The Many Lives of Eddie Rickenbacker (Biographies for Young Readers)
by Andrew Speno (Author)
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.
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School Library Journal
Gr 4-6--Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973), a white American World War I veteran who was born in Ohio, lived a multifaceted life. After his father died, Rickenbacker went to work at the age of 13. When he was 15, Rickenbacker got a job at Frayer-Miller, an automobile workshop. At the age of 17, Rickenbacker became chief testing engineer at Columbus Buggy Company. One way to garner publicity for the new vehicles was to race them, so for a while, he acted as a car salesman during the week and a test driver on the weekends. Eventually, he started racing full-time and later bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During World War I, Rickenbacker served as a fighter pilot. In 1934, he was chosen to be the general manager of Eastern Air Lines. When World War II broke out, Rickenbacker traveled to motivate and inspire the troops, and to relay confidential messages. When his plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean, Rickenbacker and the crew spent a little over three weeks at sea in a lifeboat. This extensively researched work incorporates primary sources and archival photographs. The text describes both positive and negative elements of Rickenbacker's personality and achievements. The formal writing style may dissuade young readers at first, but the pace picks up once Rickenbacker starts racing cars. VERDICT Patient readers will gain insight into a unique life story. Collections centered on local Ohio history will have a special interest in this title.--Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's Sch., Richmond, VA
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
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.
JNF025130 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | Military & Wars
JNF057010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Transportation | Aviation
Air pilots
Air pilots, Military
Automobile racing
Rickenbacker, Eddie
