Richard Bong
World War II Flying Ace
Pete Barnes
Who’d have imagined that a farm boy from Wisconsin would grow up to become the greatest air hero of World War II? Learn the full story in this biography for young readers.
128 pages, 7 x 9, 70 b&w photos
Paperback: $12.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-434-0
Ebook: $9.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-548-4
Publication Date: 8/25/2009
Reading Level: Ages 8–14, Grades 3–8
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Description
Richard Bong was an athletic and hard-working boy from northern Wisconsin who dreamed of flying from the first time a plane buzzed low over his family’s farm. When World War II broke out in 1941, he left behind a life of sports, deer hunting, and farm chores to fly the new P-38 Lightning for the Army Air Force. He went on to shoot down a record 40 enemy planes, earning this modest pilot the title “Ace of Aces” and a Congressional Medal of Honor. Follow Bong's journey from Wisconsin farm boy to war hero and one of America’s most decorated pilots.
Follow Bong as he navigates his way through basic training, flight school, and life on an overseas army base. Watch as he takes to the skies in his P-38 fighter jet, outflying Japanese aircraft with barrel rolls, dives, and turns. Celebrate as he meets and marries the love of his life back home in Wisconsin, and mourn as his life comes to a swift and unexpected end during an ill-fated training flight in California.
Author Bio
Pete Barnes
Pete Barnes is a PK-12 educator with three decades of teaching experience and a passion for bringing history to life for young readers. He holds a bachelor's degree from the College of William & Mary and a master’s degree in education from The Ohio State University. Barnes's work often appears in educational publications, and he is known for making complex historical subjects engaging and accessible for children. He is the author of several books for young readers, including Richard Bong: World War II Flying Ace and Harley and the Davidsons: Motorcycle Legends. He lives in New Albany, Ohio.
Richard Bong
World War II Flying Ace
Pete Barnes
128 pages, 7 x 9, 70 b&w photos; ages 8–14
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