Sisters in Arms : British and American Women Pilots During World War II

by Schrader, Helena P.

• ISBN13: 9781844153886
• ISBN10: 1844153886
• Edition: Illus.
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-06-01
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Books

Summary

During World War II, a few, carefully selected women in the US and the UK were briefly given the unprecedented opportunity to fly military aircraft. Yet the story of these pioneer women pilots is made even more intriguing by the fact that, despite many notable similarities in the utilization and organization of the women in their respective countries, they experienced radically different fates.Throughout the war, the contribution of the women of the British ATA to the war effort was recognized and praised both from official quarters and in the press. By contrast, the American WASPs were first glamorized and made into Hollywood stars - and then subjected to a slander campaign. What accounts for this dramatic difference in the treatment of women pilots doing essentially the same job?This book seeks to answer these questions. The women who participated in the ATA and WASP have been allowed to speak for themselves. The story these women have to tell is exciting and intriguing.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The Wings of War	p. 3
Women at Arms	p. 21
Winning Their Wings	p. 39
A Woman's Work	p. 64
The Wonderful (or Not so Wonderful) World of the Woman Pilot	p. 96
Broken Wings	p. 135
Handmaidens and Guinea Pigs	p. 158
Friends and Foes	p. 170
Separate but Not Equal	p. 186
Sum of the Parts	p. 196
Age Before Beauty	p. 201
There's a War On - Or is There?	p. 223
Chasing the Chimera	p. 230
Captains and Commanders	p. 250
Conclusions	p. 282
Index	p. 291
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