Overview

The life story of a daredevil who became a war hero will fascinate adventurous young readers with its tales of survival. At age thirteen, following the death of his father, young Eddie dropped out of school and joined the workforce. Through a combination of smarts, hard work, and perseverance, Rickenbacker would grow up to become an automobile mechanic, a race car driver, a fighter pilot, an entrepreneur, a war hero, a business executive, and a staunch advocate for hard work and personal responsibility. Along the way he lived on the line between recklessness and courage. He survived dozens of accidents, coming close to death more than once. During the earliest years of American automobile racing, Rickenbacker was ""the most daring and withal the most cautious driver"" on the circuit. How could he have been both daring and cautious? This book invites young readers to decide for themselves as they follow Rickenbacker on his many hair-raising adventures.

Full Product Details

9780821424308

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Reviews

A fast-paced, white-knuckle thrill ride from start to finish, Speno's book takes young readers from the racetracks of the Indy 500 to the bullet-riddled skies of World War I, bringing them along on the exciting, action-packed journey of one of America's greatest war heroes. -- Ben Thompson, author of Guts & Glory

“A fast-paced, white-knuckle thrill ride from start to finish, Speno’s book takes young readers from the racetracks of the Indy 500 to the bullet-riddled skies of World War I, bringing them along on the exciting, action-packed journey of one of America’s greatest war heroes.” -- Ben Thompson, author of the Guts & Glory series “Full of cars, races, and airplane adventures, this biography of Eddie Rickenbacker is sure to appeal to readers who love everything speedy. Never mind that the WWI ace was born in the nineteenth century, there’s nothing dusty about this chapter book, part of the Biographies for Young Readers series….A story of initiative, this is more substantial than the Who Was? Series, making it a good stepping stone from those beginner bios to longer nonfiction works.” * Booklist * “Drawing on Rickenbacker’s ghostwritten memoir and contemporaneous accounts, Speno takes readers from adventure to adventure even as Rickenbacker helmed Eastern Air Lines between the wars before returning to service with the Army Air Forces during World War II. Did You Know? featurettes conclude each chapter, offering tidbits of related trivia, and callout boxes provide context when necessary. Numerous archival photographs depict the White ace in dashing poses throughout. A lively chronicle of a colorful, exciting, risk-filled life.” * Kirkus Reviews *

Drawing on Rickenbacker's ghostwritten memoir and contemporaneous accounts, Speno takes readers from adventure to adventure even as Rickenbacker helmed Eastern Air Lines between the wars before returning to service with the Army Air Forces during World War II. Did You Know? featurettes conclude each chapter, offering tidbits of related trivia, and callout boxes provide context when necessary. Numerous archival photographs depict the White ace in dashing poses throughout. A lively chronicle of a colorful, exciting, risk-filled life. Full of cars, races, and airplane adventures, this biography of Eddie Rickenbacker is sure to appeal to readers who love everything speedy. Never mind that the WWI ace was born in the nineteenth century, there's nothing dusty about this chapter book, part of the Biographies for Young Readers series....A story of initiative, this is more substantial than the Who Was? Series, making it a good stepping stone from those beginner bios to longer nonfiction works. A fast-paced, white-knuckle thrill ride from start to finish, Speno's book takes young readers from the racetracks of the Indy 500 to the bullet-riddled skies of World War I, bringing them along on the exciting, action-packed journey of one of America's greatest war heroes. -- Ben Thompson, author of the Guts & Glory series

Author Information

Andrew Speno is a teacher and the author of The Great American Foot Race. He enjoys cooking, listening to live music, attending live theater, and playing Go. He and his family live in Cincinnati.

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