Hump Pilot: Courage And Sacrifice High Above The Himalayas Helped The Allies To Victory In WWII
Vienna, VA, January 22, 2015 – In a high-flying narrative flashing between the life of American pilot Ned Thomas and events of World War II, Nedda Thomas recreates her father’s most dangerous missions. Lethal and capricious weather conditions, radio silence and the uncharted terrain of the “roof of the world” meant the pilots put their lives at risk every time they took off. In Hump Pilot, (The History Publishing Company) author Nedda Thomas pays homage to the pilots who made it possible for the U.S. to reach victory in the Pacific, interweaving the story of the dashing young pilot who also won the heart of the woman destined to become his wife, the romance that brought her into existence.
Pilots of the Hump, as they called this critical air-supply route over the Himalayas, faced the most hazardous flying and highest fatality rates of any air-war mission in World War II. The airlift was the largest the world has ever known, setting the bar for all others to come, including Berlin and Korea.
Calm, genuine, young and courageous, Ned brings a human dimension to the story of the Hump. The forbidding Himalayas, Sanscrit for House of Snow, tell their own tale of beauty, danger, and military significance. American climber Clayton Kuhles’ recent expeditions into the Himalayas to recover the remains of downed Hump aircraft have helped gain for these lost pilots a new and passionate public.
“The Hump is a larger-than-life epic that deserves to be told,” Thomas says. “And how better than through the eyes of a man who experienced it, my father Ned Thomas, who brought me up to speed on aircraft and flying in the Pacific Theater.” It is a story of courage and historical significance, told through the life of a brave man who takes our hearts into the sky.
Nedda Thomas is a poet and has worked as magazine editor and published a number of articles about creative and interesting historical figures. Growing up in a military/diplomatic family and living in the U.S., France, and the Far East, all expanded the author’s world view. She holds a master’s degree in human development, and also attended seminary. Family memories help nurture her passion for history; she speaks French and English and lectures on several different topics.
For more information, please visit http://www.HumpPilot.com
Hump Pilot
The History Publishing Company
Available November 24, in fine bookstores and online everywhere
$18.95
ISBN 978-1940773094
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TIP SHEET
Robert F. Dorr, author of Mission to Tokyo, Fighting Hitler’s Jets, Hell Hawks: “This is the war nobody told you about….Far from home, in an alien and hostile setting, these men risked it all. Ned Thomas knows. Not an armchair historian, Thomas is a veteran who lived the dangers of the Himalaya and survived. Thomas’ story will grab you and keep you riveted page after page.”
Naomi Sokel Zeavin, author of Carmen’s Secret Diary: Aboard the USS Hornet in 1944: “At the heart of this war story lives a love story. Briefly told, enduring, strong, sweetly remembered.”
Walter J. Boyne, author/historian, Former Director of the United States Air and Space Museum: “Books on flying the Hump are rare…this is an important addition because the author combines hands-on-throttle insight to explain the complex and confusing events of the day. Highly recommended for buff, scholar, and new beginner in the field!”
Theodore White in Life Magazine, September 11, 1944: “The Hump is a line drawn across the eastern Himalayas and the forest of Burma by American blood and courage.”
