James Doolittle and aviation grew up with the 20th century. He made the first transcontinental flight that took less than twenty-four hours; he was the first American to fly the Andes; he received one of the first PhDs in aeronautical engineering. He worked on techniques and instruments for blind flights, and for longer and faster ones. He won countless awards for his breath-taking stunt flying, and he was a three-star lieutenant general by the end of World War II. Looking at his zest for life makes his biography more than just the story of an ace pilot. Adapted from the flyleaf.

Includes index.