FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ: ROLE OF THE P-47 AND SPIRITED GUYS IN WINNING THE AIR/GROUND WAR IN NORMANDY 1944

 In January 1944, Hal Shook was a twenty-three-year-old Army Air Force captain when he took command of the 506 th Fighter Squadron – 300 men and 28 fighter aircraft – under orders to “train them, build a team, take them into combat.”  FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ takes you event by dramatic event as Shook leads his men into the chaos and tragedy of the Normandy Invasion and the dismal days that followed.  This book is a squadron commander’s view of fighters in combat and the human element that kept birds in the air!

In praise of FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ:

• “Hal’s exceptional record as a combat pilot speaks for itself, but as good as he was as a pilot, he was a better leader.  In this book Hal draws upon his combat experiences to demonstrate the importance shared core values have for creating a winning team.  We can all learn a great deal from Hal’s ability to reach out and empower people at all levels and in every conceivable position within an organization.  The lessons presented in this book are as important for businesses in today’s highly competitive markets, as they were to the success of Allied forces in the invasion of Normandy.” Senator Bob Dole, Special Counsel for Alston & Bird LLP, Washington, D.C. office. 


• “Hal Shook gives us insight into the hearts, minds, equipment, and spirit of the winning team in World War II. His FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ takes us behind the scenes and into the skies so vividly that we can see the battles unfurl as if on a heavenly vantage point.” Jay Conrad Levinson, author of GUERRILLA MARKETING series of books


• “As a paratrooper with almost two years of ground combat, I gained a great respect for the courage and daring of our fighter pilots and the pivotal role they played in the successes we achieved on the ground. [FIGHTER


• PILOT JAZZ is a book that every combat infantryman and World War II historian should read to place in proper perspective the role of the fighter pilots on our march to Berlin.” James Megellas, author of ALL THE WAY TO BERLIN: A PARATROOPER AT WAR IN EUROPE


• “WOW! Really a page turner.  The graphics and pictures complement the phenomenal stories.  I really appreciate the way you weave the stories with the history with the leadership lessons. If I was in a bookstore and found this on the shelf, the chapter titles alone would force me to buy it, the pictures would seal the deal, and thumbing through it to take in a story or two would make me start reading it as soon as I got home.” James Jinnette, Major, USAF Assistant Director of Operations, 336 th Fighter Squadron, 4 th Fighter Wing


• “FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ is a full-throttle experience that is a joy and delight to read. Hal Shook entwines leadership principles with a riveting story of his exploits as a fighter pilot during World War II.” Ches Schneider, author of FROM CLASSROOMS TO CLAYMORES: A TEACHER AT WAR IN VIETNAM


• “With panache befitting a true-blooded [World War II] hero, Hal pens stories and lessons forged in the crucible of battle.  May such spirit guide us all!” Dr. Russell D. Wolfinger,
  Director of Genomics, SAS Institute Inc.


• “This book provides a thrilling ride on the edge of a World War II fighter seat as you learn invaluable lessons of navigating the highs and lows of life. Using vivid and often humorous illustrations of actual events, Hal imprints these powerful lessons into your mind, so that they will always stay with you. I highly recommend this book to any student of leadership – Hal’s life is an inspiring example of courageous and caring leadership in action.”Steve Brock, Senior Marketing Manager, Nortel Networks


• “What I want my students to remember most from Hal Shook’s FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ is what Hal himself cites as [his] ‘most meaningful lesson’…‘It’s all about people. Take care of them; they will take care of you. Push them around; it will blow up in your face.’ In chapters 12 and 13 of FIGHTER PILOT JAZZ, Hal builds on the solid insights of his previous classic, FLYING SPIRIT, to point to the moral of his tales of bravery and camaraderie in battle. He winds up adding his voice to that of Rudy Giuliani in expressing a message that has come down to us through the millennia: ‘Love is the foundation piece for all.’ The cynicism and greed of our time may belie this message of compassion for our fellow human beings, and it may seem hopelessly idealistic to many; but it is true nonetheless, and it’s time we took it seriously.” Dr. Jack Christ, Professor and Director of Leadership Studies, Ripon College, Executive Director, Wisconsin Leadership Institute