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Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy
Based on newly available information, the son of famed U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers, presents the facts and dispels misinformation about the Cold War espionage program that his father was part of.
One of the most talked-about events of the Cold War was the downing of the American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. The event was recently depicted in the Steven Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies. Powers was captured by the KGB, subjected to a televised show trial, and imprisoned, all of which created an international incident. Soviet authorities eventually released him in exchange for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. On his return to the United States, Powers was exonerated of any wrongdoing while imprisoned in Russia, yet, due to bad press and the government's unwillingness to heartily defend Powers, a cloud of controversy lingered until his untimely death in 1977.
Now his son, Francis Gary Powers Jr. and acclaimed historian Keith Dunnavant have written this new account of Powers's life based on personal files that had never been previously available. Delving into old audio tapes, letters his father wrote and received while imprisoned in the Soviet Union, the transcript of his father's debriefing by the CIA, other recently declassified documents about the U-2 program, and interviews with the spy pilot's contemporaries, Powers and Dunnavant set the record straight. The result is a fascinating piece of Cold War history. This is also a book about a son's journey to understand his father, pursuing justice and a measure of peace.
Almost sixty years after the fact, this will be the definitive account of one of the most important events of the Cold War.
One of the most talked-about events of the Cold War was the downing of the American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. The event was recently depicted in the Steven Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies. Powers was captured by the KGB, subjected to a televised show trial, and imprisoned, all of which created an international incident. Soviet authorities eventually released him in exchange for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. On his return to the United States, Powers was exonerated of any wrongdoing while imprisoned in Russia, yet, due to bad press and the government's unwillingness to heartily defend Powers, a cloud of controversy lingered until his untimely death in 1977.
Now his son, Francis Gary Powers Jr. and acclaimed historian Keith Dunnavant have written this new account of Powers's life based on personal files that had never been previously available. Delving into old audio tapes, letters his father wrote and received while imprisoned in the Soviet Union, the transcript of his father's debriefing by the CIA, other recently declassified documents about the U-2 program, and interviews with the spy pilot's contemporaries, Powers and Dunnavant set the record straight. The result is a fascinating piece of Cold War history. This is also a book about a son's journey to understand his father, pursuing justice and a measure of peace.
Almost sixty years after the fact, this will be the definitive account of one of the most important events of the Cold War.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 22, 2019
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March 30, 2025
Those of us who still give a damn about Cold War history will remember the U-2 Incident of May 1, 1960, wherein the CIA's U-2 “Dragon Lady” spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down whilst overflying the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960, and ended up spending a harrowing twenty-one months as a prisoner of the Evil Empire. (By eerie coincidence, the shootdown occurred on May Day, a big-time holiday in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries).
Even after "Frank" (as he was known to his friends and family during his youth) was repatriated to the United States of America, he had to endure a new and different type of ordeal, a mentally harrowing ordeal that dragged on even longer than his Soviet imprisonment. a vicious smear campaign (dare I say libelous and slanderous?) foisted upon him by the CIA brass--including no less than then-CIA Director John McCone himself--as well as elected officials, the mainstream media, and even schoolteachers (more on this in a bit).
Frank's son, Francis Gary Powers Jr. (known as "Gary" to his own friends, family, and professional acquaintances)--founder and chairman emeritus of The Cold War Museum, a 501(c)(3) charity in Vint Hill, Virginia--embarked on a lengthy, arduous, and, by the grace of God, ultimately fruitful effort to clear his father's good name and uncover the truth about Frank's heroism. Gary's efforts are covered in intimate detail in his excellent 2019 book "Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy," published by Prometheus Books. The book is roughly equal parts third-person biography of the father and autobiography of the son.
I happen to be lucky enough to able to count Gary as a friend of mine, and as a result, I have a personally inscribed copy of this book.
As I previously noted both in a 13 December 2024 article right here on Patreon and a 17 December 2024 article published in The National Interest, Gary was kind enough to give me and my dear friend Kristina Olney (Executive Director of The Remembrance Society [TRS]) back on Columbus Day 2024, and Gary furnished both of us with autographed copies of his book. Gary had originally reached out to me after reading my Simple Flying article – published on 5 October 2024 – titled “The 1960 U-2 Spy Plane Shootdown Over USSR & Capture Of Francis Gary Powers,” wherein I inadvertently committed a factual error (misled by a a writeup from the US State Department's Office of the Historian no less!), and Gary helped me set the record straight. Many thanks for everything, Gary!
Gary served as the technical advisor for Steven Spielberg's top-notch 2015 motion picture "Bridge of Spies" starring Tom Hanks. However, despite Gary's services to Mr. Spielberg, the film does get certain things wrong (typical Hollywood embellishment for ya), and "Spy Pilot" gets it right. For example, the movie incorrectly depicts Frank as a young U.S. Air Force lieutenant who was on his very first spy flight mission during his shootdown; from Gary's book, we learn that his dad was actually an experienced U-2 pilot with multiple spy flights under his belt at the time of the U-2 Incident, and moreover had already been discharged from the Air Force by then.
Regarding what I said earlier about schoolteacher participating in the smear campaign against the star-crossed U-2 pilot:
"Around this time, Dee [Frank's daughter/Gary's sister] was sitting in her fifth-grade history class when her teacher began talking about the U-2 Incident, telling the class that Francis Gary Powers should have killed himself to avoid capture by the Soviets. His little girl was stunned. Her father? Her father was a bad man because he hadn't killed himself?
'I was crying when I got home that afternoon, and Mom wanted to know why,' she said.
Mom promptly drove to the school and got in the face of the teacher and the principal.
'It was a very traumatic moment for me,' Dee said."
Gary also gives some interesting insights into the personality of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the mastermind behind Lockheed's (now Lockheed Martin's) legendary "Skunk Works" division, as can be seen from p. 33:
“‘I wanted a direct relationship between design engineer and mechanic and manufacturing…without the delays and complications of intermediate departments,’ [Johnson] said. With black-out drapes covering the windows and complete authority vested in one man, the Advanced Development Projects division, which initially included a lean staff of twenty-three engineers and a small number of technicians and mechanics, quickly grew into Kelly Johnson’s private empire. During a cryptic telephone conversation, a member of the staff made a joking reference to the rickety moonshine still in the popular Li’l Abner comic strip. Soon everyone in the know started referring to the secret hangar as the Skunk Works, which became the most fabled factory in aviation history.”
From a personal standpoint, I found Gary's childhood story quite relatable, as we both grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California; I grew up in North Hollywood whilst Gary grew up in Sherman Oaks (my late maternal aunt Carole Cummings ran the Montessori School of Sherman Oaks). And Frank's untimely death (God rest his soul) occurred when he was flying a news helicopter for the local NBC TV station I grew up watching, KNBC Channel 4, and the tragic death was announced by Jess Marlow, an anchorman who was a household name to me and my parents.
All in all, "Spy Pilot" is an eye-opening, fact-filled, and deeply moving true story of an American Cold War hero and his beloved son's dedicated crusade to uncover and preserve the truth of that heroic sacrifice. This book gets my highest recommendation.
Even after "Frank" (as he was known to his friends and family during his youth) was repatriated to the United States of America, he had to endure a new and different type of ordeal, a mentally harrowing ordeal that dragged on even longer than his Soviet imprisonment. a vicious smear campaign (dare I say libelous and slanderous?) foisted upon him by the CIA brass--including no less than then-CIA Director John McCone himself--as well as elected officials, the mainstream media, and even schoolteachers (more on this in a bit).
Frank's son, Francis Gary Powers Jr. (known as "Gary" to his own friends, family, and professional acquaintances)--founder and chairman emeritus of The Cold War Museum, a 501(c)(3) charity in Vint Hill, Virginia--embarked on a lengthy, arduous, and, by the grace of God, ultimately fruitful effort to clear his father's good name and uncover the truth about Frank's heroism. Gary's efforts are covered in intimate detail in his excellent 2019 book "Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy," published by Prometheus Books. The book is roughly equal parts third-person biography of the father and autobiography of the son.
I happen to be lucky enough to able to count Gary as a friend of mine, and as a result, I have a personally inscribed copy of this book.
As I previously noted both in a 13 December 2024 article right here on Patreon and a 17 December 2024 article published in The National Interest, Gary was kind enough to give me and my dear friend Kristina Olney (Executive Director of The Remembrance Society [TRS]) back on Columbus Day 2024, and Gary furnished both of us with autographed copies of his book. Gary had originally reached out to me after reading my Simple Flying article – published on 5 October 2024 – titled “The 1960 U-2 Spy Plane Shootdown Over USSR & Capture Of Francis Gary Powers,” wherein I inadvertently committed a factual error (misled by a a writeup from the US State Department's Office of the Historian no less!), and Gary helped me set the record straight. Many thanks for everything, Gary!
Gary served as the technical advisor for Steven Spielberg's top-notch 2015 motion picture "Bridge of Spies" starring Tom Hanks. However, despite Gary's services to Mr. Spielberg, the film does get certain things wrong (typical Hollywood embellishment for ya), and "Spy Pilot" gets it right. For example, the movie incorrectly depicts Frank as a young U.S. Air Force lieutenant who was on his very first spy flight mission during his shootdown; from Gary's book, we learn that his dad was actually an experienced U-2 pilot with multiple spy flights under his belt at the time of the U-2 Incident, and moreover had already been discharged from the Air Force by then.
Regarding what I said earlier about schoolteacher participating in the smear campaign against the star-crossed U-2 pilot:
"Around this time, Dee [Frank's daughter/Gary's sister] was sitting in her fifth-grade history class when her teacher began talking about the U-2 Incident, telling the class that Francis Gary Powers should have killed himself to avoid capture by the Soviets. His little girl was stunned. Her father? Her father was a bad man because he hadn't killed himself?
'I was crying when I got home that afternoon, and Mom wanted to know why,' she said.
Mom promptly drove to the school and got in the face of the teacher and the principal.
'It was a very traumatic moment for me,' Dee said."
Gary also gives some interesting insights into the personality of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the mastermind behind Lockheed's (now Lockheed Martin's) legendary "Skunk Works" division, as can be seen from p. 33:
“‘I wanted a direct relationship between design engineer and mechanic and manufacturing…without the delays and complications of intermediate departments,’ [Johnson] said. With black-out drapes covering the windows and complete authority vested in one man, the Advanced Development Projects division, which initially included a lean staff of twenty-three engineers and a small number of technicians and mechanics, quickly grew into Kelly Johnson’s private empire. During a cryptic telephone conversation, a member of the staff made a joking reference to the rickety moonshine still in the popular Li’l Abner comic strip. Soon everyone in the know started referring to the secret hangar as the Skunk Works, which became the most fabled factory in aviation history.”
From a personal standpoint, I found Gary's childhood story quite relatable, as we both grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California; I grew up in North Hollywood whilst Gary grew up in Sherman Oaks (my late maternal aunt Carole Cummings ran the Montessori School of Sherman Oaks). And Frank's untimely death (God rest his soul) occurred when he was flying a news helicopter for the local NBC TV station I grew up watching, KNBC Channel 4, and the tragic death was announced by Jess Marlow, an anchorman who was a household name to me and my parents.
All in all, "Spy Pilot" is an eye-opening, fact-filled, and deeply moving true story of an American Cold War hero and his beloved son's dedicated crusade to uncover and preserve the truth of that heroic sacrifice. This book gets my highest recommendation.
July 2, 2024
Spy Pilot – by Francis Gary Powers Jr. Completed 10/14/2021
Although this book was not a morning coffee book per se, I read it before I started this venture. In May 1960, I was 5 years old. I remember hearing an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union air space. At first the Russians denied it, and America denied anything had happened to their aircraft. To prove it, Russia displayed parts of the U-2 spy plane in Gorky Park Moscow. Gorky Park is the equivalent of Central Park here. These types of exhibits were often used as a means of shaping public opinion and reinforcing a particular narrative during the Cold War. The display of the U-2 spy plane parts would have been a powerful symbol for the Soviet Union, emphasizing their ability to intercept and confront perceived threats from the United States. A few years later, while traveling in Moscow, we were guided to the U-2 propaganda exhibit in the park.
Fast forward many years, while I was stationed in Korea, I saw a U-2 spy plane land at Osan AFB. It looked like a flying pencil. The U-2, known for its distinctive design with a long fuselage and large wings, which gives the capability to fly at extremely high altitudes, well above the reach of many conventional aircraft and missiles. The fact that a U-2 spy plane was shot down despite its high-flying capabilities, was a notable event in Cold War history. The book highlights the risks and challenges associated with reconnaissance missions during that era.
I met Gary Powers, Jr at a Rotary meeting. He was the guest speaker. He explained that his father died in a helicopter crash working for a news outlet in LA. He knew his father had been a pilot in the Air Force but while going through his father’s things he learned that his father had been part of a C.I.A. / Air Force classified project and had been shot down over the USSA. He was convicted for spying and imprisoned for about 2 years when a prisoner swap freed him. Gary Powers, Jr started conducting research on the incident with not much help from the US Government. After learning this he started and developed the concept for the Cold War Museum.
The story was so powerful, I had to purchase the book and he inscribed it to a fellow Rotarian.
Love Dad, T.R.M.
Although this book was not a morning coffee book per se, I read it before I started this venture. In May 1960, I was 5 years old. I remember hearing an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union air space. At first the Russians denied it, and America denied anything had happened to their aircraft. To prove it, Russia displayed parts of the U-2 spy plane in Gorky Park Moscow. Gorky Park is the equivalent of Central Park here. These types of exhibits were often used as a means of shaping public opinion and reinforcing a particular narrative during the Cold War. The display of the U-2 spy plane parts would have been a powerful symbol for the Soviet Union, emphasizing their ability to intercept and confront perceived threats from the United States. A few years later, while traveling in Moscow, we were guided to the U-2 propaganda exhibit in the park.
Fast forward many years, while I was stationed in Korea, I saw a U-2 spy plane land at Osan AFB. It looked like a flying pencil. The U-2, known for its distinctive design with a long fuselage and large wings, which gives the capability to fly at extremely high altitudes, well above the reach of many conventional aircraft and missiles. The fact that a U-2 spy plane was shot down despite its high-flying capabilities, was a notable event in Cold War history. The book highlights the risks and challenges associated with reconnaissance missions during that era.
I met Gary Powers, Jr at a Rotary meeting. He was the guest speaker. He explained that his father died in a helicopter crash working for a news outlet in LA. He knew his father had been a pilot in the Air Force but while going through his father’s things he learned that his father had been part of a C.I.A. / Air Force classified project and had been shot down over the USSA. He was convicted for spying and imprisoned for about 2 years when a prisoner swap freed him. Gary Powers, Jr started conducting research on the incident with not much help from the US Government. After learning this he started and developed the concept for the Cold War Museum.
The story was so powerful, I had to purchase the book and he inscribed it to a fellow Rotarian.
Love Dad, T.R.M.
October 27, 2025
Francis Gary Powers was an American U2 spy pilot, shot down in 1960 over the USSR. He survived, was interrogated and consequently imprisoned in the USSR, having been eventually released in an international prisoner swap (depicted in the Spielberg movie, ‘Bridge of Spies’). Due to subsequent confusion and misinformation, Powers reputation was smeared by a perception of having betrayed America. Powers wrote his autobiography in 1970, but in 2019’s ‘Spy Pilot’, his son, Francis Gary Powers Jr, retells his father’s story in an attempt to ultimately restore his full reputation based on his investigation of the truth. His father’s story, although well known, is retold once again throughout the first half of this book. The remainder of the book, however, sees the author telling his own story about living in his father’s shadow and his efforts in restoring his father’s reputation. Although admirable, this is a dry story of little interest generally. Overall this is an important history book of a significant Cold War incident but it becomes a self-serving unnecessary telling of the personal issues of a loyal son.
December 30, 2020
I met Gary Powers Jr. on Veterans Day last month, hosting him for an organization representing the Order of Daedalian—the national military fraternity of aviators. Gary shared the story reflected in Spy Pilot, a book he wrote, along with Keith Dunnavant. Spy Pilot conveys a story of the relentless pursuit to shed light on Francis Gary Powers, a USAF officer detailed to the CIA flying a U-2 reconnaissance plane shot down over the Soviet Union 1 May 1960 by an SA-2 missile while cruising at 70,000 feet. Gary Jr. gathered classified accounts, letters and other evidence not previously made public to more accurately depict that his father was neither a spy nor a traitor but merely doing his job. Sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet prison during a mock trial, Powers’ served a couple of those years before being released in an exchange for captured KGB spy Col Rudolf Abel—made famous in the Speilberg movie, Bridge of Spies. A very enjoyable read of a pivotal series of Cold War historical events.
October 8, 2023
A spectacularly written and heartfelt work of history, the son of the most misunderstood pilots in Cold War history opens up about one of the most mysterious sagas of the Titanic struggle known as the Cold War. Authors Gary Powers Jr. and Kieth Durnnavant do justice to the man and his son's solitary quest for his father's ultimate vindication in the annals of history. It's well worth the read as an obscure chapter of the Cold War that should be better understood overall. Any slant that is there is understandable, yet rather muted, for Francis Gary Power Jr. is not so much interested in clearing his father's name, more as coming to the truth of the matter. In doing so, it can be rightly said that he's done justice to his name and closes and difficult chapter in human history. What a better tribute to his story can there be?
November 22, 2023
Quite a story
Sure enjoyed this one about Francis Gary Powers, who for the most part, has been somewhat of an enigma, for quite a number of years. Now the story of this mans effort is presented to the world by a son who with a tenacious effort tells the whole story of his Dad, A true patriot. My compliments to his son for telling this story. It goes a long way to correct a number of falsehoods that have been presented over the years. Read the book, I'm thinking you to will be surprised of the whole story
Sure enjoyed this one about Francis Gary Powers, who for the most part, has been somewhat of an enigma, for quite a number of years. Now the story of this mans effort is presented to the world by a son who with a tenacious effort tells the whole story of his Dad, A true patriot. My compliments to his son for telling this story. It goes a long way to correct a number of falsehoods that have been presented over the years. Read the book, I'm thinking you to will be surprised of the whole story
January 20, 2022
Some of the early part of the book was interesting but the later stuff about the museum and artifact displays was not so much. Jumping from first-person accounts to quoted statements was a little weird. It was educational learning about the famous U2 incident but some parts of the book were not very interesting.
June 21, 2023
Found this fascinating. I met the author one day and talked with him for about an hour. He told stores of his dad and his childhood. Gary Powers Jr did so much research on his father trying to decipher what he knew to be true and what was said about his father. He even included a couple letters written by his father when he was held captive during the war.
July 7, 2025
This is a tremendous short book on a key event in history most Americans know very little about. It’s well researched. It flows very well.
There’s a nice mix of the official narrative and the personal story. The son honors his father here in correcting the record and he does it very well.
I’d highly recommend this short book to any history buff and I plan to watch Bridge of Spies very soon!
There’s a nice mix of the official narrative and the personal story. The son honors his father here in correcting the record and he does it very well.
I’d highly recommend this short book to any history buff and I plan to watch Bridge of Spies very soon!
March 9, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed.
Very well written. I have read a lot of books on the U2 to include senior's book. It was interesting to read this version. I know there are people who don't know this story. This is a great place to start.
Very well written. I have read a lot of books on the U2 to include senior's book. It was interesting to read this version. I know there are people who don't know this story. This is a great place to start.
March 26, 2020
Outstanding, telling the true story about an American hero, Francis Gary powers. It tells what he went through after being shot down. And the fight he had to go through to clear his name once he returned to the United States. He was a true American hero in every sense of the word.
June 16, 2020
A critical read for any who want to understand Cold War history along with how the general public opinion can flow in a misinformed direction; yet, with time and information accounts such as this can set the record straight. We all need to align truth with truth.
January 3, 2022
Although not of the technical type I was looking for, this story provided an important context to the human aspect of the incident. I applaud the author's lifelong effort to clear his father's name, and found this book to be an enjoyable read.
July 1, 2024
This is a very interesting story but he repeats some information like ten times. This would be better if edited.
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