|
|
|
"An American Eagle 1916-1917" relates
the odyssey of Alex Sutton, a brilliant American aircraft
designer and pilot who, while still in his early twenties,
enlists with the Royal Flying Corps to serve as a fighter
pilot in France along the Western Front. There, Sutton
flies an F7, a fast, rugged twin-gun biplane that he designed
and tested himself. Sutton soon thrives and becomes an
Ace. But more importantly, he manages to survive and overcomes
all sorts of adversity whether in aerial combat or within
his own squadron.
Sutton's tenure with the Royal Flying Corps spans a period
from the fall of 1916 through the spring of 1917, a time
when Germany was the dominant power in the skies above
the Western Front. But not in all instances or everywhere
for that matter as pilots from British and French Squadrons
scored victories that were glorious exceptions to the
rule.
Most of the time, Sutton, the novel's main character,
flies an F7. Even though it never existed, the F7 is nevertheless
technologically feasible enough to have existed at the
time and as such, provides a unique vehicle for the air
combat successes of Sutton and some of the other pilots
in his squadron.
Apart from the F7, all of the other aircraft flown by
either Allied or German pilots throughout the various
dogfight scenes are historically based and actually did
exist.
Sutton's aerial triumphs and defeats are described in
vivid detail as they take place thousands of feet above
the Western Front. There, Sutton witnesses first hand
the high price paid for failure by those who are vanquished.
In some respects, "An American Eagle 1916-1917"
is still relevant for today as it not only accounts the
ways in which the main character overcomes all sorts of
adversity, but also examines how various individuals relate
to the world in which they live and the means they use
to succeed and survive.
As a novel which combines historical fact with plausible
fiction, "An American Eagle 1916-1917" should be
of interest not only to those already interested in World
War One aviation but also to those interested in discovering
for the first time the world in which these pilots lived
and died. |
|
|
|
|
Great Pond
Press
P.O. Box 2111
Andover, MA 01810
|
|
