Overview

A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of twenty-two--a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend. He motivated a dejected group of pilots by placing himself under junior officers and challenging them to train him properly. He led the wing with aggressiveness, scoring another four confirmed kills and becoming a rare triple ace. With his marriage to Hollywood actress and pinup girl Ella Raines, his nonregulation mustache and penchant for drink, Olds was a unique individual whose story is one of the most eagerly anticipated military books of the year.

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9781441736956

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Reviews

A gripping narrative...Compelling reading, likely to become a classic. -- Booklist Pilot Robin Olds served 30 years in the Army and Air Force, at West Point, in WWII, and in Vietnam. His action stories of combat flying place listeners right in the cockpit next to him, with flak exploding just outside the plane's canopy. His exemplary principles of leadership rank him with history's finest at inspiring cohesiveness in military teams. Narrator Robertson Dean's booming voice takes a stoic approach to both the serious and amusing escapades. During Olds's duty at a British base, Dean delivers the Etonian accents of fellow flyers like a native. The author's story covers a long life, so Dean keeps his first-person voice constant and ageless. With appropriate restraint he portrays this Air Force officer's anger, nostalgia, and patriotism. -- AudioFile Triple ace Robin Olds' legendary leadership and heroic service to the cause of freedom have been an inspiration to our nation and our air force. He is one of our 'great captains' and a pioneer of air power. -- General T. Michael Moseley (Ret.) Robin Olds is probably the greatest aerial warrior America ever produced. He is the real deal, a fighter pilot's fighter pilot, a consummate military professional, a natural, charismatic leader, and a true, heroic servant of our republic...That men like Olds chose to wear our nation's uniform does high honor to the profession. I confidently predict that this book will be an instant classic. -- Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassin Robin Olds was bold, audacious and courageous; truly one of America's premier fighter pilots. His captivating story, told in riveting fashion, provides great insights into his life and the attributes that make a great fighter pilot. Warning! If you start to read, you will have trouble putting it down! -- General Henry H. Shelton, US Army (Ret.), former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Massively welcomed by his legion of fans. -- Walter J. Boyne, author and former director of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC A tribute to a vanished breed of men. -- Wall Street Journal

Author Information

"Robin Olds (1922-2007) was a US Air Force fighter pilot. A triple ace, he achieved a combined total of sixteen victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. Born into an army family in Honolulu and raised in Virginia, he was educated at West Point, where he was an All American football player. He was promoted to brigadier general after Vietnam and served as Commandant of Cadets at the US Air Force Academy. Christina Olds, the daughter of Robin Olds, holds a BA in English and creative writing from Vassar, is a member of the Air Force Association, and is the first honorary lifetime member of the Red River Valley Association. Ed Rasimus is a retired USAF fighter pilot who holds a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in both political science and international relations. He has previously written two books on the Vietnam air war, Palace Cobra and When Thunder Rolled, the latter called ""one of the best combat memoirs ever written"" (Wall Street Journal). Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating."

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