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Book Title: The Stand: The Final Flight of Frank Luke, Jr.
Author: Stephen Skinner
ISBN: 0764330950
Category: Biography
Format: Hardback
Summary: It is not often I read biographies, I tend to stick towards the operation side of things. But for some reason I was drawn to read Stephen Skinner's The Stand: The Final Flight of Lt. Frank Luke, Jr. The better half picked this one up for me recently as a birthday gift (shouldn't our parents - particularly our mothers - be the ones to receive the gifts...after all, they did all the work!), and I slowly read the work cover to cover. Usually I am a fast reader, but I wanted to allow Mr. Skinner's work to "soak in" as it were. I wanted to understand the facts, I wanted to get a feel for Frank Luke. I have come away quite impressed.
Contrary to the title, this book is FAR more than a synopsis of Luke's final flight. It is the only family authorized biography on Luke, and Skinner allows us to understand this young man through the eyes of not only those who knew him, but through accounts of others going through many of the same growing pains, particularly when it came to American aviation. Luke was indeed disliked by many of his fellow pilots because of his bold bravado, but that bravado was only a measure of Luke's extreme confidence in his abilities, confidence that actually borders on a lack of fear. Luke seemingly either thought he would never be harmed or he simply did not care about dying. I lean towards the former simply from the fact that he was engaged shortly before shipping out to France and I would hope that he would want to live to return home and become married.
Skinner goes through many first person resources to build his case on Luke's last flight. I think reading his book one will learn to accept Skinner's research. Skinner goes through the myths and either confirms or destroys the myth through fairly solid evidence. While I do not want to give away his findings, I do want you to be prepared to throw away other notions you may have of Luke. I know I did. Fifteen years of research seems to have put Luke's life into proper light.
Skinner, unlike many other biographers, does not become a Luke apologist. He stays balanced, and simply tells the Luke story as it should. I do not believe Skinner suffers from hero worship, but simply respects the man.
As this is a Schiffer book, the price tag can be hefty! Alas, even with the price, there are a few misspelled words, but overall very well produced.
Stephen Skinner
320 pages, hardcover.
Schiffer Publishing, 2008.
Over 300 photographs as well as color airplane profiles.
WGFB: Stand, The: The Final Flight of Frank Luke, Jr.
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