John Bruning

In 1942, America’s deadliest fighter pilot, or “ace of aces” – the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker – offered a bottle of bourbon to the first U.S. fighter pilot to break his record of 26 enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the “race of aces” as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command. What developed was a wild three-year sprint for fame and glory, and the chance to be called America’s greatest fighter pilot. Based on new research, John R. Bruning’s Race of Aces (Hachette) tells the story of how five American pilots contended for personal glory in the Pacific while leading Kenney’s resurgent air force against the most formidable enemy America ever faced.