Richard K. Smith (1) (1929–2003)

This is a rather interesting book from a number of different angles. Its subject had 15 minutes of fame by writing up his experiences flying for the Spanish Republic, only to die of a gunshot wound in a Little Rock hotel room (arguably by accident despite suicide being the official ruling) before he could really figure out what to do with the rest of his life. The lead author, a noted historian of aviation history, had a mostly finished manuscript sitting on the shelf, only he had run out of patience with Tinker, leaving it to R.G. Hall to bring the project home. Besides being a fine yarn about air combat in the Spanish Civil War, one that is remarkably fair-minded about a conflict that still has the capacity to disturb memory, it's also a portrait of a man of action who just didn't have it in himself to practice a little impulse control and so squandered the many chances he had to have a life of real accomplishment. This lack of self-discipline in Tinker probably came off as lack of character to Smith (who had a taste for adventure himself) and one suspects it's why he set the narrative aside; Hall is to be complimented for finishing the job.… (mere)

Five Down No Glory is a well written, fast paced, biography of the American mercenary, Frank Tinker and his career as a fighter pilot for Republican Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The world of combat aviation in 1936 was much closer to World War I than what it became in World War II and the Civil War in Spain bore witness to the shift from the former to the latter. Tinker lived this transition and the authors provide vivid descriptions of Tinkers adjustments to the changes in planes and tactics. At the same time this narriative gives the reader a clear understanding of the state of aerial combat techniques on the eve of the Second World War. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in aviation history and aerial combat in the period between World War's I and II. For a sample of the style and pace of the writing see the quotation in the Common Knowledge section of this book listing.… (mere)