager's personality more impressive.
Also, the book is a very enjoyable read. The stories of horsing around in England during WW II, and at Pancho's place in California, show how much fun these guys had, while they were doing all these amazing things up in the air.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: This book is thrilling. Once you pick it up, you'll have trouble putting it back down. I really recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read. Needs to be a movie.
Review: This book just keeps you reading and reading. I absolutly loved this book. The different "voices" of General Yeagers peers and friends is awesome. I especially like how it is told. Chuck is an awesome American and I would love to meet him someday.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: This guy has lived just about the most exciting live I could possibly imagine. My adrenaline starts to surge in some parts. Yeager is the Michael Jordan of aviation...The Greatest, and that's that. I would love to meet him one day.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: This guy has lived just about the most exciting live I could possibly imagine. My adrenaline starts to surge in some parts. Yeager is the Michael Jordan of aviation...The Greatest, and that's that. I would love to meet him one day.
Rating:
Summary: A great biography of a true hero
Review: This is a great autobiography of one of the greatest pilots who ever lived. Its just about impossible to read through this book and its first and second hand accounts of Yeager's exploits without realising that Yeager is a true hero. Yeager's retelling of his dogfights in WW2, as well as his X-1 flights are first rate
Rating:
Summary: a delightful yarn by an American original
Review: This is a well-written book, whether the credit goes to Mr. Yeager or his ghost-writer. I liked the commentaries by Yeager's wife and his fellow pilots, and I loved the tough-guy prose that really was honestly earned. Yeager started out as a sergeant-pilot and ended by becoming one of the most famous USAF test pilots that ever was. You can't help but like the man.
Rating: 
Summary: God Awful
Review: This story of Chuck Yeager's life is amazing. Breaking the Sound Barrier is just one of the few things he did to push the outside of that envelope.
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