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Wings A Novel of World War II Flygirls Karl Friedrich Books

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Wings A Novel of World War II Flygirls Karl Friedrich Books

This book is gripping in part because of the action and danger the viewpoint character, Sally, experiences, and in part because the author makes us care what happens to her. The author is male but, so far as I can tell--being male myself--he has achieved empathy with his female characters.
The setting is the WASP--Women Airforce Service Pilots. During WWII, thousands of women volunteered to fly Army airplanes hither and yon, as, for instance, from factory to air base, thus freeing many a male pilot for combat. These women, though risking and sometimes losing their lives, did not enjoy legal status as members of the Army--as did the WACs--but were, rather, civilian employees of the Army. It would be shameful decades before their service would receive proper recognition from the US Government, and benefits bestowed.
I am a professional historian and, so far as I could tell, Mr. Friedrich has the story of the WASPs correct to a tee, including the hysterical anti-WASP fury exhibited by a large number of male chauvinists in the Army and Congress. I cannot, however, claim to know how to fly an airplane, so I can only say that Mr. Friedrich's descriptions of planes and flying sound accurate to me, and understandable as well as interesting.
In addition to female colleagues, Sally meets some admirable males, some not so admirable, and one real villain. Without giving away the plot, I will add that, not surprisingly, she develops a love interest, though its outcome may surprise many readers. The ultimate fate of the WASP program is described in dismaying, if not very surprising, detail.
Mr. Friedrich's style is quite good. Spelling, grammar, sentence structure and electronic formatting are all in order. His descriptions of life on the WASP base, and even more so of Sally's aerial episodes, are especially good. On the other hand, I found some of the dialogue to be too formal and a bit wordy, but not so much as to bog the reader down. The problem was, I suppose, that Sally, the male lead, and the chief villain are all very complex characters; hence the large amount of dialogue and description given to explaining their mental states.
Yet, again, this is only a minor point. Mr. Friedrich's book, almost in its entirety, is fast-paced and fascinating. Sally is a survivor in one difficult situation after another, both personal and professional; and "Wings" is a fitting tribute to the WASPs.
--Karl G. Larew, Ph.D.


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Wings A Novel of World War II Flygirls Karl Friedrich Books Reviews

Books honoring the heroes of World War II abound and rightfully so. Karl Friedrich breaks out of the mold and venerates women trained to fly planes on the home front due to a shortage of male pilots. What no one realized at the time was that these "flygirls" could pilot the pants off their male counterparts.

Karl Friedrich, newspaper reporter, public relations writer, photographer and copy writer makes his debut as an author in Wings A Novel of World War II Flygirls. He gives voice to a neglected but intriguing slice of World War II. His lifelong fascination with women who accomplish great things despite the displeasure of men and his love of flying permeate the pages of his book.

Charged with aviation duties within the US so that male pilots were free for combat, members of the Women Air Force Service Pilots program were free to resign whenever they wanted. Their salaries were half that of the male aviators who often heckled the "skirt" pilots. WASP women trained for five months so they would be qualified to deliver airplanes anywhere needed by the military.

Sally Ketchum leaves the poverty and superstition of her Texas home with no sense of security or family history to be a member of the civilian WASP program. Her hands are full dealing with daily calisthenics, sub-standard chow and some jousting amongst the women trainees. Harassment from the men intimidated by their female associates tops it off. Waterman, a lawyer hired by Congress to find a way to shut down the WASP program turns out to be her biggest challenge. Her victory comes in being called "the best pilot in the army."

Not exactly a plot driven novel, Wings does capture the era of wartime 1940 as well as the battle of the sexes. It offers this interesting tidbit--the job of male flight instructor was desirable because the pay was better than army pilots and it was a way to avoid the draft. Of most interest to this reader was senior flight instructor Skinner, prone to tirades and sympathy for the women of WASP. The author's technique of developing Sally and Tex's characters of through Sally's recollections is commendable, but the many Tex references seemed overdone. Sally's romance with Beau, who turns out to be a much better writer than a pilot, seems forced. Be prepared for extensive descriptions of aircraft and flying.

All in all, the book was an energetic story of an intrepid woman who wouldn't quit until she achieved her dream. The Epilogue of Wings notes that in 1979, women of the WASP program were finally granted long overdue military recognition and veteran status. This reader commends Karl Friedrich for bringing to light those women who served our country as part of the WASP program. World War II and aviation buffs will love this book.

I thank McBooks Publishing for supplying a review copy of Wings. The opinions expressed in my review are unbiased and wholly my own.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
a most enjoyable read
if you are a woman who flies, or know someone who does, then you will enjoy this story a lot
Great book. Loaned it to a friend and she loved it also.
Sally has lost her love who was, like herself, a barnstormer. It is wartime and Sally decides to join the Women Air Force Service Pilot (WASP). The training is rigorous and , unfortunately, there is much negativity about women flying, about women doing a man's job. In particular there is an official who not only hates her personally but he hates the very existence of WASP. She becomes attracted to her first instructor and they are considering marriage. The official in the end makes good his threat, the marriage is off, and Sally goes off on her own to regain her own future.
This book is gripping in part because of the action and danger the viewpoint character, Sally, experiences, and in part because the author makes us care what happens to her. The author is male but, so far as I can tell--being male myself--he has achieved empathy with his female characters.
The setting is the WASP--Women Airforce Service Pilots. During WWII, thousands of women volunteered to fly Army airplanes hither and yon, as, for instance, from factory to air base, thus freeing many a male pilot for combat. These women, though risking and sometimes losing their lives, did not enjoy legal status as members of the Army--as did the WACs--but were, rather, civilian employees of the Army. It would be shameful decades before their service would receive proper recognition from the US Government, and benefits bestowed.
I am a professional historian and, so far as I could tell, Mr. Friedrich has the story of the WASPs correct to a tee, including the hysterical anti-WASP fury exhibited by a large number of male chauvinists in the Army and Congress. I cannot, however, claim to know how to fly an airplane, so I can only say that Mr. Friedrich's descriptions of planes and flying sound accurate to me, and understandable as well as interesting.
In addition to female colleagues, Sally meets some admirable males, some not so admirable, and one real villain. Without giving away the plot, I will add that, not surprisingly, she develops a love interest, though its outcome may surprise many readers. The ultimate fate of the WASP program is described in dismaying, if not very surprising, detail.
Mr. Friedrich's style is quite good. Spelling, grammar, sentence structure and electronic formatting are all in order. His descriptions of life on the WASP base, and even more so of Sally's aerial episodes, are especially good. On the other hand, I found some of the dialogue to be too formal and a bit wordy, but not so much as to bog the reader down. The problem was, I suppose, that Sally, the male lead, and the chief villain are all very complex characters; hence the large amount of dialogue and description given to explaining their mental states.
Yet, again, this is only a minor point. Mr. Friedrich's book, almost in its entirety, is fast-paced and fascinating. Sally is a survivor in one difficult situation after another, both personal and professional; and "Wings" is a fitting tribute to the WASPs.
--Karl G. Larew, Ph.D.