Chuck Yeager is one of America's heroes, like John Paul Jones, Davy Crockett, Stonewall Jackson, Wyatt Earp, Sergeant York, and others. If not the best pilot in the world so far, he is one of the best. En route to logging in 10,000 flight hours in 180 (!!!) different military aircraft, he was a double ace in World War II, he was the first human to break the sound barrier, and he survived three bailouts. He won the bronze star, the silver star, two distinguished flying crosses, and the Medal of Honor (commonly known as the Congressional Medal of Honor because it is awarded by Congress).

Do not be deterred by the presence of Leo Janos as co-author. This is an autobiography, and Yeager's voice comes through loud and clear. He puts us in the cockpits. Also, in interludes called "Other Voices," we read the words of Yeager's wife Glennis, best friend Bud Anderson, and a few other of Yeager's acquaintances.

Though this was one of my favorite biographies, along with Bill Clinton's My Life and Winston Churchill's Marlborough, the first few pages of Yeager made me wonder if my purchase had been a mistake. The content of those pages--Yeager's interesting though uneventful childhood--was unremarkable,and the multitude of simple sentences seemed beneath my intellect. But it was easy to read, I hung in there, and soon I was richly rewarded.

The narration is stuffed with absorbing anecdotes: evasion of Nazis after bailing out in occupied France, dogfighting in a P-51 Mustang, breaking the sound barrier and enduring the burdens of a celebrity, grim escapes from dangerous test planes, commanding a school for space and research pilots, commanding squadrons for NATO and Vietnam, and twilight years as a general and as a retiree.

Three interesting women are prominent in his life: Wife Glennis (some of those "Other Voices" are hers). Pancho Barnes: owner of a restaurant/dude ranch/adult recreation center (she was also in Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff and its movie). Jackie Cochran: As a young aviatrix, she was a friend of Amelia Earhart. Later she became a wealthy and outspoken socialite, and a hostess and friend to Chuck and Glennis.

This book is an example of how good nonfiction is worthy of anyone's while. The cover of my 1986 paperback edition hypes it as a multi-million copy bestseller. It has sixteen pages of photos to sweeten the text, but it is the text that made the book a bestseller. Try it.

Great read of an American hero, got as a gift for a nephew who is interested in aviation

Great book, read this super fast!

The format contributes significantly to this one-of-a-kind chronicle. Yeager is a typical American Story, overcoming humble origins to become one of the Best. His 10,000 hours seemed a lot harder than mine - in about twice the number of aircraft types.

I don't think Chuck Yeager was a whinner, so I am embarrassed to have two complaints. The print font is a little too small. Plus, the print edges too close into the inner seam of the book and you sometimes have to stretch the book "out" to see the ends of the words. Bantam has been in the business for years and it is hard to fathom that they would put out such an inferior product. What were they thinking?

Otherwise, the book is a wonderful story of Yeager's life and is highly interesting.

My great nephew had to read this for a book report in high school. He loves to fly and wants to be a pilot. So I read it too. Interesting, well-written chronicle of a hero's life. By the end of it, I felt like I know him personally.Amazing feats; his exploits are legendary but he's just a regular guy.I guess after all, that's what makes a real hero.He met and worked with an illustrious group of interesting people, from presidents to saloon owners to aeronautic geniuses. Well worth reading, even if you're not that interested in flight.

Gen. Yeager did his sound barrier thing during the month and year I was born. Growing up in the LA suburb of Burbank, CA, I recall as a kid on the playground at school looking to the north and seeing white lines in the sky. I watched these lines extend in slow motion. Every once in a while, if the wind was blowing the right direction, we would hear a muffled explosion. Had no idea about those sonic booms until we heard about it on the radio. By the time I enlisted in the Air Force in 1966, Chuck Yeager was a household name without knowing of his beyond-belief WWII escapades. Yeah, I became an AC Delco fan because of him. If you have heard him speak, you can "hear" him narrating this book. The additional insights from his wife, Glennis, as well as his friends and colleagues add dimension and validity to his words. This book was written by a pilot, who loves to fly. It is written in a polished down-home, backwoods dialect that is so endearing. It is no wonder that just about every fighter pilot that has come down the pipe has tried to emulate that soft West Virginia twang. Gen. Chuck Yeager is a legend. We are privileged to read his story in his own words.

Great book. I originally read this in middle school in the 80's. Just re-read it as the father of middle schoolers in 2022. I will be having my kids read it now☺ Great story of a great man and national hero. This country, this world, needs more heros like Chuck Yeager!!!

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This book is about adventure, courage, determination and never looking back. It's about a time, not that many decades ago, before we became so sanitized and structured that all the fun, risk and danger in life was taken away. In today's world we would never allow the exploits of a Yeager as a perverse combination of political correctness, obsession with paper credentials and equal obsession with rules and regulations would never tolerate it.

It should be read by teenagers to give them a sense of what it means to be independent of spirit and carving one's own way in life because you only get one shot at it. As for adults who haven't read it, it makes us pine for another time and puts into 20/20 the absurdity of present day progressive thinking as manifested in "zero tolerance", "culture of safety" and other related social policies that have smothered the

current generation.

Sensational book. Well written and highly entertaining. Definitely go grab a copy!!

Avevo già letto una sua traduzione, comprato per preparare la conferenza su Chuck Yeager nel suo 70th anniversario dal leggendario volo.

Sarebbe bello averlo in versione da "collezione" con copertina rigida e su carta più pregiata.

Facile da leggere!!!

Un Must!

A fantastic read, truly absorbing and hard to put down. A true from nothing to hero account. Would recommend to anyone who wants to know about the risks of discovery.