From Cowboy to Ace: The Memoir of a World War I Pilot Who Proved That Horses Don't Fly

Wayne Taylor: Enjoyable military period piece. Nice read.

Canada on Oct 10, 2023

ron matsu: Fred Libby is a man everyone should admire and respect. He is the epitome of a humble hero! He treats others with great respect and admiration for their character, skills and/or exploits regardless of their nationality. Libby's perspective on the new war in the sky is enlightening and his experiences related with no bravado. His observations about the American contribution to WWl is refreshing and candid as both the politicians and the military knew very little of the real circumstances of the war. Mr Libby constantly reminded us that although his and his colleagues' roles and actions were important the infantrymen in the trenches suffered the most and were the real heroes of the war. From his own experiences we begin to see why soldiers then and today today have so much difficulty assimilating with friends and family after their war experiences. I am so happy I stumbled on this book and wish everyone ould/would read it!

Canada on Apr 19, 2023

Teefix: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Libby's account of his experience grabbing life by the tail over 100 years ago in the American west and the western front in World War One. His unaffected style of storytelling gave him real credibility in my mind as he recounted scenes of earning the trust of wild stallions on the scrublands of the Southwest and scared young RFC recruits in the skies over the Somme.
Besides enjoying the stories of fighting and almost-miraculously surviving the air battles of the war, I got what I believe is a real taste of what it was like to live in America in the time of my grandparents' youth.

United States on Dec 14, 2022

Al: Although the book is advertised as a World War I book it begins in Mr. Libby’s youth and spends a great deal of time relating his story from about age four to when he joined the Canadian military. Granted, this was enjoyable and down right funny at times . . . just unexpected.
Once the reader gets to the main part of the story, you get the first hand experience of a World War I Ace. There were lots of slow parts but learn a great deal of how ill prepared our country was to support England in that fight along with many interesting tidbits about his three years with the Canadian, UK and finally American military.

United States on Nov 19, 2022

Kindle Customer: This man had luck by the ton. He easily made money from a young age with horse taming, everyone loved him, he was an ace pilot for the Canadian Air Force such as it was in WWI, just drifted from one exciting situation to another with little harm to himself. Wonderful descriptions of the air war at the trenches, and some funny interactions with the Germans. He ended up in adulthood making a fortune in the oil business. What a life and what a great written memoir! Lots of good clean humor.

United States on Nov 06, 2022

Kindle Customer: For an insight into the hardy life of a cowboy, for someone who loves horses, for someone who can laugh in the face of adversity, for an appreciation of those who embrace adventure, this book has it all. It would have been a pleasure to have met the man. A pity they are so few and far between. A must read. It just gets better, each time I read it.

United Kingdom on Mar 08, 2022

K. Stump: I was hooked by the concept of flight, interested in how horses would tie into flight, and learned a lot more than I thought I would about a part of WW1. Sometimes I regret an American education. How unfortunate is it that the American politics that existed during those war years have not improved. How embarrassing is that we still treat out soldiers as third rate citizens? These volunteers they give up their young adult lives so lawyers and politicians and activists even today can exploit the freedom patriots like Captain Libby fought to preserve. If you have never served this book will probably confuse you. If you have never lived in a tent on deployment you will not feel the rain, you will not be able to join Libby in France as he desires more than anything to find a way to stay dry. If you have never experienced being in command or taking full responsibility for you actions and the actions of your crew, read this book and put yourself on the balance. how do you measure up? It made me think about what my memoirs would say about me.

United States on Jan 24, 2021

B. Hoey: The author's style makes this feel like he and you are sat together while he relates his story. I'm not interested in cowboys but the section on his early life changed that. I became immersed in his exploits and the difficulties he endured. The latter half of the book deals with his army service and his transfer to the Royal Flying Corps, beginning as an observer and, later pilot. This is not a tale of 'derring do' but an open account of life fighting an enemy that he did not hate, it was kill or be killed and he didn't know why he was fighting and guessed that neither did his opponents. Throughout the book one appreciates his sense of humour and fatalistic viewpoint. Highly recommended!

United Kingdom on Jan 13, 2021

Rachel D: This is the story of a boy who grows up on a cattle ranch breaking in wild horses. It is fascinating, you learn every detail of how to break in a wild horse and almost how to rope a steer.
He takes various jobs involving cattle and horses and ends up in Canada just as WW1 breaks out. He enlists with friends in a Canadian regiment where he is expected to drive trucks in France. He has never driven a truck and knows nothing about engines.
He transfers to the Royal Flying Corps to train as an observer. This would be more accurately called a gunner. He shows flair and ingenuity in this job especially in the primitive planes they fly in. It is dangerous work and he and his pilot have skill as well as luck. He trains as a pilot himself and by then has better planes.
Throughout this he has made many friends that he visits on leave in England.
His writing style is self deprecating . It is also clear that he loves the camaraderie and the British.
The whole book is a joy. I did not want it to end.
His granddaughter writes a short synopsis of his later life. I would have liked to know more of that.

United Kingdom on Nov 14, 2020

Dougal: As a follower of military history, particularly that of aviation, I'm familiar with many of the eminent fliers from the Great War; Ball, Bishop, Luke, Rickenbacker, Fonck, Udet, Boelcke, Richthofen… but I was not familiar with Frederick Libby. When I saw this book I was immediately curious and had to read it.

Autobiographies generally start in one of three ways. They can start with childhood, beginning at the beginning and progressing in a linear fashion through the writer's life. They can grab the attention of the reader by starting with an intense episode from the height of the writer's prime... starting with a bang as it were, then going back to the beginning and continuing on from there. Or, they can introduce itself from the perspective of later life and tell the story via constant flashbacks.

Libby writes via the first approach, by starting from his beginnings growing up in the last years of the old west. At a very young age he developed a great affinity with horses and they became the dominant theme of his early life. As interesting as it was (thanks to this I have now developed a new appreciation for horses), after several chapters of this I confess to...

United States on Feb 27, 2020