Description
Book SynopsisEddie Rickenbacker survived personal tragedies and dozens of close calls as a mechanic, a race car driver, a fighter pilot, and airline executive. This biography invites young readers to consider the difference between recklessness and courage, even if both present dangers, and the enduring value of hard work and personal responsibility.
Trade Review“A fast-paced, white-knuckle thrill ride from start to finish, Speno’s book takes young readers from the racetracks of the Indy 500 to the bullet-riddled skies of World War I, bringing them along on the exciting, action-packed journey of one of America’s greatest war heroes.”
“Full of cars, races, and airplane adventures, this biography of Eddie Rickenbacker is sure to appeal to readers who love everything speedy. Never mind that the WWI ace was born in the nineteenth century, there’s nothing dusty about this chapter book, part of the Biographies for
Young Readers series….A story of initiative, this is more substantial than the Who Was? Series, making it a good stepping stone from those beginner bios to longer nonfiction works.”
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“Drawing on Rickenbacker’s ghostwritten memoir and contemporaneous accounts, Speno takes readers from adventure to adventure even as Rickenbacker helmed Eastern Air Lines between the wars before returning to service with the Army Air Forces during World War II. Did You Know? featurettes conclude each chapter, offering tidbits of related trivia, and callout boxes provide context when necessary. Numerous archival photographs depict the White ace in dashing poses throughout. A lively chronicle of a colorful, exciting, risk-filled life.” * Kirkus Reviews *