A bet between WWII commanders. An Eagle Scout from Tennessee assigned to pilot one of the greatest leaders of the Allied Forces. This is the story of how young Captain Richard Evans became the B-17 "Flying Fortress" pilot for Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the British 8th Army, during missions throughout North Africa and Italy. “Richard Eager is a compelling account by a remarkable man. Few bomber pilots in World War II flew as many missions and survived to tell the tale, which makes Colonel Richard E. Evans’ story all the more extraordinary… It’s a vivid, engaging and utterly fascinating memoir of an extraordinary and unquestionably unique wartime career.” - James Holland, WWII Historian, Writer, and Broadcaster Filled with humor and humility, Evans’ recollections of cadet training, combat missions and experiences with the “top brass” provide a fascinating first-hand account of a World War II pilot in both the Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operations. Woven throughout the chapters, Evans interrupts his personal narrative of war to recall pivotal childhood moments with friends and family and as a Boy Scout in the Smoky Mountains. Nicknamed for his over-eagerness as a cadet, “Richard Eager” shares his stories with great optimism for the future and poignant reflections on growing up. This book includes a chronology of Colonel Evans’ life milestones and WWII details, his own glossary of war terms defined with humor, an appendix filled with original family letters, historic V-Mail, award commendations and primary source documents that shed light on his personal and professional relationships, joys, and fears. Iconic, restored photographs of Tennessee boyhood years and WWII military planes and service, and original maps illustrating the countries over which Evans flew, add to the book’s historical content. An epilogue summarizing Colonel Evans’ Strategic Air Command service after WWII is also included. 100% of profits from the sale of the “Richard Eager” book are donated to the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force non-profit organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in support of Air Force members and families. 2023 Independent Press Award winner in Military Nonfiction 2022 Indie Book Award Silver Medal winner in both Autobiography/Biography and Military 2022 American Book Fest finalist in Military “Richard Eager is a compelling account by a remarkable man. Few bomber pilots in World War II flew as many missions and survived to tell the tale, which makes Colonel Richard E. Evans’ story all the more extraordinary. Serving first with the famed Ninety-ninth Bomb Group in the Mediterranean and then as General Montgomery’s personal pilot, his lengthy wartime flying career saw him not only meet many key commanders—and a King—but also brought him face-to-face with no small amount of danger and close shaves. The book also offers a rare and valuable insight into Monty’s character – one that has often been vilified but which emerges as more sympathetic here. These adventures alone would have been enough to fill a book, but Evans then returned to combat operations and completed fifty-four combat missions with the Ninety-ninth Bomb Group from Foggia in Italy, before finally retraining on the B-Twenty-ninth Superfortress at the end of the war. It’s a vivid, engaging and utterly fascinating memoir of an extraordinary and unquestionably unique wartime career.” - James Holland, WWII Historian, Author, and Broadcaster “This is a phenomenal story of one aviator's experiences from World War II through to the jet age. Not only does Colonel Evans meet some of the major figures of the war, but he is present at many of its significant events. This book also covers the birth of the US Air Force during a time of great political, social, and technological change. Colonel Evans had a front seat to all these events. I highly recommend this book for any aviation enthusiast!” - Dr. John Curatola PhD, Military Historian, The National WWII Museum, New Orleans "This chronicle of the life and career of USAF Pilot Colonel Richard Ernest Evans is the book I have been looking for throughout my career as a researcher, historian, academician, and book reader. It provides not only an exciting "jump seat" ride through the adventures of a World War II and Cold War pilot who flew bomber missions, met royalty and generals, and helped steer the Air Force from its beginnings in the nineteen-forties to the world today but also offers the experiences that shaped him as a boy and young man, something you don't often get with such narratives. We see his experiences as a bomber pilot during the Second World War, the command decisions he frequently had to make, his meeting with King George VI on the tarmac in Tripoli, his memorable days he had as a pilot flying British General Bernard Montgomery as his "personal pilot" flying his B-seventeen "Flying Fawtress" Monty had earned as payment of a bet with General