“Pilots who flew ‘The Hump’ over the Himalayas have a harrowing story to tell. The fact that few Hump pilots are alive to tell their stories means that Thomas’ book could be one of the last first-person accounts on the topic.” Chad Stewart, Senior Editor, ON PATROL, The Magazine of the USO, Fall 2015
Meet author Nedda R. Thomas, at the National Air and Space Museum, in Washington, D.C. for a special appearance and book signing, talk to the author, and hear more about her wonderfully-praised biography HUMP PILOT — DEFYING DEATH FLYING THE HIMALAYAS IN WORLD WAR II, the spellbinding wartime account of her father, Hump pilot Ned Thomas.
Saturday, September 19, 12:00 – 5:00 PM, at The National Air and Space Museum. 601 Independence Ave SW, Washington, D.C. 20560
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History’s Most Massive Airlift – The Heroic Sacrifices Of The Hump
Vienna, VA, January 31, 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 dangerous mission. Lethal and capricious weather conditions, radio silence, the uncharted terrain of the “roof of the world,” and a foe who showed no quarter, meant these 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 flyers whose skill and courage kept Nationalist China and Allied Forces in Asia alive. By interweaving the story of the dashing young pilot who also won the heart of the woman destined to
become his wife, she breathes life and immediacy into these neglected pages of history.
Pilots of the Hump, as they called this critical air supply route over the Himalayas, faced the 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 Thomas brings a human dimension to the epic of the Hump. The forbidding Himalayas, Sanskrit for House of Snow, tell their own tale of beauty, danger, and military significance. American climber Clayton Kuhles’ recent expeditions 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,” the author 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 Asia Theater.” Here’s a story of courage and historical significance, told through the life of a brave man who takes our hearts into the sky.
Nedda Thomas has published numerous articles about creative and significant figures. She also writes poetry, and has worked as a magazine editor. Growing up in a
military/diplomatic family, living in the U.S., France, and the Far East, all expanded her world view. She holds a master’s degree in human development, and attended
seminary. Family memories help nurture her passion for history; she speaks French and English, and lectures on several different topics.
You may visit her Hump Pilot website: www.humppilot.com.
Hump Pilot
The History Publishing Company
Available 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.”
