Pat O'Brien wrote this book in London during the fall of 1917 while
recovering from a two month trek across Western Europe. On August
17, 1917, he was shot in the throat during a battle with German
planes at 8,000 feet. He survived the crash of his Sopwith Pup
aeroplane and was operated on by a German Army physician in the
enemy's field hospital, saving his life. One month later, while
being transferred with other prisoners to the German interior, he
jumped from the moving prison train and began his journey behind
enemy lines through Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium. At the Holland
border he dug under a nine-foot electrical fence to freedom. One
week later he was guest of the King of England for nearly one hour
at Buckingham Palace. O'Brien was an American from Momence,
Illinois who joined the British Royal Flying Corp before the United
States had its own air force. He had joined the U.S. Army Signal
Corp where testing had begun on military aircraft. Pat was among
the first pilots to test aircraft at North Island in San Diego. He
became impatient waiting for the Army to form an official aviation
force and for President Wilson to join the war. He resigned the
Signal Corp and joined the British effort in Canada, eventually
earning his wings in England. Following his escape, O'Brien was
given a six-month medical leave and returned home to Momence on
January 22, 1918. One week later he began a speaking tour of the
United States to raise war bonds. He spoke in every major city in
the country and replaced William Jennings Bryant as the top speaker
in the country that year. His top-selling book "Outwitting the
Hun," led to a lead role in a silent film, hundreds of newspaper
and magazine stories and a significant fortune. O'Brien was a
celebrity but he was also a patriot. He had lost many friends in
the war including his closest "chum" Paul Raney of Toronto who Pat
witnessed being shot from the sky. Raney's dogfight occurred as Pat
sat in a wheelchair sunning outside the field hospital following
surgery. Despite his fame and fortune, O'Brien was compelled to
return to the battle. He attempted to join the American force,
re-enter the Royal Flying Corp and even join the French Foreign
Legion. He was denied entry due to his health and the impending end
of the war. His desire to "fight one more time" led to an adventure
in Russia during the Russian Revolution where thousands of Allied
troops were attempting to escape the battle between Tsarist
loyalists and the Red Army. As a former railroad man and an
experienced escaped prisoner his desire was to aid in the removal
of Allied troops along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. His return home
included passage through Mongolia and China. In 1920, his personal
life and fame began to wane. Following the break-up of his
relationship with Agnes McMillan who he had betrothed in San
Francisco before the war, he found himself among the rich and
famous including members of the New York mob and the burgeoning
entertainment mecca of Havana, Cuba. While filming his moving
"Shadows of the West," he married Virginia Dale who also appeared
in his film. Pat O'Brien was found dead in the Hamilton Hotel on
December 18, 1920 with a bullet to his head. His death was declared
a suicide and he was buried in Momence without a grave marker.
Locals provided a marker from Pat seventy-seven years later in
2007. The burial ceremony in 2007 led to the writing of the book,
"Lt. Pat O'Brien," by Kevin McNulty, Sr., KMC PUBLISING, (c) 2013.
The eight-hundred page novel covers Pat's entire life and also
reveals new evidence indicating he was murdered. That mystery
continues today. While there has been much erroneous information
about Pat O'Brien printed and online, the book "Lt. Pat O'Brien,"
is the most definitive and accurate account of O'Brien's life and
family. McNulty and O'Brien both from Momence, Illinoi
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
