This week on History Happy Hour:  The amazing story of American women who flew for England in WWII. They were crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and performers -all trained as pilots. When war broke out, they were denied the opportunity to fly for their country. But Great Britain, desperately fighting for survival, would let anyone - even American women - transport warplanes.  Twenty-five daring young aviators bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft.

Our guest is Becky Aikman, author of Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II.

Becky Aikman is the author of two books of narrative nonfiction: her memoir, Saturday Night Widows, and Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge. A former journalist at Newsday, Aikman has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications. She lives in New York.