In the 1920s and ‘30s, a group of five women fought to compete against the men in the daring national air races of the era. And yes, they won. There was Florence Klingensmith, a high-school dropout from Fargo, North Dakota; Ruth Elder, a divorcee from Alabama; Ruth Nichols, a New York City-born Wellesley college grad who took secret flying lessons while she was in school to get her pilot’s license; Louise Thaden, a young mother of two from Kansas; and of course, there was Amelia Earhart.
Together they made history and their stories are chronicled in the new book, “Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History.” The book’s author, former Boston Globe reporter Keith O’Brien, joined Jim Braude to discuss.
