Often overshadowed by Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris, the lesser-known story of the transcontinental air race of 1919 takes flight in this fascinating biography of the daredevil pilots, most of them WWI veterans, who competed. The charismatic "birdmen" endured inclement weather, mechanical malfunctions, and sheer exhaution (some even died), yet their bravery paved the way for modern-day aviation.