The Wild Blue

Description for THE WILD BLUE: THE NOVEL OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE by Walter J Boyne and Steven L Thompson:

Sweeping, filled with all the thrill and glamour of flight, THE WILD BLUE is a panoramic novel of the men, the women, and the machines that made the Air Force the elite and gutsy flying corps it is today.

Tracing the U.S. Air Force from its inception in 1947 through the latest ascents into space. THE WILD BLUE follows the lives of six very different airmen, at work, at play, and in love. Each joins the force for his own reasons---one seeking thrills, one in love with the complex mechanism that is a flying machine, still another because the military is the "family business." From basic training to the Berlin airlift, from Korea to Vietnam and the Middle East, THE WILD BLUE unfolds in gripping detail, telling from inside the cockpit the story of battle, perilous test flights, competition in the air and on the ground, and stellar performances under constant pressure and risk.

More than just an authoritative tale of fighting men, THE WILD BLUE is a loving depiction of military families---focusing particularly on military wives. It captures all their joys and agonies---from women who staunchly support their men through separations and passionate reunions, to those who succumb to loveless marriages and alcoholism, to the women who overcome the odds, forging successful careers of their own and coming to terms with their men and the force they serve.

From the earth to the star, romantic, adventurous, often heartrending, and always incredibly authentic, THE WILD BLUE is an epic novel of the call to glory.