SUNWARD I'VE CLIMBED

A young American fighter pilot defies his country’s neutrality to fight in World War II in Mason’s historical novel.

Robert H. “Trip” Gibson III barely makes it out of Spain alive after flying fighter planes in the Spanish Civil War. Returning home to Atlanta in the spring of 1939, he finds it hard to adjust to college and family life, knowing that another war in Europe is brewing. When Britain and France declare war on Germany, the U.S. initially refuses to get involved, and the country’s Neutrality Acts make it illegal for American citizens to volunteer for any foreign army. Feeling dutybound to fight the Nazis, Trip defies this order and secretly travels to Canada by way of Chicago to enlist. After a dangerous trip over the Atlantic, Trip and his fellow pilots arrive in France, only to have difficulty finding an army that will take them. He eventually finesses his way into the French Armée de l’Air and fights several battles with them before fleeing to Britain when France falls and working his way into the Royal Air Force. The book ends on the eve of the Battle of Britain, setting up the second book in the series. Mason draws on his extensive military background in a work that’s impeccably researched. Many of Trip’s comrades are based on real people, and appendices at the back of the book provide more history for interested readers. However, the prose sometimes gets overly technical, giving the work a textbook feel and diminishing the excitement of otherwise well-written battle scenes: “He had a 400-liter tank and 115-liter reserve. He was burning about 200 liters per hour at this setting. If the engine didn’t blow up from the high RPMs or the propeller didn’t shear off, he would have enough gas to catch the Boche and at least find a place to land.” However, the vivid story manages to capture an underexplored period and makes for a compelling story.

An enjoyable series opener about lesser-known heroes of WWII that will particularly appeal to history and military buffs.