Five Down and Glory

by Gene Gurney

Five Down and Glory , first published in 1958, is the authoritative record of America's top fighter pilots from the early 1900's through the Korean War. Beginning with a definition of the term “ace,” the book details the exploits of the Lafayette Escadrille in France, the Flying Tigers in China, the Eagle Squadron in England, pilots of the U.S. Navy and Marines, the 8th Air Force in Europe, and finally, the action in the air over Korea. Included are extensive Appendices of Medal of Honor aces, lists of aces in each conflict and other details of the most successful fliers. Illustrated with 16 pages of photographs. Author Gene Gurney (1924-2011) served more than 60 years in the U.S. Air Force and NASA and was the author of numerous books on aviation history.

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Colonel Gene Gurney was a U.S. Air Force officer and a prolific author on many different subjects. Although much of his work was concerned with aviation history, he wrote books on several other topics as well.

Reviews

[Jack Hwang · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some editorial and historical errors. For example the author mentioned that Chennault was in command of Chinese Air Force in 1937. It's farthest from the truth. Chennault was merely a consultant for Chinese Air Force with a three months contract when he arrived China. Anyway, it still a good book about American aces.