During the 1930s and 1940s pulp magazines covered the newsstands, which were filled with creative’s stories ranging from romance to adventure; all were written by unknowns and well-publicized authors, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Elmore Leonard, Louis L'Amour, Max Brand, and Ray Bradbury. During those years, author L.Ron Hubbard published countless short stories and all of his stories are being released on paperback and audiobook from Galaxy Press under the Stories from the Golden Age series.

Today, I listened to an ARC of The Lieutenant Takes the Sky by L. Ron Hubbard which is a high-flying air adventure centering on the Irish-American pilot Mike Malloy, who happens to find himself thrown into a Moroccan military jail after he accidentally punched a Colonel, a Lieutenant-Colonel, and the General's aide; all of which may have deserved it. His punishment is five long years behind bar, which was actually a little lenient as anybody else would have received the death penalty for such actions.

Surprisingly, Mike is released from prison and assigned to a suicidal mission. He, along with another pilot, are to pilot a French politician, Mr. DeLonge, and an American woman, Lois Degann, to the Middle Atlas on an expedition to find the 800-year-old lost Arabian alchemist's book called the L'Aud, which is rumored to contain a recipe to make gold from base metal. It may sound easy at first, but the book is located in the middle of enemy territory. It’s either stay in a Moroccan jail for five years or risk his life for a mysterious book that may or may not exist. Of course Mike chooses the expedition.

With two planes at his disposal for the expedition, he may never even make it to Middle Atlas because of the crazy Lt. Renard piloting the other plane, the strange Mr. DeLonge who seems like he is hiding something, and the former model now turned amateur archaeologist, Lois Degann, who's uncle searched for the book 30 years earlier, is a major distraction as Mike is attracted to her. What Mike doesn't know is that the L'Aud is beyond anything he could ever imagine!

I have reviewed several Stories from the Golden Age and The Lieutenant Takes the Sky is one of my favorites! It’s filled with likeable characters, great action, and an intriguing plot. Galaxy Audio (Press) has done an amazing job with creating realistic sound effects and for acquiring an amazing voice-cast. The plot is fast-paced; the two-disc audiobook was over before I knew it. It didn't feel like two hours had gone by. I wish Hollywood would pay attention to L. Ron Hubbard's short stories from the golden age (as well as other authors from the era) as the stories would make great feature films, especially The Lieutenant Takes the Sky. ( )