Winds of Fate takes place during World War II, but you cannot call it a war story. It is the story of Charlie Cross and his wife Doretta, both civilians but ultimately tied to the military, Charlie as a Service Pilot with Air Transport Command and Doretta as an instructor with the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Charlie flies the Hump from India to China, one of the most dangerous operations in World War II. According to the author, "The Hump gobbled men and airplanes like a child would eat Christmas candy. This operation is little known and little publicized yet these men managed to bring into China all the supplies that were needed to continue the war against the Japanese. The lessons learned became the basis for the Berlin Airlift and modern day military transport." Doretta serves as a WASP, operating against male prejudice, difficult flying conditions and sometimes flying dangerous aircraft. The ladies who took on the duties of a WASP did an amazing job of flying military airplanes and doing many jobs male pilots did not want to do here in the US. Winds of Fate is a fast paced well-written novel that everyone will enjoy reading. You do not need to be a fan of aviation or World War II stories to appreciate this book. The reader will be entranced by the action, brought to tears when someone is lost and filled with happiness when true love is found. Anyone who loves a great story will find it difficult to put this book down once you get started.
About the Author: Robert F. DeBurgh was born and grew up in the northeastern United States. From a very early age his entire life has been dedicated to aviation, from flying airplanes himself as a professional pilot to writing about the people who fly them His first recollection of flight is sitting on his aunt's lap in the front seat of an open cockpit biplane flown by his uncle at the tender age of five. He learned to fly at age fifteen and obtained his commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates at eighteen. After completing his military service he returned to college and obtained graduate degrees in psychology, sociology and education and a master of arts in psychology, supporting himself and paying his tuition by doing what he loved best, flight instruction and writing about aviation. His writings have included aviation and sports car columns for several newspapers, many articles for American and foreign magazines, short stories in the realm of adventure, science fiction and fantasy and much poetry. He has also worked as associate editor for "American Roadracing Magazine." At the present time he writes articles for "Indian Aviation Magazine" and several US magazines and is the author of the widely acclaimed novels, Riders of the Wind and Winds of Fate. In each of these novels DeBurgh has woven a tale of high adventure set against an accurate background of actual historical events. Robert DeBurgh has served as captain for three overseas airlines and has sojourned widely in the US, Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Africa. For the past seventeen years he has served his country in the capacity of a pilot examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration until his recent retirement. He still flies regularly and does some advanced flight instruction for airline transport pilots and flight instructors. He resides in the southeastern US with his wife of twenty-five years and his four dogs. His new novel, The Winds of Kunlun Shan, due to be released in the autumn of 2012, is the third book in the Riders of the Wind series.