Diary of A WWI Pilot: Ambulances, Planes, and Friends: Harvey Conover's Adventures in France, 1917-1918

by Frances Conover Church, Scott Poole (Illustrator), John Church (Editor)

This engrossing book presents the authentic 1917-1918 war diaries of Harvey Conover. Day-to-day activities are recounted in a colorful and opinionated style. He was a frontline ambulance driver who arrived in France before the US entered WWI. Later he enlisted in the US Aero Service, was trained in French flight schools, and became a decorated combat pilot in the St.Mihiel and Verdun offensives. Readers will enjoy his descriptions and observations of both combat action and his time on leave in Paris and other French cities.

His daughter Frances has supplemented the diaries with an introduction and afterwards section which provide details of her noted father's life.

History and aviation buffs will enjoy this book.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2004

Reviews

[Jose Escamilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good the author puts really good detail in every thing he says, it felt like i was actually reading a day to day diary. i liked the way he started every day when he said a.m or p.m . I never had that question . what time of the day was it?. or were was Harvey located?. when Harvey went into flight training in France he explained how diffident it was in France. than were he came from.Something that Harvey said stuck to me the most was a little part of a song, for they know what it is to suffer and fear the brace tales will come from those in the rear(pg 244) . that was a part of the song he sang while he was remembering all his fallen friends . he meant by that was that all the good and hard workers, good people, come from the bottom and make there way to the top. I'd recommend this book to anybody interested in airplanes, what people have experienced in war or the navy . this book gives great detail while soldiers are out there. from digging wholes, trying to sleep while there's chaos a mile away from were the soldiers are located. its a really good book, i gave it three stars because . They way the book was set up sometimes there was a huge list that i didn't know what it was about.And it took me away from the action, the dairy itself, I would go back and re read were the dairy left off and it would go on for 3 to 4 pages long of a list, overall it was a really good read and an easy book to read.