|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Valiant Young Men Bryce D. Gibby Secure Transaction Casebound | 576 pages | ISBN: 0-9741743-2-7 |
Meet three men who would not accept defeat. Each possessed the adventurous dreams of youth, yet faced the realities of global conflict, financial ruin, debilitating injury, and at times their own fear of failure.
Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Hall, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry may not have considered themselves remarkable, but each one worked to develop his God-given gifts to make a difference-and the world will never be the same again.
Most readers know something of the lives of each of these great men. Rickenbacker is best known as America's legendary Ace of Aces of the famed 94th Aero Squadron. Hall is most remembered as the co-author of the classic work Mutiny on the Bounty. Saint-Exupéry is celebrated world-wide for his book The Little Prince (always in print, having sold over 50 million copies, translated into more than 40 languages). However, few individuals today understand how these three lives intertwined and how they were among the first to "plow the skies."Step into the cockpit and allow their unique vantage point to reveal who the real enemies of self are; gain a broader panorama of the wonder of life, a renewed vision of home and loved ones; discover the power of sacrifice, the beauty of duty. As we read how each man faced public and private battlefields, we seem to siphon strength and find a courage of our own.
Although this book examines the character of three heroes, it is not for men only. Every wife, mother, sister, and daughter will find inner application and a deeper appreciation for the men in her life.
Greatness is neither confined nor limited; it is relevant to every day and every age. In the end we find it an honor to know Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Hall and Tonio de Saint-Exupéry. Their cause was (and ever is) the cause of mankind-identity, truth, purpose.Fine art insert of WWI air combat paintings, full page and full color, by world renowned artists, Stan Stokes, Robert Taylor, Herb Kawainui Kane, Rich Thistle, Jim Laurier, and James Dietz. Also included are rare era photographs.
“Recently I read in its entirety the manuscript by Bryce D. Gibby entitled Valiant Young Men—Heroes of Flight. I not only found the principles of the book allied to our cause of motivational and inspirational education, I also found the book extremely exciting and informative. . . . This is not only a well written biography of three outstanding airmen, it is more importantly a concise motivational treatise on developing the qualities of manhood—simply stated: man-making.”
Ron Kaplan, Executive Director of the National Aviation Hall of Fame Dayton, Ohio“By any literary measure, this latest work by Bryce Gibby will no doubt soar to great heights in the eyes of those of us in the aviation fraternity, past, present and future, and all others whose ideals and aspirations parallel the values we hold dear. A fellow aviator, Bryce Gibby, whose father learned to fly in the golden age of aviation prior to World War II and inspired him to follow in his contrail, has written a book so captivating and inspiring that young men of today, who read this work, will aspire to follow in the footsteps of these most valiant aviation pioneers.”
Nicholas G. Rutgers III
Grandson of James Norman Hall
B-747-400 First Officer, United Airlines
CW4 (Ret) U.S. Army, Former Aircraft Commander, UH-60 Blackhawk“Valiant Young Men depicts wonderfully, not only my grandfather’s belief in the Almighty, but his understanding that man himself bears an equal responsibility in determining the outcome of his life. We can only hope that the history these pages bring to life serves as inspiration to Americans, to re-examine our lives, and to thank God for heroes . . . It is men like these who enable us to enjoy the freedom we take for granted. These men possessed a different mindset eschewing luxury and embracing sacrifice for the greater good, much like the situation we face today in the War on Terror. I shudder to think how we would have conducted World War II with the constrictions of political correctness placed upon us today. We must rediscover the principles of American life.”
Brian Rickenbacker
Grandson of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
Professionally, Bryce D. Gibby is an aviator. However, for thirty years his avocation has been to work with youth and young adults.
At thirteen years of age, Bryce received his first instruction in a Schweizer 2-22 glider in Tehachapi, California. On July 9, 1966, at fifteen, he began his formal training, flying a post-WWII Taylorcraft. Although the airplane was his father’s, Gibby worked as a custodian to earn money for fuel and instructor. The only instruments in the 65 hosepowered aircraft were “compass, needle, ball and airspeed.” As soon as the young pilot met the FAA age requirement he attained the commensurate license. At sixteen Bryce soloed, at seventeen he became a private pilot. In his eighteenth year Gibby was licensed as a commericial/instrument pilot. On his twenty-third birthday, he was certified as an ATP, making him the youngest Airline Transport Pilot in the country. By this time he had logged well over the required 1,500 flight hours and was chief flight instructor for a flying service in New Mexico. This was a time of great adventure and diversity, for Bryce not only taught aeronautics, he also flew charter flights and engaged in bush off-airport operations in the deserts and mountains of the Southwest.
In his aviation career Gibby has flown 12,000 hours. He has been a chief pilot, director of operations, an FAA designated flight examiner, a Fairchild SA-227 Captain and a Douglas DC-9 Captain. Bryce will tell you that his most adventurous flight was not in a jet, but rather in a single-engine aircraft he flew from Denmark to Newfoundland—via Scotland, Iceland and Greenland.
Throughout his adult life, Gibby has worked a great deal with youth and young adult groups, as a counselor, advisor, motivational speaker and administrator. He has lectured in hundreds of civic and religious conferences, including the Atlanta Police Academy, public and private schools, and diverse denominations, from the eastern shore to the west coast. Additionally, he has participated in numerous girl summer encampments and scout camps. Throughout the years Gibby has developed a keen insight into the challenges that face today’s young people.
Valiant Young Men—Heroes of Flight is second in a series of books. It is preceded by Valiant Young Women—Heroines, a book that explored the lives of such notable heroines as Joan of Arc and Maria von Trapp. Gibby is writing the Valiant series to motivate the youth of today to lives of faith, excellence and accomplishment.
Introduction
Bryce D. Gibby's book, Valiant Young Men-Heroes of Flight, is an exciting and informative comparison of three well known pioneers of aviation who shared common backgrounds, diversity, near death experiences, and a love for flying. It is filled with examples of the demanding challenges of flight during those early years. The lives, virtues, philosophical views, and experiences of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, and Captain James Hall are used to evaluate, define, and portray the development and measurement of manhood. Gibby's flowing writing style and special use of verse and quotation from these and other pioneers makes the book easy to read and relevant to life today. The stoic resolve of these heroes as they faced both everyday living and uncommon danger makes Gibby's theory on the
development of young men credible and real. The growth of manhood or "man making" is a well-defined theme. Examining the personal history, values, faith, responsibility and self-reliance of each historic aviator reveals how they faced life threatening challenges and more-for these qualities learned and activated may likewise empower youth today.
As a former aviator, I found this book real, exciting, and appropriate to the theme of manhood. Valiant Young Men-Heroes of Flight is a book that I will read time and time again, for in it I come face to face with greatness. My compliments to Bryce Gibby for writing one of the best books on leadership and the development of young men that I have ever read.
N. Michael Bissell
Brigadier General U.S. Army (VA)
Commandant of Cadets
VWIL Corps of Cadets
Former Commander of the 17th Aviation Group
Former Commander of the Joint Republic of Korea Army Combined Aviation Force
Former Director of U.S. Army Flight Training
Former Deputy Chief of the Staff of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Former Executive Officer to the Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Two tours as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam where he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with "V" device and 24 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Search Categories | Featured Publishers | New Titles | Author Spotlight | Reading Room | Publishers | Retailers | BookMasters | Home | Contact AtlasBooks® is a Division of BookMasters®, Inc.
© Copyright 1997- 2008, All rights reserved. |
