Tom Wolfe

The Right Stuff

1. IDEA 1

   Courage became a hidden code

   Wolfe describes an unspoken code among American test pilots in the 1940s and 1950s, a mix of courage, skill and coolness under danger. He calls this quality the right stuff.

2. IDEA 2

   Test pilots faced constant danger

   Wolfe describes life at Edwards Air Force Base, where pilots tested experimental aircraft. Many died in crashes, yet others kept volunteering. The work needed courage, because each new aircraft pushed past what anyone knew for sure.

3. IDEA 3

   Yeager broke the sound barrier

   Wolfe portrays Chuck Yeager as the ideal test pilot, who in 1947 became the first to fly faster than sound. Yeager's calm style influenced pilots everywhere. That flight made his name known across the country.

All 8 ideas from The Right Stuff →