One of the greatest and most inspiring living Americans, US Air Force Major General (ret.) Chuck Yeager is celebrating his 90th birthday today. He still lives in California, and I hear he is still keeping his pilot’s license current.
[P.S.: Chuck Yeager passed away on December 7, 2020].
Chuck Yeager’s autobiography, Yeager is one of my favorite books, and I own several, slightly tattered copies. (It was co-written with Leo Janos, a speechwriter and ghostwriter who was known for writing speeches for the President Lyndon Johnson. He authored and co-authored notable books including Skunk Works – A Personal Memoir Of My Years At Lockheed).
Yeager is a captivating account not only of the man’s boyhood and military flying career, but also an insight into the mindset and values of the generation of pilots who ushered in the jet age, built the U.S. Air Force, and fought the Cold War.
The first edition of Yeager was published by Bantam in 1985, but it is still in print as paperback.
In 1989, a follow-up appeared: Press On – Further Adventures In the Good Life (co-written by former Newsweek editor Charles Leerhsen and Yeager) deals mostly with the legendary pilot’s life after retirement and his love for fishing, hunting and backpacking.
Reinhard Kargl
Journalist and media professional currently based in Los Angeles, California. Focusing on science and technology.