Wings of Gold
The Story of the First Women Naval Aviators
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Wings of Gold
Buy for $25.70
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sandra Murphy
About this listen
On February 2, 2019, the skies over Maynardville, Tennessee, filled with the roar of four F/A-18F Super Hornets streaking overhead in close formation. In each aircraft were two young female flyers, executing the first all-woman Missing Man Formation flyover in Navy history in memory of Captain Rosemary Mariner - groundbreaking Navy jet pilot, inspiring commander, determined and dedicated leader - whose drive to ensure the United States military had its choice of the best America had to offer, both men and women, broke down barriers and opened doors for female aviators wanting to serve their country.
Selected for Navy flight training as an experiment in 1972, Mariner and her five fellow graduates from the inaugural group of female Naval Aviators racked up an impressive roster of achievements and firsts: first woman to fly a tactical jet aircraft; first woman to command an aviation squadron; first female Hurricane Hunter; first pregnant Navy pilot; plaintiff in a federal lawsuit that overturned limits on women's ability to fulfill their military duty.
Leading by example, and by confrontation when necessary, they challenged deep skepticism within the fleet and blazed a trail for female aviators wanting to serve their country equally with their male counterparts.
This is the story of their struggles and triumphs as they earned their Wings of Gold, learned to fly increasingly sophisticated jet fighters and helicopters, mastered aircraft carrier landings, served at sea, and reached heights of command that would have been unthinkable less than a generation before. And it is the story of the legacy they left behind, one for which the women performing the Navy’s first Missing Woman Flyover in Mariner’s memory owe a debt of gratitude.
©2021 Beverly Weintraub (P)2021 Rowman & LittlefieldListeners also enjoyed...
-
Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars
- The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission
- By: Col. Eileen M. Collins USAF (Retired), Jonathan H. Ward
- Narrated by: Molly Secours
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 70
Eileen Collins was an aviation pioneer her entire career, from her crowning achievements as the first woman to command an American space mission as well as the first to pilot the space shuttle to her early years as one of the Air Force's first female pilots. She was in the first class of women to earn pilot's wings at Vance Air Force Base and was their first female instructor pilot. She was only the second woman admitted to the Air Force's elite Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Nassau?
- By JUSTIN on 02-13-22
By: Col. Eileen M. Collins USAF (Retired), and others
-
Fly Girls
- How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
- By: Keith O'Brien
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,311
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,158
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,155
Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. Thousands of fans flocked to multi-day events, and cities vied with one another to host them. The pilots themselves were hailed as dashing heroes who cheerfully stared death in the face. Fly Girls recounts how a cadre of women banded together to break the original glass ceiling: the entrenched prejudice that conspired to keep them out of the sky.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
For women, and dads
- By Cecilia Avanelle on 08-08-18
By: Keith O'Brien
-
Devotion
- An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice
- By: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,474
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,256
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,253
Devotion tells the inspirational story of the U.S. Navy’s most famous aviation duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, and the Marines they fought to defend. A white New Englander from the country-club scene, Tom passed up Harvard to fly fighters for his country. An African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, Jesse became the navy’s first Black carrier pilot, defending a nation that wouldn’t even serve him in a bar.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
BUY A HIGHER CALL FIRST - IS MUCH BETTER
- By Count B on 06-29-18
By: Adam Makos
-
Jet Girl
- My Life in War, Peace, and the Cockpit of the Navy's Most Lethal Aircraft, the F/A-18 Super Hornet
- By: Caroline Johnson
- Narrated by: Hof Williams, Caroline Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 137
Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviator candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Operator. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and she was the first woman to drop bombs on ISIS. Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks and yet is in many respects still a fraternity.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
self-destruction; empaths beware
- By Eve on 02-07-20
By: Caroline Johnson
-
The Women with Silver Wings
- The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
- By: Katherine Sharp Landdeck
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 236
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 211
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 211
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At 22, Fort had escaped Nashville’s debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of a lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground. Still, when the US Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army’s rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
To Remember
- By erica skipton on 05-11-20
-
Chasing the Demon
- A Secret History of the Quest for the Sound Barrier, and the Band of American Aces Who Conquered It
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 178
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 177
In the aftermath of World War II, the United States accelerated the development of technologies that would give it an advantage over the Soviet Union. Airpower, combined with nuclear weapons, offered a formidable check on Soviet aggression. In 1947, the United States Air Force was established. Meanwhile, scientists and engineers were pioneering a revolutionary new type of aircraft which could do what no other machine had ever done: reach mach 1 - a speed faster than the movement of sound - which pilots called "the demon."
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not at all what it purports to be
- By John A Stevenson on 11-20-18
By: Dan Hampton
-
Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars
- The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission
- By: Col. Eileen M. Collins USAF (Retired), Jonathan H. Ward
- Narrated by: Molly Secours
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 70
Eileen Collins was an aviation pioneer her entire career, from her crowning achievements as the first woman to command an American space mission as well as the first to pilot the space shuttle to her early years as one of the Air Force's first female pilots. She was in the first class of women to earn pilot's wings at Vance Air Force Base and was their first female instructor pilot. She was only the second woman admitted to the Air Force's elite Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Nassau?
- By JUSTIN on 02-13-22
By: Col. Eileen M. Collins USAF (Retired), and others
-
Fly Girls
- How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
- By: Keith O'Brien
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,311
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,158
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,155
Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. Thousands of fans flocked to multi-day events, and cities vied with one another to host them. The pilots themselves were hailed as dashing heroes who cheerfully stared death in the face. Fly Girls recounts how a cadre of women banded together to break the original glass ceiling: the entrenched prejudice that conspired to keep them out of the sky.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
For women, and dads
- By Cecilia Avanelle on 08-08-18
By: Keith O'Brien
-
Devotion
- An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice
- By: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,474
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,256
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,253
Devotion tells the inspirational story of the U.S. Navy’s most famous aviation duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, and the Marines they fought to defend. A white New Englander from the country-club scene, Tom passed up Harvard to fly fighters for his country. An African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, Jesse became the navy’s first Black carrier pilot, defending a nation that wouldn’t even serve him in a bar.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
BUY A HIGHER CALL FIRST - IS MUCH BETTER
- By Count B on 06-29-18
By: Adam Makos
-
Jet Girl
- My Life in War, Peace, and the Cockpit of the Navy's Most Lethal Aircraft, the F/A-18 Super Hornet
- By: Caroline Johnson
- Narrated by: Hof Williams, Caroline Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 137
Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviator candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Operator. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and she was the first woman to drop bombs on ISIS. Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks and yet is in many respects still a fraternity.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
self-destruction; empaths beware
- By Eve on 02-07-20
By: Caroline Johnson
-
The Women with Silver Wings
- The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
- By: Katherine Sharp Landdeck
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 236
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 211
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 211
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At 22, Fort had escaped Nashville’s debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of a lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground. Still, when the US Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army’s rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
To Remember
- By erica skipton on 05-11-20
-
Chasing the Demon
- A Secret History of the Quest for the Sound Barrier, and the Band of American Aces Who Conquered It
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 178
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 177
In the aftermath of World War II, the United States accelerated the development of technologies that would give it an advantage over the Soviet Union. Airpower, combined with nuclear weapons, offered a formidable check on Soviet aggression. In 1947, the United States Air Force was established. Meanwhile, scientists and engineers were pioneering a revolutionary new type of aircraft which could do what no other machine had ever done: reach mach 1 - a speed faster than the movement of sound - which pilots called "the demon."
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not at all what it purports to be
- By John A Stevenson on 11-20-18
By: Dan Hampton
-
The Aviators
- Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight
- By: Winston Groom
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,272
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,962
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,950
Gifted storyteller Winston Groom, the best-selling author of Forrest Gump, has written the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight: Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond, including daring military raids and survival at sea, and will appeal to fans of Unbroken, The Greatest Generation, and Flyboys.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Too much a hagiography
- By Joseph Valenzi on 09-08-15
By: Winston Groom
-
Nerves of Steel
- How I Followed My Dreams, Earned My Wings, and Faced My Greatest Challenge
- By: Captain Tammie Jo Shults
- Narrated by: Tammie Jo Shults - introduction, Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 485
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 434
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 433
Nerves of Steel is the captivating true story of Tammie Jo Shults’ remarkable life—from growing up the daughter of a humble rancher, to breaking through gender barriers as one of the Navy’s first female F/A-18 Hornet pilots, to safely landing the severely crippled Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 and helping save the lives of 148 people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Impressive
- By Jean on 10-29-19
-
Lions of the Sky
- By: Paco Chierici
- Narrated by: Flynn Earl Jones
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
In the world of fighter pilots, the most alpha of the alpha, competition is everything and the stakes are impossibly high. A Top Gun for the new millennium, Lions of the Sky propels us into a realm in which friendship, loyalty, and skill are tested, battles won and lost in an instant, and lives irrevocably changed in the time it takes to plug in your afterburners.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book!
- By Brad Brandon on 07-30-22
By: Paco Chierici
-
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors
- The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
- By: James D. Hornfischer
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,018
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,659
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,656
Told from the point of view of the men who waged this steel-shattering battle, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors captures Navy pilots attacking enemy battleships with makeshift weapons and sacrificial valor, a veteran commander improvising tactics never taught in Annapolis, and young crews from across America rising to an impossible challenge.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding
- By John on 04-17-04
-
Yeager
- An Autobiography
- By: Chuck Yeager
- Narrated by: Chris Browning, Pamela Dillman, David Stifel, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,349
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,202
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,194
General Chuck Yeager was the greatest test pilot of them all - the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound...the World War II flying ace who shot down a Messerschmitt jet with a prop-driven P-51 Mustang...the hero who defined a certain quality that all hotshot fly-boys of the postwar era aimed to achieve: the right stuff. Now he tells his whole incredible life story with the same “wide-open, full throttle” approach that has marked his astonishing career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just an Amazing Life
- By John on 05-08-20
By: Chuck Yeager
-
An Officer, Not a Gentleman
- The Inspirational Journey of a Pioneering Female Fighter Pilot
- By: Mandy Hickson
- Narrated by: Mandy Hickson
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 37
Flying a multi-million pound fighter jet in hostile territory is not an everyday career, and it comes with a high degree of pressure and responsibility. It’s a dream job that takes years of ambition, training and commitment, but for Mandy Hickson, it was a dream that became reality. Find out about Mandy’s incredible journey to become one of the UK’s first female, fast-jet pilots and how she overcame many obstacles to develop the skills to succeed in such a demanding career.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
These reviews are getting hard to trust
- By Justin Campbell on 02-18-22
By: Mandy Hickson
-
Who Can Hold the Sea
- The U.S. Navy in the Cold War 1945-1960
- By: James D. Hornfischer
- Narrated by: Christopher Newton, Sharon Hornfischer
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 287
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 243
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 242
This landmark account of the U.S. Navy in the Cold War, Who Can Hold the Sea combines narrative history with scenes of stirring adventure on—and under—the high seas. In 1945, at the end of World War II, the victorious Navy sends its sailors home and decommissions most of its warships. But this peaceful interlude is short-lived, as Stalin, America’s former ally, makes aggressive moves in Europe and the Far East.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
James D. Hornfisher's last work
- By JWHayn4563 on 05-05-22
-
The Six
- The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts
- By: Loren Grush
- Narrated by: Inés del Castillo
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 83
When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots—made up exclusively of men—had the right stuff. It was an era in which women were steered away from jobs in science and deemed unqualified for space flight. Eventually, though, NASA recognized its blunder and opened the application process to a wider array of hopefuls, regardless of race or gender. From a candidate pool of 8,000 six elite women were selected in 1978—Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The mysogeny of NASA, and the Press in the 60s, 70s, 80s...
- By Carol Boerner on 02-09-24
By: Loren Grush
-
It's Your Ship
- Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
- By: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Narrated by: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5,118
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,505
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4,498
The story of Captain D. Michael Abrashoff and his command of USS Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy. Now Abrashoff offers this fascinating tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas. When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of the Benfold, a ship armed with every cutting-edge system available, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Trust your crew to do their best
- By A. Yoshida on 09-05-16
-
Into the Bright Sunshine
- Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights (Pivotal Moments in American History Series)
- By: Samuel G. Freedman
- Narrated by: Mike Lenz
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
During one sweltering week in July 1948, the Democratic Party gathered in Philadelphia for its national convention. The most pressing and controversial issue facing the delegates was not whom to nominate for president—the incumbent, Harry Truman, was the presumptive candidate—but whether the Democrats would finally embrace the cause of civil rights and embed it in their official platform. On the convention's final day, Hubert Humphrey, the relatively obscure mayor of the midsized city of Minneapolis, ascended the podium.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Civil Rights for All not just limited segments of society.
- By Patricia A Gustafson on 06-02-24
-
Operation Vengeance
- The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War II
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 136
In 1943, the United States military began to plan one of the most dramatic secret missions of World War II. Its code name was Operation Vengeance. Naval Intelligence had intercepted the itinerary of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander in chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, whose stealth attack on Pearl Harbor precipitated America’s entry into the war. Harvard-educated, Yamamoto was a close confidant of Emperor Hirohito and a brilliant tactician who epitomized Japanese military might.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
I want 1/2 my money back
- By DPM on 08-11-20
By: Dan Hampton
-
Viper Pilot
- The Autobiography of One of America's Most Decorated Combat Pilots
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,060
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,871
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,873
Sure to rank as one of the greatest aviation memoirs ever written, Viper Pilot is an Air Force legend's thrilling eyewitness account of modern air warfare. From 1986 to 2006, Lt. Col. Dan Hampton was a leading member of the Wild Weasels, the elite Air Force fighter squadrons whose mission is recognized as the most dangerous job in modern air combat. Weasels are the first planes sent into a war zone, flying deep behind enemy lines purposely seeking to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery. They must skillfully evade being shot down - and then return to destroy the threats, thereby making the skies safe for everyone else to follow.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
FINALLY A Pilot Tells it Like it is!!
- By aaron on 10-26-12
By: Dan Hampton
Related to this topic
-
The Tuskegee Airmen
- The History and Legacy of America's First Black Fighter Pilots in World War II
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Kenneth Ray
- Length: 1 hr and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
The United States has no shortage of famous military units, from the Civil War's Iron Brigade to the 101st Airborne, but one would be hard pressed to find one that had to go through as many hardships off the field as the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American fighter pilots who overcame Jim Crow at home and official segregation in the military to serve their country in the final years of World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Tuskegee Airmen
- By Doreen on 01-27-21
-
Freedom Flyers
- The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II
- By: J. Todd Moye
- Narrated by: Brandon Massey
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
Freedom Flyers brings to life the legacy of a determined, visionary cadre of African American airmen who proved their capabilities and patriotism beyond question, transformed the armed forces - formerly the nation's most racially polarized institution - and jump-started the modern struggle for racial equality.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
VERY disappointed,,
- By Max & Lucy on 06-11-16
By: J. Todd Moye
-
Hit the Target
- Eight Men Who Led the Eighth Air Force to Victory over the Luftwaffe
- By: Bill Yenne
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Less than a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Army formed its first air force designated to operate overseas, the Eighth. Within four months they had set up base in England. Three months later they were bombing German targets in occupied Europe. The Eighth was the first bomber command on either side to commit to strategic daylight bombing. It was a major change in tactics - and the men of the Eighth paid the price in both lives and blood.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lots of history, kinda boring.
- By Annie on 11-12-23
By: Bill Yenne
-
LeMay
- By: Warren Kozak
- Narrated by: Grainger Hines
- Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 202
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 202
The firebombing of Tokyo. Strategic Air Command. John F. Kennedy. Dr. Strangelove. George Wallace. All of these have one man in common—General Curtis LeMay, who remains as enigmatic and controversial as he was in life. Until now. Warren Kozak traces the trajectory of America’s most infamous general, from his troubled background and heroic service in Europe to his firebombing of Tokyo, guardianship of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the Cold War, frustrated career in government, and short-lived political run.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Definition.....Leader.....General Curtis Le May
- By Nj-Mike on 01-04-15
By: Warren Kozak
-
First Man
- The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
- By: James R. Hansen
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 752
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 750
When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. In First Man, author James R. Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over 50 hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this "magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not really 'unabridged'
- By A Reader on 06-06-18
By: James R. Hansen
-
Lemay
- By: Barrett Tillman
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 243
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 241
Packed with breathtaking air battles and ground tactics, this new addition to the Great Generals series features the controversial command and strategies of the former Air Force Chief of Staff. Curtis LeMay was a terrifying, complex, and brilliant general. In World War II, he ordered the firebombing of Tokyo and was in charge when atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A Biased Look at A Great Air Force Leader
- By Bishop on 02-11-20
By: Barrett Tillman
-
The Tuskegee Airmen
- The History and Legacy of America's First Black Fighter Pilots in World War II
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Kenneth Ray
- Length: 1 hr and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
The United States has no shortage of famous military units, from the Civil War's Iron Brigade to the 101st Airborne, but one would be hard pressed to find one that had to go through as many hardships off the field as the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American fighter pilots who overcame Jim Crow at home and official segregation in the military to serve their country in the final years of World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Tuskegee Airmen
- By Doreen on 01-27-21
-
Freedom Flyers
- The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II
- By: J. Todd Moye
- Narrated by: Brandon Massey
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
Freedom Flyers brings to life the legacy of a determined, visionary cadre of African American airmen who proved their capabilities and patriotism beyond question, transformed the armed forces - formerly the nation's most racially polarized institution - and jump-started the modern struggle for racial equality.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
VERY disappointed,,
- By Max & Lucy on 06-11-16
By: J. Todd Moye
-
Hit the Target
- Eight Men Who Led the Eighth Air Force to Victory over the Luftwaffe
- By: Bill Yenne
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Less than a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Army formed its first air force designated to operate overseas, the Eighth. Within four months they had set up base in England. Three months later they were bombing German targets in occupied Europe. The Eighth was the first bomber command on either side to commit to strategic daylight bombing. It was a major change in tactics - and the men of the Eighth paid the price in both lives and blood.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lots of history, kinda boring.
- By Annie on 11-12-23
By: Bill Yenne
-
LeMay
- By: Warren Kozak
- Narrated by: Grainger Hines
- Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 202
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 202
The firebombing of Tokyo. Strategic Air Command. John F. Kennedy. Dr. Strangelove. George Wallace. All of these have one man in common—General Curtis LeMay, who remains as enigmatic and controversial as he was in life. Until now. Warren Kozak traces the trajectory of America’s most infamous general, from his troubled background and heroic service in Europe to his firebombing of Tokyo, guardianship of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the Cold War, frustrated career in government, and short-lived political run.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Definition.....Leader.....General Curtis Le May
- By Nj-Mike on 01-04-15
By: Warren Kozak
-
First Man
- The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
- By: James R. Hansen
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 752
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 750
When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. In First Man, author James R. Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over 50 hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this "magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not really 'unabridged'
- By A Reader on 06-06-18
By: James R. Hansen
-
Lemay
- By: Barrett Tillman
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 243
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 241
Packed with breathtaking air battles and ground tactics, this new addition to the Great Generals series features the controversial command and strategies of the former Air Force Chief of Staff. Curtis LeMay was a terrifying, complex, and brilliant general. In World War II, he ordered the firebombing of Tokyo and was in charge when atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A Biased Look at A Great Air Force Leader
- By Bishop on 02-11-20
By: Barrett Tillman
-
Brute
- The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine
- By: Robert Coram
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 216
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 185
From the earliest days of his 34-year military career, Victor "Brute" Krulak displayed a remarkable facility for applying creative ways of fighting to the Marine Corps. He went on daring spy missions, was badly wounded, pioneered the use of amphibious vehicles, and masterminded the invasion of Okinawa. In Korea, he was a combat hero and invented the use of helicopters in warfare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Leaves a deep impression while also entertaining
- By PaulaD on 04-26-15
By: Robert Coram
-
Boyd
- The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
- By: Robert Coram
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,839
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,634
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,642
John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest US fighter pilot ever - the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than 40 seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft - the F-15 and F-16. Still, others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Stick With It if You Want a Rare Gem
- By Michael Richards on 08-30-16
By: Robert Coram
-
The Mercury 13
- The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight
- By: Martha Ackmann
- Narrated by: Julie Eickhoff
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
For fans of The Astronaut Wives Club, The Mercury 13 reveals the little-known true story of the remarkable women who trained for NASA space flight. In 1961, just as NASA launched its first man into space, a group of women underwent secret testing in the hopes of becoming America’s first female astronauts. They passed the same battery of tests at the legendary Lovelace Foundation as did the Mercury 7 astronauts, but they were summarily dismissed by the boys’ club at NASA and on Capitol Hill.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing story
- By Chilli Dog on 01-26-15
By: Martha Ackmann
-
The Dream Machine
- The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey
- By: Richard Whittle
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 147
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
When the Marines decided to buy a helicopter-airplane hybrid "tiltrotor" called the V-22 Osprey, they saw it as their dream machine. The tiltrotor was the aviation equivalent of finding the Northwest Passage: an aircraft able to take off, land, and hover with the agility of a helicopter yet fly as fast and as far as an airplane. Many predicted it would reshape civilian aviation. The Marines saw it as key to their very survival. Opponents called it one of the worst boondoggles in Pentagon history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Innovation runs into government
- By Cx30 on 09-25-10
By: Richard Whittle
-
Vanished Hero
- The Life, War and Mysterious Disappearance of America’s WWII Strafing King
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
A hell-bent-for-leather fighter pilot, Elwyn G. Righetti remains one of the most unknown, yet compelling, colorful, and controversial commanders of World War II. Arriving late to the war, he led the England-based 55th Fighter Group against the Nazis during the closing months of the fight with a no-holds-barred aggressiveness that transformed the group from a middling organization of no reputation into a headline-grabbing team that had to make excuses to no one. Indeed, Righetti's boldness paid off as he quickly achieved ace status.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great Performance for a Great Story!
- By Carter L. on 11-03-17
By: Jay A. Stout
-
When Tigers Ruled the Sky
- The Flying Tigers: American Outlaw Pilots over China in World War II
- By: Bill Yenne
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
In 1940 Pearl Harbor had not yet happened, and America was not yet at war with Japan. But China had been trying to stave off Japanese aggression for three years - and was desperate for aircraft and trained combat pilots. General Chiang Kai-shek sent military aviation advisor Claire Chennault to Washington, where President Roosevelt was sympathetic but knew he could not intervene overtly. Instead he quietly helped Chennault put together a group of American volunteer pilots.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Well Written Historical Perspective
- By Donald Hill on 11-21-17
By: Bill Yenne
-
A Fiery Peace in a Cold War
- Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon
- By: Neil Sheehan
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 88
From Neil Sheehan, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic A Bright Shining Lie, comes this long-awaited, magnificent epic. Here is the never-before-told story of the nuclear arms race that changed history - and of the visionary American Air Force officer Bernard Schriever, who led the high-stakes effort. A Fiery Peace in a Cold War is a masterly work about Schriever’s quests to prevent the Soviet Union from acquiring nuclear superiority, to penetrate and exploit space for America, and to build the first weapons meant to deter an atomic holocaust.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Schriever rhymes with beaver.
- By John Gardner on 11-13-09
By: Neil Sheehan
-
Topgun
- An American Story
- By: Dan Pedersen
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 964
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 851
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 852
Dan Pedersen takes listeners on a colorful and thrilling ride - from Miramar to Area 51 to the decks of aircraft carriers in war and peace - through a historic moment in air warfare. He helped establish a legacy that was built by him and his "Original Eight" - the best of the best - and carried on for six decades by some of America's greatest leaders. Topgun is a heartfelt and personal testimonial to patriotism, sacrifice, and American innovation and daring.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I loved it!
- By "airplane_cfii" on 10-09-19
By: Dan Pedersen
-
Harnessing the Sky
- Frederick "Trap" Trapnell, the U.S. Navy's Aviation Pioneer, 1923-1952
- By: Frederick M. Trapnell Jr., Dana Trapnell Tibbitts
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
A pilot of calculated courage, "Trap" entered the Navy when test pilots were more like stuntmen than engineers. Airplanes had not yet come into their own as weapons of war, and they had an undeveloped role in the fleet. His vision and leadership shaped the evolution of naval aviation through its formative years and beyond. When the threat of war in 1940 raised an alarm over the Navy's deficiency in aircraft - especially fighters - Trap was appointed to lead the Flight Test Section to direct the development of all-new Navy airplanes.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Superb Book
- By Peter H. Christensen on 09-27-19
By: Frederick M. Trapnell Jr., and others
-
Above and Beyond
- By: Casey Sherman
- Narrated by: Maxwell Hamilton
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
From the authors of the best-selling The Finest Hours comes the riveting, deeply human story of President John F. Kennedy and two U-2 pilots, Rudy Anderson and Chuck Maultsby, who risked their lives to save America during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the ominous two weeks of the Cold War's terrifying peak, two things saved humanity: the strategic wisdom of John F. Kennedy and the U-2 aerial spy program. On October 27, 1962, Kennedy, strained from back pain, sleeplessness, and days of impossible tension, was briefed about a missing spy plane.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator’s mispronunciations detracted from the story
- By Stephen E. Smith on 08-01-18
By: Casey Sherman
-
The Nightingale's Song
- By: Robert Timberg
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
Robert Timberg weaves together the lives of Annapolis graduates John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter to reveal how the Vietnam War continues to haunt America. Casting all five men as metaphors for a legion of well-meaning if ill-starred warriors, Timberg probes the fault line between those who fought the war and those who used money, wit, and connections to avoid battle.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Too Long
- By Tom Carroll on 11-15-18
By: Robert Timberg
-
Admiral Hyman Rickover
- Engineer of Power (The Jewish Lives Series)
- By: Marc Wortman
- Narrated by: Paul Bellantoni
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 47
Admiral Hyman George Rickover (1899-1986) remains an almost mythical figure in the United States Navy. A brilliant engineer with a ferocious will and combative personality, he oversaw the invention of the world’s first practical nuclear power reactor. In this exciting biography, historian Marc Wortman explores the constant conflict Rickover faced and provoked, tracing how he revolutionized the navy and Cold War strategy.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Rickover - No Compromises
- By Brustar on 07-18-22
By: Marc Wortman
What listeners say about Wings of Gold
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jane
- 02-07-22
A real record of real women possessing courage and gravitas
Thank you Beverly Weintraub for a well researched well told history. This wonderful narrative was read by a person whose talent could best serve a subject of less significance. There were times I almost couldn’t listen. It’s a shame you let Jim Webb choose the narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michele Kimbrough
- 02-23-23
They paved the way for me.
Great historical account. I had the great fortune to serve as an Army helicopter and airplane pilot from 1982 to 1992. I was at the right place at the right time. These women before me enabled me to have an overall great experience!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dorinda
- 12-28-21
Outstanding history of truly remarkable women
Great narration of the amazing history of truly remarkable women and the challenges they encountered as they blqzed the trail of women in avaition.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Angie Griffin
- 03-30-23
A story hard to hear
A story hard to hear that needed to be told about brave American female aviator stars.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Genro Sato
- 06-16-23
MUST-READ for all women+men wearing military wings
KNOW OUR HISTORY.
CELEBRATE how we got here and the women who wouldn't accept the status quo..
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!