Product Description
Chuck Yeager tells his whole life story, from childhood with a hard working father, to breaking the sound barrier, to being a test pilot with the "right stuff". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

What a life!
"Yeager" is stuffed full of great stories. You probably know Chuck Yeager as the pilot who broke the sound barrier and that story, of course, is included.But there's a lot more.

There's exciting stories about World War II dogfighting. There's a story about Yeager running for his life behind enemy lines after being shot down. There's many breathtaking stories about flying high-powered aircraft to record speeds and heights. And there's crashes. Yeager acknowledges that he's lucky to be alive.

Yeager also throws in good stories about interesting people, like pilot Jaqueline Cochran and bar owner Pancho Barnes. There's a surprising story about spying on the Soviet Union and very funny one about golden trout (yes, the fish).

It's hard to believe one man experienced so much in one life. This is one book that I deliberate took my time reading, because I wanted to enjoy each story fully, without rushing on to the next one.

I really liked that the book includes "other voices" - short sections from Yeager's wife and colleagues that help provide extra perspective.

The book is in first person, but co-written by Leo Janos. While it's impossible to know how much Janos actually wrote, I suspect he deserves a lot of credit.Why? Because more than once does the book mention that Yeager, while a master pilot, had little grasp of basic English. "He could barely construct a recognizable sentence," recalls a general who knew Yeager in the Air Force.

I was fairly shocked by the poor treatment Yeager got from the military while he was risking his life flying experimental planes.For years, he got no promotion and his family had to crowd into a barely habitable shack. (Yeager eventually moved up and finally became a general near the end of his career.)

I was bothered a bit by Yeager's callous attitude toward the many people he saw die in his military service, but he makes it clear that it comes with the territory.

"I got mad at the dead: Angry at them for dying so young and so senselessly; angry at them for destroying expensive government property as stupidly as if they had driven a Cadillac off a bridge. Anger was my defense mechanism. I've lost count of the how many good friends have augered in [crashed] over the years, but either you become calloused oryou crack."

One minor complaint: Sometimes Yeager uses aviation or military phrases that could use some translation: "Dead stick landing," aileron, "bird colonel."It's not a big problem, but a sentence here and there could have made things a bit clearer.

GREAT READ, HARD TO PUT DOWN
I won't get wordy like some of the other reviews here... This book is well written and quite simply takes you on an adventure that makes you wish you were there at the time. Wonderful. I thought I knew a little about Chuck Yeager before reading this and I actually knew nothing. He is one of the "Greatest Generations" greatest. Thanks Chuck!Highly recommended for anyone interested in adventure and individualism, not just history or WWII buffs.

Unbelievable!
Had a movie been made of a fictional war/test pilot's life like this book reads, it would be labeled preposterous!I don't think anybody would have the nerve to produce it unless it were a comedy.

Yeager takes the General from humble beginnings to the war, to test pilot expoits and beyond.I had no idea about Yeager's career other than the sound barrier and quite frankly, this small accomplishment barely registers in this book completely full of excitement.The man shouldn't be alive after all the scrapes, close calls, etc....

On a visit out of town, I picked this book from the host's bookshelf and literally couldn't put it down, much to the chagrin of my then wife and others.Years later, I was finally gifted it and again, ignored others as I read it again and laughed!

It's an easy read; maybe not worthy of literary acclaim and of course, Yeager would care not.Grab a copy and make plenty of time to finish it.Or better yet, take it on the next trip to the in-laws' house.

Yes, we mortal men can only dream of going "balls out" like that.

Yeagerf, An Autobiography
Our order was a gift.Unfortuanely it was shipped to the wrong address.A nother edition was not available.The vendor graciously refunded our order and promised to ship a replacement free if he could find one.

Yeager: An Autobiography - a four star book about a five star man!
Yeager: An Autobiography - was a very interesting book full of good gossip about the life of a five star test pilot in the Air Force. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Older outdoorsman
I thoroughly enjoyed Chuck's fishing and backpacking trips in the High Sierras.In fact I planned a trip using his book as a guide for my brother and nephew from Ms. and myself from Atlanta.We had a great time, caught a lot of Golden trout and saw some fantastic scenery.Even though we were 20 years younger than Chuck we couldn't handle nearly the pack weight on our back as he did.I plan on using Chuck as a role model for my later years in the outdoors with my grandson.

The other side of a legendary flying ace!
Although areas of the general's military service are mentioned in this incredible story, the main focus is on Yeager's journeys into remote country regions.Most memorable are his jaunts with close friends andfamily members into the eastern Sierras of California.Yeager writes andrecalls these stories in a captivating style that makes you feel like yourright there on the trail.From catching and eating golden trout to walkingmiles of wilderness areas seeing sites rarely traveled by others, thereader gets the sense of what it was like to experience the true virtues ofour unspoiled wilds.General Yeager is a true naturalist and this book isa great offering of the existential side of a great American hero. ... Read more

Product Description
Chuck Yeager is called the guy with the right stuff for being the first to shatter the sound barrier myth. From his earliest days as an aircraft mechanic in the Air Corps he set out to do the best job possible and to learn as much as he could about whatever he was doing. Eventually, that determination led him to be a fighter and test pilot. Chuck loved to fly. He flew as often as he could in any craft he could. Eventually, he became the expert on military aircraft. He knew just what each plane could do, and more importantly, what it couldn’t. As important as knowing how far he could push a plane, he also knew when to pull back. His pioneering efforts made modern aviation and space exploration possible. Accomplishments aside, we can all agree on one thing—Chuck Yeager is an American hero. ... Read more

Product Description
Each year, millions of visitors flock to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to look at the Bell X-1 aircraft-the vehicle in which Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. This in-depth look at the legendary aircraft tells the story of this momentous achievement-how the technology was developed, conflicts were resolved, and Yeager and his fellow pilots became the heroic figures depicted in The Right Stuff. A wealth of historical photographs of the Bell X-1 enriches the text, which includes such fascinating material as Yeager's official memo about the historic flight. This is as close as readers will ever get to being inside the aircraft that paved the way for supersonic flight, thus ushering in the era of space exploration. ... Read more

Product Description
On October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager made history by becoming the first human being to fly faster than the speed of sound. This Cornerstones of Freedom title tells how it all happened. ... Read more

Product Description
Surveys the life of the country boy from West Virginia who became a great pilot, ending his career as an Air Force brigadier general with more than 10,000 hours of flying time in some 180 different aircraft. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the Air Force test pilot who in 1947 was the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating look at a great pilot's life
A wonderful read, at times told with great humor. The story of the first man to fly faster then sound and his adventures (and misadventures) in a well lived life. ... Read more

Product Description
On October 14, 1947, Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager burst through the sound barrier in his Bell X-1 rocket plane by flying faster than Mach 1.0. For the first time, here is the heroic story of the teamwork behind the explosive dawn of the jet age--told by the men who made it happen. 25 color & 100 b&w photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A 10!Inside story of 1 of world's greatest feats in aviation
For the first time, the exciting inside story of the breaking of the sound barrier as told by Chuck Yeager and his X-1 team members. World renowned stunt pilot Bob Hoover was Yeager's chase pilot that fatefull morning. It is a beautifully illustrated book with 125 photos, many from the authors private collections that have never been seen by the public or published before. It also includes a chapter on famous aviatrix and motion picture stunt pilot Pancho Barnes and her Happy Bottom Riding Club. Pancho offered a free steak to the first man to break the sound barrier (Mach One) and Yeager collected that steak on Oct. 14th 1947. Pancho's Club was the fraternity house for the test pilots, where they could share lessons learned in flying the new jets and to celebrate surviving for one more day<p> It is a brilliant saga of dedication to duty, team work, camaraderie, technical brilliance, unmatched flying skills and heroism. These men are true heroes and role models for todays youth. ... Read more

Product Description
The life of one of America's greatest aviators has been a wild ride, from daredevil flight-training escapades, to escaping from behind enemy lines in World War II France, to breaking the sound barrier to become the world's first supersonic pilot. General Chuck Yeager's legendary exploits and strength of character epitomize "the right stuff." ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the life of the West Virginia boy who won a place in the history of aviation as the first pilot to fly through the sound barrier. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best Collection of Airplane Photos in One Book
I am a photographer and Air Force Navigator.I have not seen a better collection of airplane photos compiled into one book (or in a photo calendar).(Includes aircraft photos up to mid-1980's F-4, F-15, SR-71[as shown],etc.)Commentary doesn't do it justice. ... Read more

Product Description
The diverse accomplishments and careers of 14 pilots are explored in this inspiring collection of interviews. Top fliers including aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff, Alaska bush pilot Bill de Creeft, airline pilot Captain Jim Moore, and stealth fighter pilot Captain Jeff Robertson share their stories about their time in the sky, their love of flying, their memories, and the things that inspired them to become the leaders in aviation they are today. From skywriters and airshow clowns to specialized helicopter pilots and military heroes, these pilots' stories afford a fascinating look at the gravity-defying field of aviation. ... Read more