Burning the Days

In Burning the Days, James Salter traces his life from East-Side Manhattan boyhood to West Point, flying in the Korean War, then into the literary circles of New York and Europe. His prose evokes flying, love, ambition and memory with rare clarity. Reflective and richly detailed, the memoir examines what it means to live, write and reflect on a life lived. Salter uses memory to convey not only events but the emotional resonance of time, loss and artistry. (Wilson Quarterly)