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Rating: 
Summary: Superbly written combination of history and supposition.
Review: John Kosek is himself a fighter pilot who trained at the Air base named for Frank Luke in the 1950's. He had the distinct advantage of knowing members of the Luke family closely including many who knew and remembered him, and is married to one of Frank Luke's nieces.The facts about Luke and the 27th Pusuit Squadron presented in this novel, which is actually much closer to narrative history than fiction, are often unique and will add considerably to the accumulation concerning that last gloriously brief period in the life of one of America's greatest air heroes. As Kosek clearly draws upon family connections and recollections, we get a different picture of some of the players than we have in prior works. Kosek is particularly hard on Luke's Squadron Commander, "Ack" Grant - and that will no doubt start some revisionist spinning in certain WWI aviation buff circles. Would that the author would now tell the story of Frank Luke's entire life, as he clearly has facts and insights unavailable to others. And regrets that this book didn't appear sooner!!! It would have helped some of us who have written about Frank Luke to avoid a few more errors and broaden our perspective. Recommended to anyone who wants a fast moving story of a stangely neglected and misunderstood part of our history.
Rating:
Summary: Superbly written combination of history and supposition.
Review: John Kosek is himself a fighter pilot who trained at the Air base named for Frank Luke in the 1950's. He had the distinct advantage of knowing members of the Luke family closely including many who knew and remembered him, and is married to one of Frank Luke's nieces. The facts about Luke and the 27th Pusuit Squadron presented in this novel, which is actually much closer to narrative history than fiction, are often unique and will add considerably to the accumulation concerning that last gloriously brief period in the life of one of America's greatest air heroes. As Kosek clearly draws upon family connections and recollections, we get a different picture of some of the players than we have in prior works. Kosek is particularly hard on Luke's Squadron Commander, "Ack" Grant - and that will no doubt start some revisionist spinning in certain WWI aviation buff circles. Would that the author would now tell the story of Frank Luke's entire life, as he clearly has facts and insights unavailable to others. And regrets that this book didn't appear sooner!!! It would have helped some of us who have written about Frank Luke to avoid a few more errors and broaden our perspective. Recommended to anyone who wants a fast moving story of a stangely neglected and misunderstood part of our history.
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