Pushing the Envelope

First published in 1994, this stirring autobiography of a fighter and test pilot takes readers full throttle through Marion Carl's imposing list of "firsts." Beginning with his World War II career, he became the Marine Corps' first ace, was among the first Marines to fly a helicopter, and was the first Marine to land a jet aboard an aircraft carrier. His combat duty included the momentous battles at Midway and Guadalcanal. Not one to rest on his laurels, however, he participated in photoreconnaissance operations over China in 1955 and flew missions in Vietnam. In peacetime he gained fame for "pushing the envelope" as a test pilot, adding the world's altitude record to his wartime feats and becoming the first U.S. military aviator to wear a full pressure suit.

Such achievements led to Carl's being the first living Marine admitted to the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor, as well as the first Marine to be named to the Navy Carrier Aviation Test Pilots Hall of Honor. As forthright and compelling as the man it chronicles, this very readable memoir was written with the help of noted aviation historian Barrett Tillman.