Zenith Press – serie

Meet the brave and determined people who gave their hearts, minds, and, in some cases, their lives to put Lockheed’s incredibly fast SR-71 Blackbird in the sky.In SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales, and Legends, former SR-71 pilot, instructor, and wing commander Colonel Richard Graham presents the most intriguing SR-71 stories ever told. This once highly classified program is fully revealed through the words of pilots, commanders, mechanics, and instructors involved in the Blackbird’s creation and flight testing. From grueling reconnaissance missions to the Persian Gulf conflict, this insightful book is brimming with stories of courage and perseverance.Including detailed commentary by Colonel Graham, drawn from 15 years of assignments within the SR-71 community, and with a foreword by the late deputy director of the National Air and Space Museum Don Lopez, this fascinating book answers all the questions you might have about this legendary airplane.Running chronologically, from the first A-12 flights to the record-breaking transcontinental delivery flight of the SR-71 now in the National Air and Space Museum collection, each chapter begins with a brief biographical sketch of the featured Blackbird program participant, followed by their firsthand accounts. Explore:Personal stories, legends, traditions, and behind-the-scenes activities of the Blackbird programSidebars amplifying and expanding on aspects of the storiesThe meanings of Blackbird-related terms such as Habu, unstart, Bat Caver, and hookBlack-and-white photos of the participants at work and playSR-71 key events timelineFeel the Mach 3 power of this awesome aircraft and gain an appreciation of just how unique the Blackbird program really was.

Of all the celebrities who served their country during World War II -and they were legion -Jimmy Stewart was unique. On December 7th, when the attack on Pearl Harbor woke so many others to the reality of war, Stewart was already in uniform - as a private on guard duty south of San Francisco at the Army Air Corps Moffet Field. Seeing war on the horizon, Jimmy Stewart, at the height of his fame after Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and his Oscar-winning turn in The Phadelphia Story in 1940, had enlisted several months earlier. Jimmy Stewart, Bomber Pilot chronicles his long journey to become a bomber pilot in combat. Author Starr Smith, the intelligence officer assigned to the movie star, recounts how Stewart's first battles were with the Air Corps high command, who insisted on keeping the naturally talented pilot out of harm's way as an instructor pilot for B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators. By 1944, however, Stewart managed to get assigned to a Liberator squadron that was deploying to England to join the mighty Eighth Air Force. Once in the thick of it, he rose to command his own squadron and flew twenty combat missions, including one to Berlin. “My father would feel honored by this book.” —Kelly Stewart Harcourt, daughter of Jimmy Stewart "We would have made Jimmy a group commander [equivalent to an army regiment] if the war had lasted another month." - General Jimmy Doolittle. "An excellent biography of a distinguished airman and fine human being." - Roger Freeman, author of The Mighty Eighth: A History of the U.S. 8th Air Force. "How wonderful it is that Starr Smith has finally directed a literary light on the personal history of Jimmy Stewart. . . . I welcomed Starr's book. It is needed and wanted. Bravo!" - Gay Talese. "This is a very well researched and written book. . . . It fills a place in history about no mere actor but a courageous and selfless man, Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart, USAF." - General Michael E. Ryan, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force. “I have met a few movie stars, but of them all, I think that Jimmy Stewart was most like those modest heroes he portrayed. Now journalist Starr Smith has raised the curtain on Stewart’s gallant service as a bomber pilot and air combat commander in World War II.” —Walter Cronkite, from the Foreword