The Stand

A revised and expanded new edition of this classic biography of a legendary American fighter pilot. Frank Luke was the first American airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the second-highest-scoring American fighter ace of the First World War, just behind Eddie Rickenbacker. Unlike the jovial Rickenbacker, Luke is an enigma. On the basis of his unmatched rate of aerial victories, including many heavily defended balloons, Luke was likely one of the bravest and most gifted fighter pilots of the war. On the other hand, the young Arizonan was almost universally disliked and doubted by his peers. Frank Luke was shot down and killed on September 29, 1918; he was 21 years old and had been in combat for just over a month. The details of this exceptional pilot's death were murky, heavily shrouded by rumor and mythos. Author Stephen Skinner changed that. Skinner immersed himself in the life and death of Frank Luke. Fifteen years of research, including archeological digs, dozens of interviews, nine trips to France, and the review of 2,000 pages of unpublished archival material, produced the definitive work on a truly legendary figure in US military history. This new edition combines new content and revisions with a refreshed presentation and format.