Story Behind The Book
My mother was in the Army during World War II and in her scrap book I found an article in her base newsletter about women pilots. I found out very few people even know that there were women pilots during WWII.
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<span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;"><em>She Flew Bombers</em> is a funny, sad and heroic story about the strength of one woman, Violet Willey, and her <abbr title="Women Airforce Service Pilots">WASP</abbr> colleagues, a colorful assortmen of other patriotic women, each one strong in her won way. Women pilots were and exotic and unappreciated item during WWII, and as such, had to fight their own battles against gender discrimination vefore it became a problem. The Same was not true of Russian women pilots, as Violet founds out in the course of delivering a pursuit airplane to self-proclaimed "Night Witches," as those extraordinary women combat pilots were called because they made their aerial raids under cover of darkness. Flying a dizzying variety of airplanes was a constant challenge of <abbr title="Women Airforce Service Pilots">WASP</abbr> pilots, as well as the terrifying porblem of sabotage. Add to this the knowledge that many of the planes they flew were relatively untested as they came off the assembly line, and the reader will easily understand the origin of the term, "Flying by the seat of their pants!".</span><div><span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;"> -- Mary Lynn Archibald, author of <em>Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse, and No Clue</em></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;"><em><span style="font-style:normal;"><em>She Flew Bombers</em> is a fascinating account of one woman's love of flying and her involvement with the <abbr title="Women Airforce Service Pilots">WASP</abbr>s durin World War II. Anyone interested in aviation history, women's history, or the World War II "war effort" will appreciate Jeane Slone's careful research, as well as her ability to bring this little-known aspect of the US history to life so vividly</span>.</em></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;"><em> <span style="font-style:normal;">-- Jean Hegland, author of <em>Windfalls.</em></span></em></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;"><em><span style="font-style:normal;">Author Jeane Slone Does an outstanding job in her new novel <em>She Flew Bombers</em>. This well written and fast-paced book chronicles the history of the <abbr title="Women Airforce Service Pilots">WASP</abbr> through the personal experiences of fictional aviatrix, Violet Willey. This Civil Service Organization transported all types of military aircraft across country to bases so male American flyers could be freed up to do the job of winning the war. Violet's passion for flying is documented from her first experience as a young girl going on a flight with a California barnstormer to joining the<abbr title="Women Airforce Service Pilots">WASP</abbr> and flying pursiots. Little seems to be written about this heroic status until 1977. The obstacles and biases they managed to overcome as women pilots during their service to our country are expertly put to paper by author Jeane Slone. Written with humor, emotion, and accuracy, this film-worthy story will be enjoyed by anyone interested in military and aviation history, a plain good book, or a fast read.</span><br /></em></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;">-- Tony Lazzarini, president, Military Writers Society of America</span></span></div><span style="font-family:'Book Antiqua', Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;"></span><div class="praise" style="color:#000000;margin-top:0px;margin-right:auto;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:auto;width:1051px;float:right;"></div>