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Enduring Courage:Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker And The Dawn Of The Age Of Speed (2014)

by John F. Ross(Favorite Author)

4.09 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1250033772 (ISBN13: 9781250033772)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

St. Martin's Press

review 1: My dad is an aviation buff so I was familiar with the name Eddie Rickenbacker in that sense; ace pilot of World War I. But that is about all I really knew about him- that he flew biplanes in World War I. I am going to be honest- when in school I was never a huge fan of history. All those dates and names and places. But this book brings this era that we learned about in school to life for me with it's words in a way that has never been done before. About the excitement and the constant changing of the industrial revolution and as the author calls it the "Age of Speed". The book is very full of descriptive prose that make you feel like you are reading a novel instead of a biography.The book is divided into three sections: RACING, FLYING, FIGHTING, IMMORTALITY. Each book de... morelving into part of Rickenbacker's life, but more than just his life but personality.I was utterly riveted by the RACING section of the book of course and since that is what this website is about I am going to focus mostly on that section. Don't let that dissuade you from reading about the rest of this book however- it is full of the grit and determination (and yes failure too) that makes an American legend and hero. Eddie Rickenbacker grew up in Ohio- the son of immigrant parents who worked very hard not to get what they wanted but to get what they needed to survive in this country.What I loved about this book is that it wasn't just about Eddie Rickenbacker the pilot, who you know raced in some of the first Indy 500s. It really delved into what it was like to drive race cars when the cars were "little more than engines, tires and two steel bucket seats mounted on a chassis." No real body to the car to speak of, no windshields or seat belts, no firesuits or even helmets. And power steering? Ha! Good luck with that- there was absolutely no such thing- let along a suspension system. Racing these cars were actually a two man job- with both driver and mechanic riding along. The mechanic was not just a mechanic though- he was a combination mechanic, spotter and crew chief all rolled into one person- giving their drivers information via codes developed within the pair and delivered in often in signals such as leg taps. Drivers had to keep their attention only on the road in front of them as they were battered by the elements at speed as well as manhandling their machines on courses that were often just streets or empty fields.The book even goes into the creation of Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Rickenbacker ran several races- including the first one before the track was brick. It was initially made of crushed limestone in 1909 which kicked up a terrible dust and that resulted over the race (set over three days) two driver deaths, two spectator deaths, and one mechanician death (they were the on board mechanic). Several spectators were injured , a driver was blinded by shrapnel- it was a poor racing surface to be sure.Anyway- the book is FASCINATING and the descriptions are riveting. Even the description of the biplanes in the introduction caught my attention rather quickly:"Rickenbacker sat within a highly combustible deathtrap, its heavily doped fabric stretched tight across wooden frames prone to catching fire from a single hostile bullet or sparks from his own engine." (Introduction to Enduring Courage, by John F. Ross)I highly recommend this book- it would satisfy a rage of people including- aviation buffs, history buffs, and those interested in the beginnings of grassroots racing in the United States.
review 2: "Enduring Courage" is the story of Eddie Rickenbacker, a true daredevil and renaissance man. Born in an age where people were just beginning to drive and own cars, Eddie thirsted for adventure and daring. From car racing to piloting dangerous planes, there was nothing that Eddie was not willing to do. This guy defined courage and his name has largely been lost to history. This book looks at his amazing life and gives you someone to cheer for!Eddie Rickenbacker is one of those people where his life is so amazing and so outlandish that he almost seems like he should be a fictional character rather than a real person. I read a lot of this book with my mouth agape as Rickenbacker went through so much in this book. In some ways, this book reminds me a lot of Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken." This book as with that one have so many amazing stories that will keep you reading just to see what happens next. Rickenbacker is definitely larger than life and I really enjoyed reading about him. The writing of this book is really good. In many places, it read very much like a novel. There is detail, drama, and flair and I loved it. Eddie Rickenbacker is someone that I know that I'm going to be thinking about long after I read the last page. This book will appeal to people who like fascinating characters, history, and amazing adventure. I'm definitely going to be passing this book around to my friends and family! less

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