The Millionaires’ Unit is the story of a gilded generation of young men from the zenith of privilege: a Rockefeller, a Taft, the son of the head of the Union Pacific Railroad, a son of J.P. Morgan’s leading partner, and several who counted friends and relatives among presidents and statesmen of the day. Most were students at Yale in 1916, striving for rewards on the athletic fields, in school organizations, and in Skull & Bones. They had it all and, remarkably by modern standards, they were prepared to risk it all to take flight as military aviation pioneers in order to fight a distant war in France.
Driven by the belief that their membership in the American elite required certain sacrifices, they were determined to be first into the conflict, leading the way ahead of America's declaration that it would join the Great War in Europe. The members of the Millionaires’ Unit shared a stirring, romantic and dangerous adventure—together growing from boys into leaders in the first terrible, modern war, putting their lives on the line because they believed in the cause and in the idea that it was their duty to do so.
The Millionaires' Unit is the inspiration for the award winning, feature length documentary The Millionaires’ Unit – U.S. Naval Aviators in the First World War produced by Humanus Films. Marc served as an adviser for the film and appears in it.
Praise for The Millionaires' Unit
"What a rollicking tale this is! These adventurous and aristocratic flyboys set out to save the world and make sure that America became its leader. It was a time when patriotism and sacrifice had true meaning. They learned a lot from their service, and so can we."
―Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs
"A fascinating tale of heroism and adventure that builds to a soaring, page-turning climax."
―Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea
"Marc Wortman...has written a beautiful, moving, informative, and inspiring book that deserves a vast readership. It tells the tale of a group of remarkable men who were moved by the love of adventure, patriotism, and a deep sense of responsibility to justify their own advantages and good fortune by risking their lives in defense of American values."
―Donald Kagan, author of The Peloponnesian War
“In 1916, a remarkable group of Yale undergraduates organized an aviation unit with which they hoped to assist America’s tiny Navy by protecting our coasts in the expected event of German aggression…. In The Millionaires’ Unit, Marc Wortman describes this extraordinary group effort in fascinating detail … [with] vivid, hair-raising, and sometimes horrifying accounts of individual dogfights and crashes.”
―Louis Auchincloss, The Wall Street Journal
“Marc Wortman brilliantly captures the febrile, sports-mad, and patriotic atmosphere of Yale …but the true pleasure of this book is in his portraits of the six principal players and his elucidation of their deep-rooted sense of patriotic duty and camaraderie.”
―Christopher Sylvester, Sunday Telegraph (London)
Driven by the belief that their membership in the American elite required certain sacrifices, they were determined to be first into the conflict, leading the way ahead of America's declaration that it would join the Great War in Europe. The members of the Millionaires’ Unit shared a stirring, romantic and dangerous adventure—together growing from boys into leaders in the first terrible, modern war, putting their lives on the line because they believed in the cause and in the idea that it was their duty to do so.
The Millionaires' Unit is the inspiration for the award winning, feature length documentary The Millionaires’ Unit – U.S. Naval Aviators in the First World War produced by Humanus Films. Marc served as an adviser for the film and appears in it.
Praise for The Millionaires' Unit
"What a rollicking tale this is! These adventurous and aristocratic flyboys set out to save the world and make sure that America became its leader. It was a time when patriotism and sacrifice had true meaning. They learned a lot from their service, and so can we."
―Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs
"A fascinating tale of heroism and adventure that builds to a soaring, page-turning climax."
―Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea
"Marc Wortman...has written a beautiful, moving, informative, and inspiring book that deserves a vast readership. It tells the tale of a group of remarkable men who were moved by the love of adventure, patriotism, and a deep sense of responsibility to justify their own advantages and good fortune by risking their lives in defense of American values."
―Donald Kagan, author of The Peloponnesian War
“In 1916, a remarkable group of Yale undergraduates organized an aviation unit with which they hoped to assist America’s tiny Navy by protecting our coasts in the expected event of German aggression…. In The Millionaires’ Unit, Marc Wortman describes this extraordinary group effort in fascinating detail … [with] vivid, hair-raising, and sometimes horrifying accounts of individual dogfights and crashes.”
―Louis Auchincloss, The Wall Street Journal
“Marc Wortman brilliantly captures the febrile, sports-mad, and patriotic atmosphere of Yale …but the true pleasure of this book is in his portraits of the six principal players and his elucidation of their deep-rooted sense of patriotic duty and camaraderie.”
―Christopher Sylvester, Sunday Telegraph (London)
