'A masterwork of memory, deeply impressive and deeply moving' Time Out This is the brilliant memoir of a man who starts out in Manhattan and comes of age in the skies over Korea, before emerging as one of America's finest authors in the New York of the 1960s. Burning the Days showcases James Salter's uniquely beautiful style with some of the most evocative pages about flying ever written, together with portraits of the actors, directors and authors who later influenced him. It is an unforgettable book about passion, ambition and what it means to live and to write. 'A wonderful book by a sensitive author who is romantic, intelligent, and superbly balanced' Joseph Heller 'He has written three books that everyone should read before they die: A Sport and a Pastime , Light Years , and his recollections, Burning the Days ' Independent.