War is both serious business and the most traumatic of events. No one knew this more than Manfred von Richthofen, the German World War I ace. One of the central figures who both created and defined a new form of warfare up there in flying machines, Manfred came to epitomize the battle flyer-someone we today refer to as the fighter pilot. In this historical novel, author Marc Cirigliano takes us far from the inaccurate Hollywood stereotype of the uptight Prussian warrior and or its opposite, the erroneous image of the reckless, hard partying flyboy. Instead, Cirigliano creates an engaging narrative of historical fiction about the real Manfred. A dutiful officer, Manfred-devoted son, sibling and outdoorsman, who loved to hunt, hike and ride horses-struggled in the last nine-and-a-half months of his life from the physical and psychological injuries of a combat head wound he suffered at the height of his fame. A Restless Spirit takes us into Manfred's day-to-day battles with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Concussive Syndrome. With humor, wit and insight, Cirigliano develops a personality sketch that everyone who has experienced war or is interested in World War I will want to read. As we live through the centenary of World War I, A Restless Spirit is a must for readers, both serious and casual.
