MilitaryFall25

2025 NEW RELEASES 9 ISBN: 978-0-7643-7030-4 Size: 6" x 9" (152 x 229 mm) Pages: 288 Price: $29.99, £27.99, 42.99 CAD UK Pub Date: January 2026 Illustrations: 60 b/w photos Binding: hardcover BISAC: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOG- RAPHY / Military AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2025 The Aviator A Biography of James R. McConnell, Lafayette Escadrille Fighter Pilot By Steven T. Tom Jim McConnell was one of the first Americans to serve with the French during WWI, first as an ambulance driver and then as a pilot. On the University of Virginia campus, one can find a winged, 12-foot-tall bronze statue titled The Aviator. Curiously, The Aviator is a memorial to UVA dropout James Rogers McConnell. McConnell was a fighter pilot in the famous squadron of American volunteers who fought for the French prior to US entry into World War I, the Lafayette Escadrille. Prior to joining the escadrille, McConnell served in France as an ambulance driver. He documented the front, both on the ground and in the air, in Flying for France , a bestselling book published just before his death. A modest character, Jim included very little information about himself in his book. Even while at the front, McConnell remained in regular correspondence with his family, friends, and girlfriends. A large volume of these original letters are preserved today. Author Steven T. Tom has sifted through a mountain of primary source material to go beyond Flying for France and tell the full story of the brief but famous life of Jim McConnell. About the Author Steven T. Tom is an US Air Force veteran and has a PhD in mechanical engineering. He is a member of the League of World War I Aviation Historians and the World War I Historical Association. This is his second book on the pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille. He lives in Georgia. ISBN 978-0-7643-7030-4 RAOUL LUFBERY AND MARC POURPE 978-0-7643-6535-5 248 pp. | 8 1/2" x 11" (216 x 279 mm) | HC $45.00, £40.99, 64.00 CAD BAZOOKA CHARLIE 978-0-7643-6636-9 288 pp. | 6" x 9" (152 x 229 mm) | HC $29.99, £27.99, 42.99 CAD