In a narrative that flashes between the life of American pilot Ned Thomas and events of World War II, a young man aspires to fly, and confronts a dangerous mission over the highest mountains on Earth - the vast, mythic, murderous Himalayas - the Hump.

"This is the war nobody told you about. These are the Americans who confronted peril every time they climbed into a plane. Far from home, in an alien and hostile setting, these men risked it all. Ned Thomas knows. Not an armchair historian, Thomas is a veteran who lived the dangers of the Himalaya and survived. Thomas’ story will grab you and keep you riveted page after page."

- Robert F. Dorr Mission to Tokyo

"Books on flying the Hump are rare, and just as I say in the Foreword, this is an important addition because the author combines hands-on-throttle insight to explain the complex and confusing events of the day. Highly recommended for buff, scholar, and new beginner in the field!"

- Walter J. Boyne Author/Historian/Former Director of the U.S. Air and Space Museum

"At the heart of this war story lives a love story. Briefly told, enduring, strong, sweetly remembered."

- Naomi Sokel Zeavin Carmen’s Secret Diary aboard the USS Hornet in 1944

"The Hump is a line drawn across the eastern Himalayas and the forest of Burma by American blood and courage."

- Theodore White Life Magazine, September 11, 1944

"Hump Pilot provides an entertaining window into what it was like to fly over the world's most dangerous air route in the worst flying conditions imaginable. Nedda Thomas has produced a spirited account."

- Aviation History Magazine

"Exceptionally well written, organized, documented, and presented, 'Hump Pilot' will prove to be a valued and seminal addition to World War II Military History reference and reading lists. Impressively comprehensive, Hump Pilot is as engaging a read throughout as it is informed and informative. A first-class military aviation history!"

- The Midwest Book Review

"Thomas has written a dramatic history centered on her father, of the campaign to fly what was called 'the Hump.' Her father's brassy dedication and decency come across. However, the truly engrossing tale is the amazing Hump drama that ensures the book does a winner's barrel roll overall. Thomas' emotional restraint ensures a realistic story. She crafts a classic example of how courage is not the absence of fear - but its conquest. The author persuades not by shouting out a propaganda poster but by subtly sketching her subject's virtues - and also harnessing the power of jarring contrast. The key factor was the derring-do of flying a route deceptively labeled the Hump, but that pilots in moods of morbid candor called the Skyway to Hell."

- The Asia Sentinel

"The book is memorable not only for the military information, but also for the sharing of a human element we sometimes forget while reading history books. Thumbs up for a great summer read!"

- Winding River

"Nedda traces her father's life-or-death missions over the Himalayas against the backdrop of the larger events of World War II. Pilots had no choice but to navigate turbulent weather over the highest mountains in the world in primitive, often overloaded aircraft. But steely Hump pilots like Ned braved these conditions with determination. In Ned's own words, 'If we'd had to wait for a pretty day, we'd still be there.'"

- Parade Magazine

"An in-depth, fascinating look at a job that was supremely dangerous. The book includes enough practical detail about flying to inform the reader without becoming a technical manual. Descriptions over the Hump are vivid and engaging, adding a human face to the drama created by perilous missions over a vast mountainous wasteland. The story exemplifies courage in a perhaps unique way that deserves attention and is well worth reading."

- WWII History Magazine