Tiger Joe A Photographic Diary of a World War II Aerial Reconnaissance Pilot [signed]

More than 70 million soldiers participated in the military operations of World War II, but few had a front-row seat like Joe Thompson. As an aerial reconnaissance pilot flying a P-51 Mustang, Thompson conducted 90 missions on and behind the front lines of the European Theater. From the lonely aerie of an aviator’s cockpit, Thompson saw it all, from flying with Britain’s elite Royal Air Force to D-Day, the Liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge. Thompson eventually became the commanding officer of an American reconnaissance unit, earning the rank of major and receiving both the American Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Croix de Guerre. But Tiger Joe is more than just a book about aviation combat and military service. It is a personal history that portrays everyday life, ordinary people, forgotten events and colorful characters against the backdrop of World War II. This large format, 100-page book features over 50 black and white photographs taken by Thompson, a gifted amateur photographer whose work has been recognized as part of a special exhibit by the Tennessee State Museum. At least two of the photographs have particular historical significance: a casual shot of Churchill and Eisenhower in northern France and an aerial view of the Berchtesgarten, Hitler’s summer retreat, taken by a colleague of Thompson’s during an unauthorized flight in a P-38. Few, if any war books, tell of such an epic event so intimately. Conveying moments of fear and humor, redemption and courage, Tiger Joe is Thompson’s personal photographic diary, taking the reader both behind the scenes and on the front lines of World War II , allowing a more intent gaze into the human face of war.