The incredible, untold story behind the rise of the P-51 Mustang, the World War II fighter plane that destroyed the Luftwaffe and made D-Day possibleWhen the P-51 Mustang began tearing across European skies in early 1944, the Allies had been losing the air war for years. Staggering numbers of bomber crews, both British and American, had been shot down and killed thanks to the Luftwaffe's superior fighter force. Not only did the air war appear grim, but any landing of troops in France was impossible while German fighters hunted overhead. But behind the scenes, a team of visionaries had begun to design a bold new type of airplane, one that could outrun and outmaneuver Germany's best. Wings of War is the incredible true story of the P-51 Mustang fighter and the unlikely crew of designers, engineers, test pilots and army officers who brought it from the drafting table to the skies over World War II. This is hardly a straightforward tale of building an airplane-for years, the team was stymied by corruption within the defense industry and stonewalled by the Army Air Forces, who failed to understand the Mustang's potential. But when squadrons of Mustangs were finally unleashed over Hitler's empire, the Luftwaffe was decimated within months, clearing the skies for D-Day. A compelling, character-focused narrative replete with innovation, determination and bravery, Wings of War is the never-before-told story of the airplane that truly changed the course of World War II.Story Locale: America and Britain, World War II

EXCEPTIONAL WRITING AND STORYTELLING: With deft character sketches and sharply-written accounts of the pioneers and innovators of the airplane, Wings of War draws on the history of aviation itself, placing the Mustang within the context of flight and the use of aircraft in warfare.INCREDIBLE RESEARCH: The book is based on an enormous wealth of primary sources, offering new details and some surprising revelations of greed and corruption within the ranks of the US Army Air Forces. The result is a work that will break new ground in our understanding of the Mustang and the Allied air war.BELOVED AIRCRAFT: More than 75 years after their debut, P-51 Mustangs are a common sight at air shows across the country, and they are sought after by collectors. Mustangs adorn T-shirts and coffee mugs, are popular with model builders, are featured in flight simulators, and can be found all over the globe. A RARE UNTOLD STORY FROM WWII: Countless titles are available on the Mustang-picture books, reference guides, mechanical manuals, pilots' memoirs and more-but no book has yet told how the plane came to be, and how it conquered the skies and changed the course of the war.