During the Second World War, women pilots were given the opportunity to fly military aircraft for the first time. In the United States, famed aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran formed the Women Airforce Service Pilots programme, where over one thousand women flyers ferried aircraft from factories to airbases throughout the United States and Canada from 1942 to 1944. The WASP performed the same duties inside the cockpit as their male counterparts, except combat, and thirty-eight women pilots gave their lives in the service of their country. However, the WASP were considered civil servants during the war, and, despite a highly publicised attempt to militarise in 1944, the women pilots would not be granted veteran status until 1977. Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, Marina Raskova, "Russia's Amelia Earhart," formed the USSR's first all-female aviation regiment. Over one thousand women flew a combined total of more than thirty-thousand combat sorties along the Eastern Front, and more than thirty were honoured as Heroes of the Soviet Union. This book tells the story of these pioneering women flyers, who faced similar obstacles while challenging assumptions of male supremacy in wartime culture. Despite experiencing discrimination from male aircrews during the war, these intrepid airwomen ultimately earned their respect, and continue today to inspire future generations of women in aviation. Endorsement: I really enjoyed the book. It tells the true story of how women were involved in aviation during the war. Gen. Chuck Yeager, first pilot to break the sound barrier.