“Biography; autobiography, the unraveling of a Cold War mystery, and a son’s mission to see his father honored. This book has it all .” —Vin Arthey, author of Abel: The True Story of the Spy They Traded for Gary Powers “Francis Gary Powers Jr. brilliantly details his father’s painful turmoil as a CIA U-2 pilot. The stain on his father’s character, facilitated by America’s Cold War fears, caused him anguish that was exacerbated by his first wife’s behavior. Gary Jr., always knowing that his father was a true American patriot and a loving parent, helped clear his father’s name and bring closure to his life’s journey. I can relate to Gary’s pain because the crew of the USS Liberty has endured a similar fate, which still continues to this day.” —Ernest A. Gallo, president, USS Liberty Veterans Association “ Spy Pilot provides a unique perspective on one of the turning points of the Cold War. Francis Gary Powers Jr. tells the tale of his father’s fateful mission, and of his capture and imprisonment in the Soviet Union. The heart of the story, however, focuses on events that occurred after Powers returned to the United States. It is a chronicle of the pilot’s battle to salvage his reputation and dignity in the face of an indifferent and at times hostile government, a battle that his son waged for decades after Powers died in a tragic accident. Spy Pilot is also an intensely personal story about the loss of a father, and a son’s desperate efforts to understand a man he barely remembers.” —Steven T. Usdin, author of Bureau of Spies and Engineering Communism “Francis Gary Powers was a patriot who got a raw deal, and his son has devoted his life to revealing the truth.” —Robert Conrad, actor, The Wild Wild West and Baa Baa Black Sheep “An interesting account of a son’s long effort to ensure his father’s proper legacy.” —Chris Pocock, author of The U-2 Spyplane: Toward the Unknown
ISBN: 978-1-63388-468-7
