Donald S. Lopez (2) (1923–2008)

Into the Teeth of the Tiger provides a vivid, pilot's-eye view of one of the most extended projections of American air power in World War II Asia. Lopez chronicles every aspect of fighter combat in that theater: harrowing aerial battles, interludes of boredom and inactivity, instances of courage and cowardice. Describing different pilots' roles in each type of mission, the operation of the P-40, and the use of various weapons, he tells how he and his fellow pilots faced not only constant show more danger but also the munitions shortages, poor food, and rat-infested barracks of a remote sector of the war. The author also offers keen observations of wartime China, from the brutalities of the Japanese occupation to the conflict between Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists and the Communist movement.

This edition of Lopez's acclaimed account features new photographs, most of which have never before been published. Relating how the 23rd Fighter Group continued to win battles even as the Japanese gained ground, Into the Teeth of the Tiger is the humorous and insightful memoir of an ace pilot caught in the paradox of victory in retreat. show less

Fighter Pilot's Heaven presents the dramatic inside story of the American military's transition into the jet age, as told by a flyer whose life depended on its success. With colorful anecdotes about fellow pilots as well as precise technical information, Donald S. Lopez describes how it was to be “behind the stick” as a test pilot from 1945 to 1950, when the U.S. military was shifting from war to peacetime operations and from propeller to jet aircraft.

An ace pilot who had served with show more Gen. Claire Chennault's Flying Tiger Fighter Group, Lopez was assigned at the close of World War II to the elite Proof Test Group of the Air Proving Ground Command. Located at Eglin Field (later Eglin Air Force Base) in Florida, the group determined the operational suitability of Air Force weapons systems and aircraft and tested the first operational jet, the P-80 Shooting Star. Jet fighters required new techniques, tactics, and weaponry. Lopez recounts historic test flights in the P-59, P-80, and P-84, among other planes, describing complex combat maneuvers, hair-raising landings in unusual positions, and disastrous crashes and near crashes. This memoir is peppered with lively accounts of many pilots and their colleagues, revealing how airmen coped with both exhilarating successes and sometimes tragic failures. show less

I was going to set this book aside as being a little too light-weight, but as I got into it it turns out that the author was imparting a good bit of information, and had a pretty good dead-pan sense of humour too. Apart from that Donald Lopez presents what for him was something of a golden age, as he examines what the practicalities of transitioning from the reciprocating engine to jet turbines meant in aviation. Also, even if I sometimes get the impression that Lopez is working too hard at show more being a name dropper, they are pretty good names; Chuck Yeager, Jimmy Doolittle, Anne Morrow Lindberg, etc. show less

Chronicles the landmarks of engineering and imagination in the history of flight; offers profiles of the Wright brothers, Lindbergh, Earhart, and others; and includes a survey of flying machines from balloons to the Concorde.
... panorama of world aviation. It combines fast-paced narrative by Flying Tiger pilot Don Lopez with stunning color visuals from the National Air and Space Museum. The Complete Story Seven thematic sections detail landmark events, technological advances, and the drama show more of the men, women, and aircraft that soared ever higher, farther, and faster. Here are balloonists and barnstormers, stunt fliers and jet pilots, the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and many more. Fact boxes and diagrams explain such concepts as wing design and jet propulsion, while two-page portraits feature planes. Aviation includes more than 350 illustrations, photographs, and other artworks. Events that shaped the course of aviation are presented in an 8-page foldout illustrated timeline, an instant reference to the entire subject. The 40-page photo glossary offers easy identification and concise explanations of technical and scientific terms, plus biographies of major people. Entertaining and understandable, this information-packed guide will be read and referred to again and again. Authoritative • Readable • Easy to Use Each Smithsonian Guide provides a concise, easy-to-follow introduction to a complex subject. With lively text by the nation's leading experts and illustrations and photographs from Smithsonian collections, the series forms a unique home-reference library. show less