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Fighting Back: Stan Andrews and the Birth of the Israeli Air Force
Fighting Back is the story of Stan Andrews, an assimilated American Jew and World War II veteran who became one of the first fighter pilots in the history of the Israeli Air Force.
“Jeffrey and Craig Weiss have uncovered the story of a Jewish hero in the mold of a Leon Uris character. Readers will enjoy trying to keep up with Stan Andrews—a typical Jewish New Yorker turned daring combat pilot—as he chases history from the air force planes of the United States and the nascent state of Israel.”
–Dan Senor, New York Times bestselling co-author of Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle.
“Absorbing and beautifully written, Fighting Back tells the thrilling story of an unlikely American Jewish hero. At a time when some American Jews are distancing themselves from the Jewish state, this book is a powerful reminder of the deep roots connecting American Jewry and Israel.”
–Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor
In 1948, Stan Andrews left a comfortable postwar life in Los Angeles to travel to the war-torn Middle East, where a four-front Arab invasion threatened to destroy the newly-declared State of Israel. There he joined the Israeli Air Force and became one of its first fighter pilots. Andrews was an unexpected volunteer for the fight for a Jewish state. He was many things—an artist, writer, assimilated Jew, ladies’ man, pilot, and combat veteran of the Pacific War. He had previously been aloof from the struggle for Jewish independence but found himself so roused by the anti-Semitism of 1940s America that he decided to go to Israel and risk everything. Stan made the most of his time in Israel, serving in fighter and bomber squadrons and leaving his mark on an Israeli Air Force that has since become the stuff of legend.
“Jeffrey and Craig Weiss have uncovered the story of a Jewish hero in the mold of a Leon Uris character. Readers will enjoy trying to keep up with Stan Andrews—a typical Jewish New Yorker turned daring combat pilot—as he chases history from the air force planes of the United States and the nascent state of Israel.”
–Dan Senor, New York Times bestselling co-author of Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle.
“Absorbing and beautifully written, Fighting Back tells the thrilling story of an unlikely American Jewish hero. At a time when some American Jews are distancing themselves from the Jewish state, this book is a powerful reminder of the deep roots connecting American Jewry and Israel.”
–Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor
In 1948, Stan Andrews left a comfortable postwar life in Los Angeles to travel to the war-torn Middle East, where a four-front Arab invasion threatened to destroy the newly-declared State of Israel. There he joined the Israeli Air Force and became one of its first fighter pilots. Andrews was an unexpected volunteer for the fight for a Jewish state. He was many things—an artist, writer, assimilated Jew, ladies’ man, pilot, and combat veteran of the Pacific War. He had previously been aloof from the struggle for Jewish independence but found himself so roused by the anti-Semitism of 1940s America that he decided to go to Israel and risk everything. Stan made the most of his time in Israel, serving in fighter and bomber squadrons and leaving his mark on an Israeli Air Force that has since become the stuff of legend.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 17, 2022
13 people are currently reading
2676 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 31, 2022
A child of Abraham
Always a need to connect to our spiritual father,Abraham. Prophets tell us of today's time. All the Stan Andrew's are to behonored.
Always a need to connect to our spiritual father,Abraham. Prophets tell us of today's time. All the Stan Andrew's are to behonored.
December 17, 2025
Fighting Back: Stan Andrews and the Birth of the Israeli Air Force by Jeffrey and Craig Weiss is a compelling historical biography that brings to life the extraordinary story of Stan Andrews, an American Jew whose courage and determination helped shape the nascent Israeli Air Force. This book is a vivid blend of history, adventure, and personal heroism, offering readers both thrilling aerial exploits and deep insight into a pivotal moment in world history.
The Weiss brothers excel at painting a complete portrait of Andrews, a multifaceted man who was an artist, writer, World War II combat veteran, and ultimately, a daring fighter pilot. Readers follow Andrews as he leaves a comfortable life in postwar Los Angeles to join a young nation under siege, confronting danger on multiple fronts while navigating complex moral and cultural landscapes. His journey from an assimilated American Jew to a key figure in Israel’s defense is as inspiring as it is captivating.
What makes this book particularly engaging is its ability to balance historical context with narrative energy. The authors provide rich details about the early struggles of the Israeli Air Force, the geopolitical pressures of the time, and the personal risks Andrews undertook, all while keeping the story accessible and engaging.
Fighting Back is both educational and exhilarating, offering an intimate glimpse into the life of a remarkable individual whose actions left a lasting mark on history. For readers interested in military history, Jewish heritage, or tales of extraordinary personal bravery, this book is an unforgettable and deeply moving read.
The Weiss brothers excel at painting a complete portrait of Andrews, a multifaceted man who was an artist, writer, World War II combat veteran, and ultimately, a daring fighter pilot. Readers follow Andrews as he leaves a comfortable life in postwar Los Angeles to join a young nation under siege, confronting danger on multiple fronts while navigating complex moral and cultural landscapes. His journey from an assimilated American Jew to a key figure in Israel’s defense is as inspiring as it is captivating.
What makes this book particularly engaging is its ability to balance historical context with narrative energy. The authors provide rich details about the early struggles of the Israeli Air Force, the geopolitical pressures of the time, and the personal risks Andrews undertook, all while keeping the story accessible and engaging.
Fighting Back is both educational and exhilarating, offering an intimate glimpse into the life of a remarkable individual whose actions left a lasting mark on history. For readers interested in military history, Jewish heritage, or tales of extraordinary personal bravery, this book is an unforgettable and deeply moving read.
January 9, 2026
For history fans and general readers alike, Fighting Back delivers a moving, engaging account that lingers in the mind long after the last page.
Stan Andrews begins life as Stan Anekstein, the son of Jewish immigrants in the Bronx. He loves drawing. He loves movies. He wants a wider life than the one he sees on his block. The authors show how this restless kid becomes a gifted pilot in the US Army Air Corps, flying more than forty combat missions in the Pacific during World War II.
After the war, Stan tries to step into a new role. He attends UCLA, studies writing, picks up screenwriting dreams and circles Hollywood’s orbit. He dates, debates and tries to leave his Jewishness in the background. Casual slurs and quiet exclusions chip away at that idea.
As news of the Holocaust and the struggle over Palestine grows more pressing, Stan’s life tilts again. There are late-night conversations, coded phone calls and the sense that ordinary days in Los Angeles no longer match the stakes of the moment. Stan finally decides that his flying skills matter more in a war zone than in a lecture hall...
Fighting Back will appeal to readers who love World War II history, aviation stories and biographies that bring lesser-known figures to the foreground. Book clubs that favor narrative nonfiction will find much to discuss here, from questions about personal duty to debates over risk, sacrifice and identity. Those who prefer character-driven stories will connect with Stan’s charm, flaws and steady growth.
Read the full review on BookTrib.com
Stan Andrews begins life as Stan Anekstein, the son of Jewish immigrants in the Bronx. He loves drawing. He loves movies. He wants a wider life than the one he sees on his block. The authors show how this restless kid becomes a gifted pilot in the US Army Air Corps, flying more than forty combat missions in the Pacific during World War II.
After the war, Stan tries to step into a new role. He attends UCLA, studies writing, picks up screenwriting dreams and circles Hollywood’s orbit. He dates, debates and tries to leave his Jewishness in the background. Casual slurs and quiet exclusions chip away at that idea.
As news of the Holocaust and the struggle over Palestine grows more pressing, Stan’s life tilts again. There are late-night conversations, coded phone calls and the sense that ordinary days in Los Angeles no longer match the stakes of the moment. Stan finally decides that his flying skills matter more in a war zone than in a lecture hall...
Fighting Back will appeal to readers who love World War II history, aviation stories and biographies that bring lesser-known figures to the foreground. Book clubs that favor narrative nonfiction will find much to discuss here, from questions about personal duty to debates over risk, sacrifice and identity. Those who prefer character-driven stories will connect with Stan’s charm, flaws and steady growth.
Read the full review on BookTrib.com
January 9, 2026
Fighting Back restores to history a figure who feels at once improbable and inevitable. Stan Andrews artist, World War II combat pilot, assimilated American Jew emerges as a vividly human lens through which to understand the birth of the Israeli Air Force and the moral urgency of Israel’s fight for survival in 1948.
Jeffrey and Craig Weiss tell this story with narrative momentum and historical care, tracing Andrews’s evolution from aloof observer of Jewish politics to committed participant in one of the twentieth century’s most consequential conflicts. His decision to leave a comfortable postwar life in Los Angeles for a war zone thousands of miles away is rendered not as mythmaking, but as a reckoning shaped by rising antisemitism in America and the shock of Israel’s vulnerability.
What distinguishes Fighting Back is its refusal to flatten Andrews into a symbol. He remains complex and contradictory: brave, impulsive, creative, and deeply human. Through his service in both fighter and bomber squadrons, the book captures the improvisational chaos of the fledgling Israeli Air Force and the extraordinary courage of the volunteers who built it under impossible conditions.
At once biography, military history, and meditation on Jewish identity in the aftermath of World War II, Fighting Back is an absorbing and important contribution. It reminds readers that history is often shaped not only by ideologues and generals, but by individuals who choose at great personal risk to act when history calls.
Jeffrey and Craig Weiss tell this story with narrative momentum and historical care, tracing Andrews’s evolution from aloof observer of Jewish politics to committed participant in one of the twentieth century’s most consequential conflicts. His decision to leave a comfortable postwar life in Los Angeles for a war zone thousands of miles away is rendered not as mythmaking, but as a reckoning shaped by rising antisemitism in America and the shock of Israel’s vulnerability.
What distinguishes Fighting Back is its refusal to flatten Andrews into a symbol. He remains complex and contradictory: brave, impulsive, creative, and deeply human. Through his service in both fighter and bomber squadrons, the book captures the improvisational chaos of the fledgling Israeli Air Force and the extraordinary courage of the volunteers who built it under impossible conditions.
At once biography, military history, and meditation on Jewish identity in the aftermath of World War II, Fighting Back is an absorbing and important contribution. It reminds readers that history is often shaped not only by ideologues and generals, but by individuals who choose at great personal risk to act when history calls.
January 10, 2023
Stan Andrews served in the Pacific in World War II, and then afterwards he opted to join the Israeli Air Force at the start of the country's war for independence. The book explores his life and the motives for his choices. It's decently written, but the book is in sore need of maps and photos to show what is being talked about.
January 3, 2026
Well written and throughly researched.
The author's have immense respect for Stan. They dust off long lost information and tell Stan's story and that of the fledgling Israeli Air Force with compassion and insight.
Anyone with interest in Israel 's fight for freedom and independence, and those that helped attain it, should read their work.
The author's have immense respect for Stan. They dust off long lost information and tell Stan's story and that of the fledgling Israeli Air Force with compassion and insight.
Anyone with interest in Israel 's fight for freedom and independence, and those that helped attain it, should read their work.
December 6, 2023
a pilot's aliyah, identity and bravery
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews