Hero of the Angry Sky

“Historian Geoffrey L. Rossano…shines a light on the transatlantic experiences of a figure hitherto in the dark, and allows Ingalls’ articulate hand and eloquent voice to shine through when describing his service with the RAF…. Such astute editing makes, to be sure, for a gripping first-hand narrative.…This book [is] a must-have for those with a specific interest in war-time diaries and, more generally, for those interested in America’s coming of age as a world power. Hero of the Angry Sky is a worthy contribution to the growing historiography of the Great War.” ~Stand-To!

“Congratulations to Ohio University Press and Geoffrey Rossano for performing the admirable service of editing the diary of the United States Navy’s first bona fide ‘ace,’ David S. Ingalls. Students of history and, especially, of naval aviation will find this a valuable resource and a window into the bygone age at the time of the Great War. Rossano informs Ingalls’s own words with valuable commentary and astute editing. Buffs and scholars alike will enjoy the book immensely.”

“Geoffry Rossano has made a name for himself on the subject of American naval aviation…” ~Ohio History

“Rossano possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the men and machines that the United States Navy deployed to Europe in 1917–1918…. Readers of this brilliantly edited book will come away with valuable insights into the origins of American naval aviation. They will receive a useful corrective to fashionable stereotypes about the Great War.” ~The Journal of American Culture

“If you are looking for a micro-level, first-person history of U.S. naval aviation in the First World War, or a different perspective on the United States in that war, then read (Hero of the Angry Sky). Rossano’s annotations mean that you do not need any “background knowledge” to follow Ingalls’s writing. If you already have the MacLeish and Sheely books, then Hero makes an excellent, perhaps even necessary, addition to your collection.” ~H-War

“(Hero of the Angry Sky) is both a war memoir and biography of a relatively unknown, yet influential, pioneer of naval aviation. The combat service of World War I Navy flyers is often over-shadowed by Army Air Service aviators like Eddie Rickenbacker, Billy Mitchell and Frank Luke. Yet Rossano demonstrated how American naval aviators also played a significant role during the Great War. His contribution to the growing World War I historiography is timely with the commemoration just around the corner.” ~Naval Historical Review

“(Ingalls) was always happy and expectant; his letters home are full of youthful exuberance and it is hard not to smile while reading his accounts of flying, which he truly loved. Rossano has taken the young man’s story well beyond anything yet published while also filling in a lot of missing information on the early activities of American naval aviation.” ~The Aviation Historian

“The Ohio University Press has made an excellent choice for its first offering in a new series devoted to ‘War and Society in North America…’. (H)ighly recommended.” ~Over the Front

“Rossano employs an interesting and effective technique in communicating the fascinating story of Ingalls’ brief but exciting combat flying career…. Hero of the Angry Sky is a must for naval aviators, history buffs, and academics interested in our nation’s first experience in naval air combat on a large scale.” ~Proceedings magazine

“‘I’d rather shoot than be shot at,’ (Ingalls) writes, and proves it in his cool accounts of dogfights in his Sopwith Camel, going on daily raids to seek out the Hun and coming back with a plane full of bullet holes. Ingalls returned to Yale still a teenager, highly decorated, and began a lifetime of public service, including a term as Assistant Secretary of the Navy.” ~The Akron Beacon Journal

“In a modern era of cryptic messages on social media, it is refreshing to read the words of naval aviator David S. Ingalls, the depth and detail emerging from his letters and diary telling a deeply personal story of the U. S. Navy's first fighter ace. With the in-depth research and analysis characteristic of historian Geoffrey Rossano, Hero of the Angry Sky adds an important chapter to the century-old history of U. S. naval aviation, when young men like David S. Ingalls ushered in a new age in warfare.”