The world's first women combat pilots were members of the Soviet Army Air Force, flying fighters and bomber aircraft opposite the Luftwaffe. 30 women flyers received Hero of the Soviet Union awards, one of that nation's highest honours. During three visits to Moscow during and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Noggle interviewed more than 70 of these veteran pilots. Freed by ""glasnost"" to speak openly of their experiences, they told of flying flimsy aircraft and watching many of their friends - as well as foes - fall to earth in flames. But equally courageous were the women's efforts to show the Red Army that they were adequate to the great role they sought. The women had to grapple with distrust from male pilots and officers, against whom they eventually prevailed. War, Stalin-era politics and human emotion mix in these first-person accounts.
Reviews
... the compelling narratives in A Dance with Death are equally valuable as history and as testimony to the extraordinary performance of women under the greatest stress imaginable. - New York Times Book Review



Book Information
ISBN 9781585441778
Author Anne Noggle
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Texas A & M University Press
Publisher Texas A & M University Press
Weight(grams) 507g