A proud American : the autobiography of Joe Foss

This provocative but judiciously argued book will appeal to all those interested in animal rights, serving as a lively introduction to ethics, and demonstrating why theoretical issues in ethics actually matter.

出版社周刊评论

WW II hero Foss (as a Marine pilot, he shot down 26 Japanese planes) went on to serve two terms as governor of South Dakota, as commissioner of the American Football League and host of the TV series The American Sportsman and The Outdoorsman. The first half of his autobiography--written with his wife--is a conventional, entertaining account of his upbringing on a Midwestern farm, his introduction to flying in the 1930s and his wartime aerial exploits. The second half disappoints as Foss jumps from one event to the next in a kind of outline of his multiple postwar careers. A man of action, Foss offers fairly unsurprising observations, with two exceptions. The first of these is his eyewitness testimony that future senator Joseph McCarthy participated in dangerous air missions in the South Pacific; the second is his defense of his friend the late Charles Lindbergh against charges of disloyalty and anti-Semitism. With a fairly ingenuous charm, Foss highlights his receiving the Medal of Honor from FDR and the thrill of being interviewed by Lawrence Welk. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus评论

An authentic American hero's ``I-did-it-my-way'' memoir that, though less than reflective and more than self-satisfied, may hold considerable interest for a wide readership. The 77-year-old Foss grew up on a South Dakota farm where he learned about hard physical labor and responsibility. Interested from an early age in aviation, the author worked his way through college and joined the Marine Corps, where he earned his wings. Posted to Guadalcanal as a fighter pilot, Foss shot down 26 Japanese planes, breaking the record set by Eddie Rickenbacker in WW I and winning the Congressional Medal of Honor. After V-J Day, Foss served two terms as Republican governor of his home state, and a stint as commissioner of the American Football League. Pro football proved a springboard to prime-time TV, where he worked as host of The American Sportsman and The Outdoorsman; these popular shows enabled Foss to indulge his lifelong passion for hunting and fishing in glamorous venues throughout the world. Later on, he became KLM's man in Washington and then president of the National Rifle Association. In the course of his varied career, the just- plain-folks author rubbed elbows with a host of notables (Lindbergh, Nixon, FDR, et al.) upon whom he passes typically easy judgments here. And, while less than forthcoming about his private life, Foss does touch upon an unsuccessful first marriage and the happier second match that influenced him to become a born-again Christian. He devotes more than half of his text, though, to his memories of young manhood and to vivid firsthand accounts of aerial combat in WW II's Pacific theater. Straight-from-the-heartland reminiscences of a high-flier whose eventful life seems to have been remarkably free of complexity and doubt.

《书目》(Booklist)书评

This autobiography of a World War II ace and Medal of Honor winner is sure to appeal to the legions of readers who made Chuck Yeager's books popular. A marine pilot on Guadalcanal, Foss was the first American to equal Eddie Rickenbacker's World War I score of 25 enemy planes shot down. After the war, he had a distinguished career in the Air Force Reserve, served two terms as governor of his native South Dakota, was the founding president of the American Football League, and worked for hunting interests and the National Rifle Association. He emerges as a man with a broad combative streak, unlikely to win Mr. Nice Guy awards but as honest about himself as he is about others, not to mention being a more than commonly useful type to have on your side in a difficult situation. ~--Roland Green

可借阅:*

链接这些题名

已订购

摘要

摘要

评论 (3)

出版社周刊评论

Kirkus评论

《书目》(Booklist)书评