Saturday, April 28, 2012

Yeager's Second Book

Last year, I did a brief review of Yeager, the autobiography of General Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the Sound Barrier.  He has led an incredible life, from his humble West Virginia upbringing to his days as a fighter pilot in World War II, onward through years as a test pilot for the latest and greatest aircraft, and he even ran an Astronaut training program.  He is quite a fascinating and inspiring character, something of an "everyman" who downplays his own greatness at every turn.

A few years after the success of his autobiography, Yeager put together a second volume, with new details and stories about his life.  Press On: Further Adventures in the Good Life is more of a supplement to the first book, filling in gaps in his life story and they're not always told in-sequence.  While the first book was pretty straight chronologically (starting with his childhood onwards), this second volume is more a collection of stories that are interspersed throughout his life.  They are fun and entertaining to read, just as the first book, and they're told in a very non-literary manner.  It's like listening to an old flyboy telling you about himself in a laid back, cozy manner.

For those who want to learn more about this incredible American, I highly recommend this book and its predecessor.  Read them as a pair, and get a full dose of Yeager!  You will not be disappointed.

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