*Includes pictures. *Includes Lombard's quotes about her life and career. *Includes a bibliography for further reading. *Includes a table of contents. “Carole Lombard's tragic death means that something of gaiety and beauty have been taken from the world at a time they are needed most.“ – Errol Flynn A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ American Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. On January 16, 1942, just a few weeks after Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, the nation suffered what were considered the first civilian deaths of the war when a plane crashed into the side of a mountain southwest of Las Vegas. Aboard the plane were 15 servicemen, but the plane was also carrying one of Hollywood’s biggest stars: actress Carole Lombard.