Wings of War: The Story of the P-51 Mustang Fighter

Margaret Stanback White received her BA from Harvard. Following a career as a research scientist, she began a career as a researcher and editor on nonfiction book projects about scientific breakthroughs and how they have changed the course of history.

The P-51 Mustang was the first allied fighter plane David Fairbank White and Margaret Stanback White, authors of Wings of War, will talk about their book chronicling the story of the famed World War II P-51 Mustang, which allowed the allies to firmly wrest control of the skies over Europe from the German Luftwaffe. The program, sponsored by the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, is free and open to the public and will be held on June 17 at 2 p.m. at Brevard College’s McLarty-Goodson Hall, Room MG-125, Brevard.

David Fairbank White studied history at Harvard and worked as a reporter for the New York Times. He has written for national magazines including Fortune, New York, Parade, and Readers Digest.

with the range to escort bombers all the way to their targets in Germany. Prior to its arrival, staggering numbers of bomber crews were lost to German fighters as earlier allied fighters, such as the American P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-38 Lightning, as well as the famed British Spitfire, lacked this capability.

Perhaps little appreciated today, the development and production of the visionary P-51 was first opposed and then stonewalled by the leadership of the U.S. Army Air Forces. In Wings of War, the Whites describe the story of the designers, engineers, test pilots and a handful of Army officers who brought what became the most successful fighter aircraft of the Second World War from the drafting table to the skies where it was badly needed in the fight to liberate Nazi controlled Europe.

Wings of War is available for purchase at Highland Books, 36 West Main St., Brevard. The authors will autograph books for those who bring their copies.

The non-profit Veterans Museum of the Carolinas welcomes visitors Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Exhibits cover World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and the war on terrorism. Tours can be customized for groups by calling 828-884-2141. For more information, call 828-884-2141 or visit www.theveteransmuseum.com.