Daughter of the Air: The Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort

Daughter of the Air: The Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort by Simbeck, Rob. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780802137913.

Praised by the Daily Oklahoman as "touching and entertaining," Rob Simbecks biography of Cornelia Fort is wonderfully evocative and moving. Like Beryl Markhams and Amelia Earharts, Cornelia Forts daring life as a pilot was both inspiring and groundbreaking. Raised on her parents Nashville estate and educated at a prestigious finishing school, Fort rejected the role expected of her in society to become a pilot. A member of the first womens flight squadron and one of the few to witness the bombing of Pearl Harbor from the air, she persevered in her courageous career, as one of the wars first female pilots, despite rampant prejudice toward women. Selling out just six weeks after its first printing, Daughter of the Air interweaves Cornelia Forts own eloquent letters and diaries, historical documents, and the interviews of those who knew and flew with her, to create a vivid portrait of an infinitely courageous woman. It both tells Cornelias remarkable story -- a life shaped by bravery, intelligence, and charm -- and describes the eras political and social atmosphere.