The Drums of War

<p><em>The Drums of War</em> is a deeply personal and intimate account of a young man's flight training in 1918-where he learned about discipline fear courage adversity and depression-and his difficult return to civilian life and eventual hope for a brighter future.</p><p>Cy Corbett relished the excitement and adrenalin rush of early flight. During training he experienced sixteen forced landings and one serious crash but considered himself lucky: several fellow cadets were killed or seriously maimed. And through this he learned that his Irish Melancholy-his depression-seemed to vanish while he was in flight. </p><p>The book begins with his contemporaneous journal entries as a student debating the merits of his country going to war alongside an old enemy-Britain. The author then joined the most perilous of services the Army Air Corps. After earning his wings and finally en route to his scheduled deployment overseas Cy found himself in a train car waking to shouts and celebrating in the streets. The Armistice had been declared. </p><p>Returning home to a mundane civilian life was filled with confusion disarray romantic disappointment the death of his mother and finally near the end a ray of hope for the future. </p><p>This book is the first volume of a serialized autobiography written by former pilot and newspaperman Cy Corbett. The story is told through flight journals diaries and remembrances written fifty years after the fact. Cy's observations progress from a matter-of-fact record of events to deeper reflections of how the army changed his life.</p>