Nostalgic black-and-white and period color photos depict the legendary Army Air Corps and Air Force jacket as worn by airmen in World War II and the Korean War.

Derek brings you anecdotes and a history of the jacket's service.

Marvelous images of the hand-painted art that more often than not adorned the backs of these garments can be found in the book as well.

When a new leather flight jacket hit the Army Air Corps warehouses in May 1931, supply sergeants probably didn't realize that they were handing out pieces of history.

There had been jackets before, with a hodgepodge of shapes and features. Other jackets would come later, but they would be somber, practical and forgettable. In the case of the A-2 summer flying jacket, though, something magic was afoot.

Although the A-2's only new feature was its zipper, it would quickly prove to be unlike anything that came before or after.

Like the Navy's classic G-1 that appeared a few years later, the jacket had a tough, can-do edge.

It looked informal but extremely capable, utilitarian but with a touch of swagger; equal parts Eddie Rickenbacker's grin and Claire Chennault's grimace, Billy Mitchell's nattiness and Jimmy Doolittle's zeal.

It had a rare combination of image and mission. The Navy and Air Force pilots who wore the jackets in the 1930s gripped the public's imagination in a way that was unmatched until the astronauts caught the public's eye thirty years later.

The early pilots were tough and independent. They were informal warriors, tending toward the flamboyant. They enjoyed taking risks and making jokes, setting speed records and cheating death.

They were proud of their skills, but cynical about braggarts. The national air races were front-page news; the accompanying photos always showed the pilot's cocky grin.

Those early pilots were a lot like the guys who wear the jackets today. War may be hell, but when it starts, you want plenty of them on your side. Something about the leather flight jacket symbolized their spirit.

Certainly, no piece of flight gear has been more treasured, traded, stolen or envied. The jacket kept you warm in the cockpit, and it was comfortable at the same time.

You could scratch it and scrape it, get it wet and throw it in the corner. If someone didn't steal it, you could wear it for twenty years without wearing it out.

You could even decorate it—with copies of your airplane's nose art, or kill markings. And the vivid squadron patches on a Navy jacket make it a visual biography of a pilot's career.

Derek tells the complete story of the A-2 and G-1, as well as other famous jackets like the B-3, B-6, B-10, B-15, WEP, and British Irvin.

This entertaining history is illustrated with more than 200 photos, including 60 in color.

He explores the origins of these jackets, the painting and patches that decorate them, and the booming market for original and replica jackets today.