The Pulitzer Air Races

“vividly captures a unique era when the Army and Navy expended a great deal of money and effort on air racing”—Aviation History; “this is literally the only book to specifically focus on this air race…nicely written, exhaustively researched, and wholly aware of the surrounding literature so it fits like a round peg into a round hole…it is clear that this work excites [the author]…the language is vivid, the exposition is disciplined and, all around it is a most worthy effort of the sort that makes one hope for more books by this author”—SpeedReaders; “Society member Michael Gough has just completed a thoroughly enjoyable book about the little known, but very important to American aviation progress, Pulitzer Prize Air Races of 1920–1925. It was this period of time that American overtook and surpassed the rest of the world in aviation development. The book has been extensively researched and is very well written, with the occasional, and welcome, touch of subtle humor. The fascinating story, with all its detail and drama plus numerous pictures, holds the readers’ attention and makes this book hard to put down. From the surprise results of the 1920 race to the triumphant victory in 1925, the reader will be enthralled. Expertly interwoven with the vivid descriptions of the races are the insider and human stories that set this book apart from the usual air racing tales. Although it may appear somewhat pricey at $45, the book delivers a memorable story of aviation progress and is worth every penny of its price. The Pulitzer Air Races is a must for every aviation and air race enthusiast’s book shelf and they’ll refer to it again and again.”—Joe Stamm, Editor, e-Golden Pylons.

Michael Gough is retired and lives in Timonium, Maryland.