![\"Waltham](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Doug-Hall-1-208x300.jpg\")
Waltham historian Doug Hall has written a book about the extraordinary life of his grandfather, military pilot James G. Hall.<\/p>\nBy Matt Robinson
Contributing Writer<\/p>\n
\u00a0WALTHAM \u2013 Despite what you may think of how they got there, each piece in a museum comes with its own story that is offered for each patron to ponder and learn from.<\/p>\n
Waltham historian Doug Hall has written a book about the extraordinary life of his grandfather, military pilot James G. Hall.<\/p>\n
How much more intriguing, then, when the exhibition is of one\u2019s own family?<\/p>\n
In his new book,\u00a0\u201cLegacy of the Skies,\u201d\u00a0Waltham\u2019s Doug Hall puts his practiced museum studies skills to work in discovering and sharing the amazing story of his grandfather, Col.\u00a0James Goodwin Hall<\/a>. In the process, he reveals the story of the man who helped create aerial reconnaissance (shooting the images of Omaha Beach that allowed the Allies to prepare for D-Day) and the Air Mail system, but also participated in the pre-Depression stock market and helped shape modern horse racing.<\/p>\n Researching the story As the younger Hall was born after his grandfather\u2019s passing, Doug had little to go on other than snippets of stories from members of the interim generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn many ways,\u201d Hall explained, \u201cthis piqued my interest in finding a trail.\u201d After requesting and receiving his grandfather\u2019s full military record (which Hall describes as being \u201cas thick as a Webster\u2019s dictionary\u201d) in 2018, Hall knew he had a story to tell.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted an opportunity to fully explore my grandfather\u2019s incredibly eventful life story,\u201d Hall reasoned. \u201cI wanted to give him his due recognition in one fully researched, verifiable, and also readable account, so it wasn\u2019t just facts and figures. I also wanted to share with my family the account of his remarkable and accomplished life.\u201d<\/p>\n Starting with genealogical research and leaning on the support of military librarians and other colleagues and friends, Hall quickly became engrossed in his familial history.<\/p>\n \u201cTo my enormous surprise and personal satisfaction,\u201d Hall said, \u201cI uncovered a remarkable paper trail of James Goodwin Hall, including adventures and accomplishments that spanned his military, civilian, and business life.\u201d<\/p>\n In\u00a0\u201cLegacy,\u201d Hall speaks to and about his grandfather through stories and images culled from personal and military records, depicting a man of great drive and passion who reached the top of multiple fields and yet is little known today.<\/p>\n A short but accomplished life<\/strong> In addition to flying in both World War I and World War II and helping launch both the U.S. Air Mail system and the Jet Age, the decorated Col. Hall was an early member of the New Yori Stock Exchange and helped establish the American Quarter Horse as an official racing breed.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn a word,\u201d Hall said, \u201che lived a life in full!\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED CONTENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n Award-winning journalist Carmen Fields shares her most personal story<\/a><\/p>\n Cambridge author drew inspiration from unique sources<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Doug-Hall-4-book-Front-Cover-194x300.jpg\")
After requesting and receiving his grandfather\u2019s full military record in 2018, Doug Hall said knew he had a story to tell.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>While the story seems almost too astounding to be real, Hall\u2019s practiced investigative work reveals a man whose story needs to be told and, thanks to this book, is told very well indeed.<\/p>\n![\"Doug](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Doug-Hall-2-1st-Lt.-James-G.-Hall-center-WWI-with-163rd-Aero-bombing-squadron-1918-300x218.jpg\")
Doug Hall\u2019s grandfather James G. Hall, front row center, became a pilot during World War I.<\/p>\n![\"Col.](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Doug-Hall-2-Col.-James-G.-Hall-Chief-of-Reconnaissance-of-U.S.-Army-Air-Forces-posed-with-PR-image-o.jpeg\")
Col. James G. Hall took aerial reconnaissance photos of Omaha Beach that allowed the Allies to prepare for D-Day during World War II.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was\u00a0fascinated and amazed by the varied achievements and adventurous lifestyle he had led in 55 short years,\u201d he says, recalling the \u201cgold mine\u201d of archived articles, book references, photographs, and even professional correspondence.\u00a0\u201cWhat I learned ultimately that it was his character and personality traits that led him to all these adventures. His military achievements and contributions speak to his personal character, communications skills, and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n