As WWII commander of both the storied US 8th AF in England and the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, Ira Eaker was one of the most important figures in air warfare. James Parton has drawn a richly anecdotal full-length portrait of Eaker, starting with his formative years as the son of a Texas tenant farmer, enlistment in 1917 as a private, record-breaking aerial feats between the wars, rise to four-star general, and finishing with his unique post-war career as a latter-day Paul Revere. In recounting Eaker's story, the author sheds new light on many pivotal events and careers in U.S. air history. Hardcover. 557 pages.