Equipment Books

This was a fantastic resource. I have never really played video games until my wife bought me this Xbox 360. I didn't know all the ins and outs so I bought this book. It has been truly helpful in finding the many things i can do, plus it has some valuable web links for some extra stuff that really works.

I love this book -- everything is well explained. It also explains the concepts in an easy to understand style for parents who are not too game savvy.

Only problem though is that the book is too US centric -- the Xbox 360 is sold all over the world with slightly different specifications, and this book just ignores everything except the US Xbox 360.

If you want to know your Xbox 360 really well then this books for you, it covers everything about the system and the hardware that can be added later on. The book even covers Xbox Live and also some games. you will not be sorry if you purchase this book, it is a perfect addition to anyones home library.

Hi... I'm not a gamer, but I have one in my household. I can't tell you how many game consoles we've purchased over the last 20 years, but I don't think we've missed very many. I'm a bit surprised I haven't gotten the hard-sell from "da kid" on getting an Xbox 360 yet. But after reading Xbox 360 for Dummies by Brian Johnson and Duncan Mackenzie, I'm somewhat tempted to get one anyway for myself... :)

Contents:
Part 1 - Xbox 360 Out of the Box: Meet the Xbox 360; Setting Up Your Xbox 360
Part 2 - The Xbox 360 Blades: Dealing with the Dashboard; The Live Blade; The Media Blade; The System Blade; The Games Blade
Part 3 - Xbox 360 in Your Entertainment System: HDTV, EDTV, Plain Old TV; Getting the Best Audio Experience; Customizing Your Console
Part 4 - Pushing the Outer Limits: Parental Control; LAN Parties; Windows Media Center Extender
Part 5 - The Part of Tens: Ten Great Web Sites; More Than Ten Great Games; Ten Tips for Parents; Ten Ways to Make Friends; Ten Great Accessories; Original Xbox Games; Index

Xbox has definitely crossed the line from being a gaming console with extra features to being a multimedia computer that happens to play games really well. Johnson and Mackenzie do a very good job of covering and demonstrating all the features of the Xbox 360, how it all meshes together, and how to get the most out of the platform. This includes everything from, of course, playing games, to making the device the central point of a multimedia setup for your home. The Xbox 360 integrates with Windows Media Center, so you can use it to watch TV, record shows, play music, etc. In fact, it's very possible to buy an Xbox 360 and never even play a game on it. :) Add in network connectivity, and now you can reach out to others as part of Xbox Live. The capabilities are truly impressive, and this book is an excellent way to delve into those areas that you may not have yet uncovered.

Granted, most 12 year olds will probably have most of this figured out an hour after opening the box, all without reading the directions. Yes, and my DVD player still flashes 12:00. At least it's not a VCR any more. But a book like this will appeal to those of us who are interested in the latest and greatest, but want a little structure and guidance added to our exploration.

Now to keep this book out of my kid's hands...

Not a bad book, although it is more written for someone with little to know computer/gaming experience.

Well written with lots of beneficial information. Not all of it is relative but all of it has it's purpose. It definitely gives those of us who are interested in touring food for thought.

This is a fantastic book about the realities of bike touring. Everything you need to know about the appropriate equipment, the countries, road conditions, visas, weather, etc. I couldn't put it down.

In the mid 1970's when I was a kid my mom gave me a coffee table book on bicycling. I forget the title and author and the book is long gone. In it was a section on "bikepacking" as cycle touring was coined back then. It was the inspiration for a life of traveling by bicycle. Stephen Lord's "Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook" will do the same for countless others with a spirit of adventure, but the information contained within is invaluable. No more learning the hardway. Pay attention to what is written and know yourself; you will go a long way. Like the Patagonia cataloges of the era in which I grew up and the Bridgestone Bicycle cataloges of the era in which I matured, this book will be coveted by those in the know and become treasured and collected. If you've ever toured, read it and know what I mean. If you haven't, pick up a copy and hit the road.

I thought this book was very through, from gear selection, to stories to get you excited go on a trip. I would recommend it to any long-distance dreaming cycler.

This is a great book. The 3 sections allow riders to learn about adventure travel according to the mood they are in. I used the bike recommendations to buy the Volpe. Great purchase. Warning: this book will encourage you to travel. Wish list: a web site like crazyguyonabike.com so readers can keep abreast of updates. Cheers Lord. Nice job.

Before bying this book, i think i loaned it about 40 or 50 times at my local library. Benvies way of passing his knowledge to his readers is exceptional. This book is a 1'st class learning book, for he who wants to know more about nature photography in general, it commes all the way around, there isn't much that isn't discribet in the book. Ofcourse it dosn't goes very deeb on all subjects, but it is a very good overall book for, both the beginner and he who has come further. If i only could own one book, this would probably be the one.
Kim T, Denmark

As an amateur nature photographer intent on getting to the next level, I have purchased quite a few books on nature and wildlife photography. Many of them are not specific enough and provide too much general photography information. This book is different. To start with, the images are outstanding. This guy is an expert at DOING. That's the kind of teacher I want! Most importantly, the book is full of HOW and WHY. This book is chock-full of tips and information on what works, what doesn't, and how to do it. I found this book more helpful than John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide. Although I liked that book, I found myself a little disappointed when I finished it. It didn't have as much "meat" as this book does. I highly recommend it. And the price is a steal!

It has been quite long since John Shaw's books that I come across another gem which I would like to have on my bookshelves.
This one is well written and organized. It is to the point (very different from Galen Rowell's) and it's really helpful for those who have little time and are impatient.
The author shares techniques, viewpoint and practical ideas --- very much like John Shaw's books.

Niall Benvie's THE ART OF NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY is both informative and inspiring. Benvie believes that photography is an art, but nature photographers are artists in a different way because they are more preoccupied with capturing the subject at hand rather than expressing the self. The book includes excellent tips on preventing mistakes before the shutter is released-not an easy feat for a person involved in nurture photography. He offers basic advice about composition, lighting, flash, and the like as well as tips for active subjects (animals, weather, etc. have no respect for photographers as anyone who has attempted to photograph outdoors can attest to). While the book is a godsend for film photographers, he also includes detailed information for digital users which makes the book useful to photographers using both formats. Since people purchasing the book from Amazon will not have the opportunity to see all the sumptuous photographs in this book, believe me when I tell you that the photographs alone are awe inspiring and could lead a reader from the couch to the field in no time.

Perhaps what makes Benvie's book unique is his support for the amateur, which is most likely the customer who will purchase the book. While Benvie believes that professional photographers make significant contributions to nature photography, Benvie also believes that amateur contributions add a great deal as well since amateurs are less interesting in pleasing clients and more interested in presenting a vision of the natural world to others. Certainly Bevie's book will help amateur photographers who hope to do just that-present nature in all it's glory through photography.

Many books on outdoor/nature photography are simply a showcase for the author's photos and a bragging exercise in the gear he/she uses.

Benvie takes a more open approach -- almost giving the store away. Skipping over the most basic elements of photography, he provides practical advice on technique and creative vision. He isn't shy about using digital processes to enhance images -- not adding or subtracting visual elements, but manipulating the image so that it represents what the photographer saw, overcoming the limitations of film and photo paper.

Highly recommended. And his photographs are exceptional. Kudos to his publisher for the high quality printing.

Whether you are a beginner photograher or you having been taking photographs for years...there is a lot in this book that im sure you never thought of when you snapped your picture. It has a lot of great information in it.

I started photography in 1987 & this book (the older version of course) is what I started with. I quite recommend it & I think its a very useful book to add to your library.
Another real useful book I came across (& treasure) is the Photo know how.
This book was published by Sinar (www.sinar.ch) & most unfortunatly they do not have it in english any longer but I think they might still have the french & german language editions. If you ever find it, do't miss it.

Mr. Langford certainly deserves praise for his continued excellence in photographic writing. 'Basic Photography' is THE manual for photographers. It is clear, concise and entertaining to read. This book should be in every photographers library.

When I bought this book I was fully aware that the latest edition (8th) was available to ship immediately while this previous 7th edition will still be ordered. Yet, I stuck to this older 7th edition as I wanted a book that was written solely by Michael Langford before he died. The 8th edition is a collaborative work based on his previous editions and written by several authors.

What I like most about this book is the more dogmatic approach to the basics of photography. That's the way I wanted it. No funny anecdotes, no jumping and bypassing guidelines. Just straighforward discussion of the fundamentals with awareness of what is possible when you intentionally disregard the rules.

For example, Langford explicitly states that the best place to learn lighting is in a studio. I can imagine some people would argue with it, but I take it at face value. This is what I mean with "dogmatic" teaching. I shall let experience teach me otherwise when I have shot thousands of pictures already. For the moment, I want to learn the rules and internalize them. This is not to say the author advocates strict complaince alone. Not at all. He emphasizes the basics. Creative licence is up to you.

Again, veterans may say, there are no "rules" in photography; only good pictures. It's easy to say that IF you knew those "rules" by heart to begin with and can make contrary decisions for your own creative purposes. But as an amateur or a novice, my belief is following guidelines is still best. Following, even copying what the teacher does is still valid. Individual creative decision will come on its own time.

This book is about basic photography yet it is generously illustrated and very revealing. The principles (equipment, techniques, lighting, etc...) were illustrated using mainly film, understandably. But the author also discussed digital cameras and digital manipulation which are outdated now owing to the technology available when the book was written. But his teaching is right on the money, including the ones on digital ethics. The author shows you the basics, shows you where you stand in relation to the big picture out there, and gives his opinion on where photography is going and where you might be depending on your options.

No doubt as you gain more experience you will drift towards more specialized photography books. But if you are totally clueless about photography and want to learn, if you want to know its very basic principles, then I highly recommend Michael Langford's 7th Edition Basic Photography as a very useful reference. All the accolades he got for this book were well deserved! I have several other photography references like John Shaw's Nature Photography and Lee Frost's A-Z of Creative Photography, for example. But I put them all aside for the time being and concentrate instead on Langford's Basic Photography.

This is a very decent, well-written book for those willing to spend the time to educate themselves on the basics of photography- whether you shoot film or digital.

Basic Photography is a book explaining the basics of photography, technically as well as creatively, in a clear and easy to understand way. If you want to know how a camera (35mm SLR, medium-format, large-format, digital) or f-stops work, this is the book for you. It is a good book for beginners just starting out in photography as well as advanced photographers who just want to fill in the gaps of technical understanding.

Although this book does contain some mathematical equations, you do not need to know mathematics or physics to understand the concepts explained in the book. Here's an excerpt from the book's introduction: "It is intended for students of all ages and, beginning at square one, assumes that you have no theoretical knowledge of photography, nor any scientific background."

It won't teach you how to shoot beautiful pictures, but rather tell and show you what it takes in terms of photo equipment, working with photo equipment, light, and technique to produce photographs from exposure to final print. This book is not specific to any type of photography, but deals with photography in general and is basically a 'how photography works' kind of book. "In short, Basic Photography is planned as a primer for professionals which will interest and inform amateur photographers too."

Basic Photography is the kind of book I should have read when I was first starting out in landscape photography; it would have definitely made my life and learning easier.

Having served in SAC and extensively envolved with the B-47; I found this book offering to be one of the more comprehensive and technical books being offered that the average aircraft buff or technician would appreciate. Look at it in stages and you will be amazed at how technical an aircraft the B-47 was - it will delight you with new information at every reading. I highly recommend this book to one and all - good job Mr. Lloyd!

What a thrill to find this thorough study of the best aircraft I ever flew! I'm amazed at the depth of the research Mr.Lloyd must had at his diposal in order to come up with this excellent presentation on the B/RB 47. Of course, as an A/C in the 90th SRW in SAC, I prefer the "RB." That additional 32.5 inches added to the nose, that accommodated our forward oblique camera, made it a "prettier" design. I found only one tiny error and two possible omissions. The lightning flash on the vertical stabilizer (Pg 106) in the 319th Sqdn. was Red, not Blue. Blue was for the 320th and Yellow was for the 321st. But who cares at this distance. He made no mention of the bird's tendency to "porpoise" on the REALLY bad landing. It could generate the mother of all "PIO's" (Pilot Induced Oscillations); to the extend that it would shed all six engines. The other important feature of it's thin flexible wing was it's behavior at high speed (450+ knots). The wing would twist when down aileron was applied which forced the wing leading edge down resulting in an aileron reversal. This characteristic caused the loss on one aircraft in my squadron.
Nevertheless, for any of the Cold War folks still around this is a book that belongs in your library. For any students of Aviation history, The 35 degree swept wing (that we copied from the Germans), and the podded engines were first used in this design and can still be seen today at your local airport. The B/RB 47 was the grandaddy of them all.

Speciality Press have done it again - Al Lloyd did a great job researching on a great 1950' bomber. Particular sharp and crisp b&w photography all over. (a few color pages complement the volume) This book is a pleasure to read, especially the prototype stories. This looks looks to me like the definite volume on one very important aircraft (not only bomber) designs (swept wings, podded engines..)after WW2. Definitely recommended.

When I was a young Second LT back in the mid-60's, I was assigned to Davis-Monthan AFB. Besides SAC and TAC operations , D-M was the site of MASDC (now AMARC) ,AKA the "Boneyard". Back then,nearly 5,000 airplanes were stored there. Every morning, from my apartment, I would look out over 1500 B-47's lined up in rows, gleaming in the morning sun. I often wondered where they had come from and what their various stories were.

By 1969, the "Great Silver Fleet"(as it were) of B-47's was largely gonefrom the Arizona landscape - cut up and melted down on site (this was before EPA forbade such things) and the scrap sold. Only two were left on base by 1970, and others were scattered around the US in museums. I hoped then that someday I would see a good reference text, memorializing and defining the service of this Proud silver bird. Alwyn Lloyd had done just that.

The B-47 has been out of the USAF Inventory for nearly 40 years now, and has been largely forgotten by today's crop of kids,who prefer to see yet another book on the F-15, F-16, F-18. etc. It's a shame , because the 47 was a precedent-breaking and trend setting machine, whose lines can still be seen in many products of the Boeing Company and others.

While it wasn't the sleekest of the four machines in the 1945 Jet Bomber competition (the Convair XB-46 holds that distinction), it certainly had the greatest range,payload and development potential of the four Contenders (XB-45,XB-46,XB-47,XB-48). We'll never see 2,000 unit production runs for a U.S.Bomber again, nor see the number of conversions that the 47 underwent during its 15 year operational life. Alwyn Lloyd does a marvelous job of bringing the varied history of the Aircraft back to life. Earlier works, such as Lindsey Peacock's 1987 opus on the 47, were handicapped by security restrictions that have since been lifted.

The appendices on Production, Model Numbers, Units assigned, etc alone are worth the purchase price. The numerous photos, diagrams, etc. in the text make this work an outstanding value - even more so with the 30% markdown normally offered by Amazon. Highly recommended !

The author of this book has managed to find a lot of great photos of various B-47s in different configurations. It's a nice large format book with high-quality printing. Definitely worth getting if you are interested in this aircraft.

I buy these books because my grandkids love them too. They always have age appropriate topica and seem to keep pace with their interests as they grow. They are challenged and they learn as they work through the books. Mom & Dad love them too.

This book had a lot of really fun art ideas that my boys loved. It is very hands on, and you can mix in science with your art. My history buff loved the art history, and this book inspired much online investigation and a planned trip to our local art museum. It is a great way to introduce your child to real art- but is also fun and "crafty." My high-energy boys loved this book, and I can not recommend it enough.

This was a huge hit with my two daughters, ages 6 and 8. They passed many hours going through every project/exercise in the book. Later they devised ways to create their own projects based on ideas form the book. We also discovered which crafts the kids wanted to follow up on, we have ordered materials for metal foil embossing, etc. based on our experiences with this introductory book. I recommend this book highly, your kids WILL enjoy it!

I bought this book for my nephew, who is 10 years old. He opened his present and started looking through it right away, ignoring his other presents waiting to be opened. There is a nice selection of different activities in this book. I would recommend it for older children as it includes activities that require lots of cutting and pasting, and the tempura painting could be messy with younger children.

Crafty people will like this book, and all of klutz other books. This one has lots of fun things to do, and will keep you busy for a long time. You get to play with stickers, do sunburn art, paint with eggs (this sounds strange, but it works!!), and tons of other stuff. It's a cool book.

I agree with everyone else, if you are a grad student or new researcher you need to buy and read this book. BUT BEWARE: This book refers to turbo pumps as a new innovation, and ignores magnetic charged particle optics. Discussions of topics are fairly through but lack the depth of schematics, however many of the references are now considered seminal letters on their topics. The references alone will save you a lot of time.

The physics covered is accurate and usable, and the references, clear presentations of topics, and lists of suppliers make this book essential for any serious experimental scientist to be.

Buy it! :)

This book is an invaluable reference source for anyone whose work requires them to become involved in unfamiliar (physical science related) technologies. Though it would certainly be useful to laboratory researchers, it is equally valuable for the scientist or engineer who needs to apply these disciplines. As a physicist involved in design of commercial instrumentation, I have often had to become involved in various disciplines which were outside of my area of formal training and this book has commonly been my point of entry into unfamiliar terrain. This isn't just a "how to do it" book, but also provides a solid grounding in the basic theory. Over the years I have used this book as a primer/refresher for: (a) vacuum technology; (b) light optics; (c) charged-particle optics; and (d) mechanical drawing. In each case, this book provided me with the fundamental concepts, equations, and techniques to become productive, often without access to any other source of expertise. Though I do, of course, employ other sources as my knowledge advances, I still find myself regularly referring back to this book.

I know of no other reference that manages to pack so much useful information into so few pages. And yet, it remains easy and enjoyable to read. Part of this may be due to the abundant drawings which have a certain charm of their own -- echoing the style of the famous C.S. Stong illustrations in the "Amateur Scientist" section of Scientific American.

This book is so good that I own two copies: one for my office at work and the second for reference at home.

Have never seen a book which was able to pack so much practical information into so few pages, and able to explain complex concepts so simply.

If you have to work with any type of laboratory equipment you would be insane to NOT have this book on your shelf.

I would like to cast a somewhat dissenting view of this book. It is certainly a good place to start for information on various projects but comes up short on construction techniques. Perhaps an older source, Procedures in Experimental Physics (Lindsay Pubs), is better. Of course, it was written in 1938, so materials cited might be out of date, but the construction techniques aren't bad. I recently decided to build a good sized water tank (40" by 6" by 3") of acrylic and found nothing about construction tips. I was thinking of building something that probably required casting, and found a paltry two pages on the subject.

It would be good to see it updated every 5 years or so. I see the pub date is 1991. Things have changed a bit. It has a very good list of references, but with the advent of the web, it would be good to see some the reference material cite the web.

This is a _great_ book! I buy a copy of this for every student who starts work for me--which I consider to be a fine investment. Practical, hands-on information is given on a huge variety of skills needed by those working in Physics labs. From glass blowing to vacuum systems, to instruction on attaching BNC connectors, it's all in here.

I like this knife for good quality and reasonable price. I purchased it together with 6" Fibrox Chefs, Utility / Vegetable Knife 40570. Love them both! Very sharp, good for vegetables and meat. Highly recommend!

I have so MANY knives and this knife has become the one I reach for all the time. It is so incredibly sharp and versatile.

I read a review on this knife in one of my America's Test Kitchen cookbooks. I searched through many different cooking supply stores and was unable to find them. Then I thought of Amazon, lo and behold, there they were. Yeah!!!

I love this knife. It is extremely sharp and fits well in my hand. When I asked my husband to try it to cut some cheese he said "Wow, it cuts through cheese like cutting through ... cheese!" Okay, so not the best recommendation, however, it has cut very smoothly through everything I have tried so far.

I bought 2, one was for a Christmas gift but decided to keep them both because I liked it so much.

This little knife is the pefect size for every day use. The sharpeness is amazing. One of my girlfriends always complained that I never had a good knife. Now this is the only one I'll use for all my cutting needs. It cuts and skins raw chicken like a pro. Highly recommended for the quality and the price.

Though I often use my larger chef knives to cut smaller vegetables, this is the one I reach for the most. I love my Forschner knives for their weight, balance and ability to hold an edge (and also for the ease of honing an edge) - this particular knife is just the right size for small jobs like dicing peppers or slicing carrots. It's a good knife for home cooks who don't know how to use the larger chef knives - but do enough slicing and dicing to merit a better knife than the simple paring knife often consigned to such jobs.

Without a doubt this book is the most user friendly book on technology I've read. It is packed with essential information for everone using digital photography today. It provides help in setting up shots as well as streamling your workflow and a lot more. There is nothing extraneous out this, it's great from start to finish!

Just fininshed reading Lee Varis's new book. It's a great overall treatment of digital photography for any student of graphic design or even the seasoned art director that may be new to digital technology. The technology discussed is current, and in common use professionally. The discussions of critical concepts of resolution and color are presented in a user friendly, easy to grasp manner.

This book should well prepare the designer going into their first digital photoshoot. It can help in understanding how to achieve all the technology is capable of, and how to get the most from the shoot.

This is a must have book for designers and photographers, especially designers of the old school who have been more then a little afraid of going digital and there are many out there. For the beginer designer, this book puts on the page what they will be told about the digital work flow as it exists today.
Lee Varis takes the reader on a digital ride explaining more then enough to get the reader to appreciate the digital workflow.

This book is a must-have for designers and photographers who are moving towards a fully digital production process. DPFGD is a well-organized linear treatment and full of extremely useful guidance relevant to both the broad creative issues and nitty gritty details that we face in our profession. Varis is precise, clear, experienced, and is well backed up by artfully selected examples on every page. This is one book that I expect to look back to again and again.

Even though there are many books as there are about digital imaging, none discuss in detail the relationship of designers and art directors with the process (and people) involved with creating digital images.
This book covers a great many of the complexities of digital imaging with a clear, casual style that does a great deal towards clearing up many misconceptions people have about digital photography. Not only does it cover that, but the book goes further into aspects such as pre-press, proofing, editing and printing, and and does so with a very enjoyable, non-technical narrative. Anecdotal writing, along with supporting photography (beautifully printed) helps lend creedence to this book. A necessary text for anyone in graphic design and/or advertising.

Eddie Rickenbacker is a fascinating American whose incredible life is well documented in this epic biography. From his humble upbringing he became a pioneer in auto racing and design, an American war hero and "ace of aces" in World War I, the driving force behind the most profitable airline in the US, and a very influential civilian consultant for the military. Along the way he also displayed an incredible penchant for surviving near-death experiences including car crashes, plane crashes, botched surgeries, and 24 days adrift at sea in a raft in the Pacific Ocean. For all his accomplishments, it is interesting to compare Captain Eddie's place in posterity with Charles Lindbergh, who is remembered far better for a single achievement.

Author David Lewis's 15 years of research resulted in a very comprehensive and definitive biography of his subject. The clear organization and writing style make this book easier to digest than it's length may indicate. As the authoritative biography, there are times when the book gets into too much detail but these do not take much away from the quality of the book.

"Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century" is a comprehensive autobiographical study. The man and his life are fairly presented, and the book is written in Dr. Lewis' impeccable and very readable narrative style.

Undoubtedly this is and, I am confident, will remain the definitive study of Eddie Rickenbacker, not only for the author's depth of research, but because, as one reviewer wrote, "Dr. Lewis has painted a balanced, complete picture of an extremely complex man."

In my opinion the book is also very timely in another respect. In addition to historians of aviation and technology, it is also of value to political scientists/historians. Very conservative politically, Rickenbacker is seen as the harbinger of the conservative movement - well before Barry Goldwater and the 1964 presidential contest.

As a former Eastern Airlines Captain and having read many stories about Eddie Rickenbacker I was anxious to read W. Davie Lewis's book. I was also priviledged to hear Dr. Lewis speak on his book prior to reading it. I found many things in the book that I already knew and somethings that I was unaware of. I thought when I first started reading it would be a book to pick up and read occassionally, but after the first chapter I was hooked and finished all 551 pages in record time. I would recommend Dr. Lewis' book to other Eastern employees who knew Eddie when we worked for him or just form a history point of view.

EDDIE RICKENBACKER: AN AMERICAN HERO IN THE 20TH CENTURY outlines the life and many achievements of a pilot who flew in both war and peace, defying death many times to drive cars in the heyday of the first autos, then planes during the first world war. He returned from war a hero and was decorated for his achievements, but failed as an auto maker after the war and returned to the aviation world in 1934, working for Eastern Airlines until World War II's start brought him new missions. His journey from war hero to peacetime conflicts within the new competitive airline industry makes for an avid story not just of Rickenbacker and his world, but of an evolving transportation industry.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

W. David Lewis has written a majestic biography of one of America's great personages of the twentieth century. Eddie Rickenbacker was a race car driver, fighter pilot, businessman and airline industry giant. He was also a survivor and a true fighter- often taking unpopular positions- particularly his controversial comments upon the passing of FDR- essentially saying that FDR got what he deserved. Lewis also finds Rickenbacker in the beginning of the early modern conservative movement during the beginnings of Barry Goldwaters rocket to prominence. Rickenbacker was xenophobic and found the welfare state to be a deeply anathema to the human spirit of self improvement and hard work.

This work is so in-depth no brief Amazon review can give it justice. Whether you're interested in riveting war stories, early automobile racing, politics or the growth of the American airline industry this is a book that I highly recommend. The story of how an poor kid from immigrant family can rise to the pinnacle of American society is truly an interesting story. For author Lewis this book isn't mere hero worship it is an attempt to give Rickenbacker his due as events from the early twentieth century fader further and further out of our historical memory.