Fredrick Pumroy’s memoir tells the life story of a daredevil compelled to flirt with danger.

At age 8, Pumroy flew loops and rolls with his father in a small aircraft trainer high above the family’s Indiana farm. Risk-taking continued throughout Pumroy’s teens as he rode a motorcycle, speed-jumping moguls down rough country roads. In college, Pumroy’s reckless spirit landed him in bar fights that cost him his spot on the basketball team. But by his 20s, he had found his calling as a Vietnam fighter pilot, dodging enemy fire over the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Pumroy’s combat tales are the memoir’s best part, written in urgent, engaging language. “As I focused on the target I could see the tracers as they flashed past the cockpit. This is when your gut starts wrenching… I heard a loud explosion and the aircraft shook… I knew if I went down in that area I would be killed or skinned alive.”

The author’s quirky sense of humor serves him well as he describes the exploits of soldiers using drinking games and pranks to cope with war’s madness. One hilarious example tells of a mission when Pumroy had diarrhea so severe he borrowed his crew chief’s shoelaces to tie his pant legs tight and fly the plane.

Unfortunately, more often the narrative turns compelling experiences into a dull inventory of chronological events as the author tries to pack more than seven decades of life into 80 pages. Frequently, the writing style is flat, and too often, the author lapses into technical jargon to describe actions like aircraft drills: “I still experienced some slight grey out when doing transition (loops, Split ‘S’, etc.”) in the T-38…”

Additionally, the book’s overall professional presentation is marred by numerous punctuation, spelling and grammar errors.

The book offers elements of interest for war veterans and aviation aficionados. However, its uneven quality makes it more likely a keepsake for the author’s friends and family.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.