Aviation Books

I ordered this book for myself after having read a borrowed original first edition hard cover from a friend.
The story is wonderful and inspiring, and I wanted to own this book. This soft cover reissue version is O.K.,
but the photo reproductions in it are shamefully bad. I'll continue to search for an original copy ...

I read this book in middle school YEARS ago, well, ok, I wore this book out in middle school. When I saw it on Amazon I had to get it! What an amazing, inspirational story. Anyone with an interest in flying or history will find this a fantastic read!

An excellent and accurate story of a historical figure, Douglas Bader. It was interesting to read and thoroughly enjoyable.

This was one of the first war ace biographies I've ever read, back when I was fourteen.

It's a pleasure to see it published again, to replace my old copy.

Of course, Mr. Brickhill seems to be a huge fan of Bader, but who in England is not, even those who realize that Bader had a difficult temper, but a difficult temper that was responsibels for getting back in a warplane in war tiem RAF without both legs!

Good read, a classic.

I read this book when I was 9 yrs. old and now that I read it again I think that this is one of those books that I will keep and read over and over.
This is a riveting story that makes you feel like you are there experiencing the events yourself.

This is the autobiography of Japan's greatest ace pilot to survive WWII. Saburo Sakai became a hero in his homeland and his account of his place in the Pacific War is even-handed and illuminating. In the early days of the war, victory seems to come relatively easy to him and the other pilots in his fighter group due to their superior training and the excellence of the Mitsubishi Zero fighter. As the war wears on, however, and the United States becomes more fully engaged on its Western front, the tide turns and the situation becomes increasingly desperate for Sakai and his compatriots, until the inevitable crushing defeat. Sakai, along with his co-authors Martin Caidin and Fred Saito, presents exciting accounts of air battles and Saito's harrowing experience piloting his aircraft back to base after sustaining injuries that should have killed him. As good as this stuff is, I was glad that the home front wasn't neglected in his narrative. In addition to being a great air warrior, he also lived a wonderful love story with his future wife.

Samurai is Saburo Sakai's own story of his times as a naval aviator for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Mr. Sakai tells us about his past (yes, his ancestors were samurai's), his time spent learning to be a naval aviator, the pre-war (meaning hostilities prior to those with the US), and yes, his time fighting US pilots.

Things that I personally found very interesting in his telling:

What Japanese Naval personnel (aviators and non-aviators) went thru in basic training. Very brutal treatment. Mr. Sakai tells about Petty Officers beating trainees, ordering them to do physical things that bordered on the impossible. Aviation training was better, but only from the perspective of beating not occuring due to minor infractions. However, the standards they were held to... Obviously, the training was not run by kinder, passionette people.

Mistakes in combat. Mr. Sakai remembered his mistakes so well. The simple fact of failing to arm the guns, over shooting a target, or worse yet, failing to properly identify the target (Mr. Sakai mistook a unit of TBM/TBF Avengers for F6F Hellcats).

His respect for his opponent. Most of Mr. Sakai's combat time was spent in New Guinea flying against US units that were flying P-39's and P-40's. Both of these planes were outclassed by the A6M Zero in almost every category except diving (note, since neither the P-39 or P-40 were supercharged at this timeperiod of the war, their performance went from bad below 15,000 feet, to terrible if they went above 15,000, thereby denying them altitude to dive for an extended period). When this is merged with the fact that the Japanese pilots were combat seasoned veterans, while the Americans were green, it makes for a bad time for those flying the P-39's and P-40's. In remembering these engagements, Mr. Sakai spoke very well of how the US pilots tried to engage the Japanese pilots.

Mr. Sakai's writing style if very readable. It's direct, to the point, without great flurishes or breast beating. This does not mean that it's unemotional, but rather that when he uses emotion, it's very memorable. For rating purposes, I have to give this 4 out of 5 stars (Amazon rating system). I don't know how he could have made it better (writing style?) but I can definatly say that it's a very good read!

Samurai! documents the wartime exploits of Saburo Sakai, the greatest Japanese fighter pilot to survive World War 11, in which he was credited with downing 64 enemy aircraft. Sakai, who died in September 2000 of a heart attack became a legend in his own lifetime. This book explains why.
Samurai! takes us from early victories over the Chinese airforce to the later dogfights with the Dutch, the Australians and, finally, the unstoppable Americans. Sakai, in describing his journey from a rookie pilot to the final surrender, also chronicles the rise and fall of the Japanese Imperial Naval Air Force as seen from one of the most spectacular cogs in its vast apparatus.
Saka, who was never decorated for his actions, was a truly amazing fighter who was held in adulation by his mechanics and wingmen. Indeed, of all Japan's aces, Saburo Sakai was the only one who never lost a wingman in combat. This is an astounding record for a man who engaged in over two hundred aerial melees. But then again, Saburo Sakai's story is an astounding one.
His retreat from Guadalcanal is evidence enough of that. Having suffered paralyzing wounds in his left leg and left arm and having being permanently blinded in his left eye and temporarily blinded in his right eye, with jagged pieces of metal in his back and chest and with the heavy fragments of two 5-caliber machinegun bullets imbedded in his skull, he managed to fly his crippled Zero all the way back to New Guinea. That is the stuff of Hollywood legends.
So too is his dogfight against 15 Hellcats over Iwo Jima. Although he only had sight in one eye, Sakai managed to out manouver the Hellcat fighters and land safely back on the besieged island. His escape from Iwo Jima is also the stuff of Hollywood legends.
Hollywood bases its stories on legendary warriors. And Sakai and his comrades quickly became legends as their honed skills and Mitsubishi Zeros allowed them to cut a swathe through their Chinese, Dutch and Australian enemies. Sakai's accounts of those earlier battles are like reading th accounts of Cochise, Crazy Horse or Geronimo. Sakai and the other Japanese warriors of the air went out and did what they felt they had to do. Their Zeros were as precious to them as the finest steeds were to the warriors of old. They were the cream of the crop.
Unfortunately for them, their numbers were whittled down as the war dragged on. Midway accounted for over 300 of Japan's best pilots.The Americans, meanwhile, came relentlessly at them with their Wildcat and Hellcat fighters, which were purposely designed to outpace the Zero. Time and again, Sakai stresses that it was only the Americans' lack of combat experience that saved him.
They didn't save the others. As the war dragged on, the standard of the average Japanese pilot plummeted.
This book is not a glorification If this book glorifies anything, it is the futility and blaspehemy of war. Sakai describes how business went on as usuall in China even in the middle of combat zones. He describes watching Australian pilots being eaten by sharks. His account of how his superior skills saved him at Iwo Jima reflect the skills he noted in the Dutch and Chinese pilots of the earlier chapters. The Japanese, who had been the confident hunters I nthe earlier chapters, were now the prey. Usually, they were sitting ducks, powerless to do anything but volunteer for a kamikaze mission or to train the young novices who made the bult of the kamikazes.
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, another top air ace who was later shot out of the air in an unarmed transport plane, was one of these. Sakai describes him as bing "unpredictable in the air, a genius, a poet who seemed to make his fighter respond obediently to his gentle, sure touch at the controls." Sakai constantly uses similar imagery to decribe his love for the Zero. This book has been reissued on countless occasions. Read it and find out why.

Sakai gives us insight into the progression of the war from the Japanese perspective, revealing the mindsets of those on the other side, without meandering into the chronological army list minutiae that many others succumb to. Action and emotion, quandaries of conscience and honour are always the subjects discussed.

Very good book. Highly recommended - very pleasureable read.

Also of increased value to those of us who play WWII combat flight simulators (grin).

This book shows that combat warriors on both sides have the same thoughts and concerns. They worry about their families and complain about their leadership.

I bought the Classics of Naval Literature volume after reading a library copy. That's how much the book impressed me. The top-surviving Zero naval ace of WWII, Sakai had realistic and controversial opinions of Japan's role in the war. He did much to build postwar friendships with the United States, even at risk to his own life.

Little did I realize when I bought the book that I would someday meet him. I visited him in his Tokyo home and hosted his visit to Naval Air Facility Atsugi. My book is now autographed.

I have read several good books by VietNam era helicopter pilots and this is the best so far. Mr. Johnson has a knack of putting the reader in the seat next to him and makes us realize just how dangerous his job was. I particularly enjoyed his use of flashbacks to his flight training days and how he worked them into the moment. It is a wonder that any of the Army helicopter crews survived a full tour. Heroes all. Highly recommended

It was 5 years ago since I was first introduced to the legendary helicopter named "Huey". She is a lovely aircraft which teachs you the helicopter flight and also forgiving one.

I like to thank Mr.Johnson because he had let me know why this helicopter which I am lucky enough to fly with is called legendary. As a military helicopter pilot I am thrilled to read every page, every line. Tom A. Johnson did a great job, he conveyed the past, he conveyed the priceless experience about emergencies. Furthermore, I felt as if I dated back to Vietnam Era and I was one of the pilot on his formation.

I sincerely hope to meet Vietnam Huey Pilots and I am so eager to listen their stories. Land safely Guys,whenever&wherever.

Cem KURKCU
FW&RW Army Pilot

An engrossing, fast moving story of a 1st CAV warrant officers experiences mid 1967-1968. Tom does a great job of explaining the elements of helicopter flight and flying tactics. The year he experienced had a high degree of combat, frequently against NVA, rather than VC. He writes well, has a story to tell, and tells it well.

I've read some other helicopter pilot's stories who served in the same III Corps AO I did in 1967 (with an assault helicopter unit, but not as an air crewman). The intensity level written about here is yet another level above what we were experiencing pre-Tet.

Like all the warrants I remember, he saw himself as a pilot rather than an officer, and measured others by their piloting skills rather than their rank. We enlisted men loved them for that. Officers with real skills (not surprisingly, the minimum AFTQ score - equivalent to an IQ score - for a WOC was higher than for an officer candidate).

I think you'll find this book a real page turner.

For me as a Combat vet, Vietnam 1966-68 101st Airborne grunt. I thought the book was great. I don't often read books about Nam, but this looked like a must. It brought back a lot good memories and not so good as well.Only Vietnam vets will have a true understand of this fine book.The UH-1H (AKA) HUEY was the best Helicpter ever built and I we all loved to see Charlie model UH-1C and the AH-1G Gun Ships too. Frank Allen

I bought 'To The Limit' a few months ago and have now read it from cover to cover three times. I've read a lot of Viet Nam aviation books over the years and I always considered Robert Mason's 'Chickenhawk' the standard for the helicopter community. Tom has now raised the bar. 'To The Limit' has got to be the most laid-back, lucid and sensitive book I have read on the subject.
He has a down-to-earth style (must be the Georgia upbringing!)which doesn't need profanity (as another reviewer pointed out), an obvious concern for the aircraft, his crew and his 'customers, and a very honest appraisal of his inner feelings under what can only be described as the highest possible levels of combat-induced stress.
Definitely a five star book - if there where more available, he'd get them.

Riveting. Lyn Spencer writes an excellent account as seen through the eyes of those in command of our airlines during the 911 "emergency". These tragic events hit close to home for every one of us who ever piloted a passenger plant and subsequently turned our nation's attention to the War on Terror. As the author of Inspiring Leadership: Character and Ethics Matter, I devote an entire chapter to the chief pilot of American flight #77, my friend and classmate, Chic Burlingame: and as I read Spencer's book gained a greater appreciation of what he must have faced on this tragic day. Spencer hits a home run as an author and her book is a must read for not only interested Americans but also those who believe that we are not immune to this type of event ever occurring again. Lessons of history are important if we learn from them that we will never repeat our mistakes or drop our guard against those who want to end our free society.

This book is full information from a pilot who was in the skies on 911. It is a real eye-opener. It is worth reading. HOWEVER........THE AUDIO VERSION IS VERY ANNOYING. The reader should have been a man not a woman. My Daughter and I were hooked on the story but could hardly stand the intonation, inflection, and sound of the voice of the reader. We had to stop listening after the last plane crashed. I would recommend an abridged audio version.
I read the book and it was great!!!

I wanted to know more of what happened, the goings on behind the scenes right after and beyond the day of 9\11. This book was very enlightening. It answered how the planes were grounded. Why the airspace over Washington was able to be invaded. Either the terrorists were extraordinarily prepared or "lucky" upon picking that day because of the events that the military had scheduled on that day, thus causing them to be away from the areas where they were needed. It was a great book. A little hard to absorb all the agencies involved-military and civilian but I got over that.

This is a very compelling book. Well written, and a very fast read. The subject was of great interest to me and Ms. Spencer helped me understand the huge dilemma that our country and it's dedicated soldiers and employees faced on Sept. 11, 2001.

This book was awesome. I couldn't put it down. We should never forget what happened on 9/11/01.

Superbly written book, wonderful use of the English language.
Here is a graphic account of the stresses, dangers and life of a WW1 fighter pilot. Anyone who is interested in this period should read this and then read it again. An awe inspiring piece of work.

In doing some family history research I established that an 18 year old relative had died in a mid air collision while flying a Sopwith Camel in the same area and at the same time this story is set. I was searching for some literature that could give me some understanding of what this brave young man had experienced. I could not have found anything that could have been more compelling reading or had more of an emotional impact than this superbly written account of the machinery and the time.

A ripping yarn, a must for aviation enthusiasts, replete with explicit and graphic flight scenes. The philosophizing seems more 1930's than 1918, but that's when the author published it. The way the author/hero deals with the loss of comrades is skilled writing, evoking the banality of having to get on with the job without mourning. i'm not qualified to comment on any authenticity of the feeling expressed/felt but it stands out from others of the genre for that reason. for me, it ranks with Sagittarius Rising, and Derek Robinson's work. the author enjoys spiking the sometimes purple prose with neologisms and entertaining latinisms; a trait i enjoy but others shouldn't have much trouble ignoring.

Based upon the author's own experiences in the RFC in 1918 here is the complete story of the war in the air on the western front. 148 sorties, the slow inexorable death of friends and squadron mates one at a time until only a squadron of ghosts is left, dogfights with Fokkers, air superiority over the Huns, death in the air, flamers (the worst way to die!), Archie, getting tight in the mess each evening singing rousing songs and smashing furniture to relieve the tension, dropping bombs, low altitude ground strafing, slaughtering ground troops with your machine guns until it sickens you, downing two seaters, mechanical failures of your Sopwith Camel while waiting for the new Snipes to arrive from England,gliding or limping back to the lines and safety, mid-air collisions, influenza turning to TB. It is all there. Highly recommended. This is the best book on the war in the air in WW1 I have ever found. Read it, and then read it again. It is that good.

I really can't understand all the 5 stars this got because other than a short, brilliant chapter on flying the camel, it just goes on and on and on and...you get the idea. Plot summary: get up and fly, dodge archie, come back to base, maybe somebody dies, get drunk, do it again tomorrow. That's pretty much it folks. Don't look for any plot development or character development here. There is some philisophical rambling about the meaning of the war which should rightly be included in any war book. Never goes anywhere. it was hard to actually finish the book but i was curious to see if it actually every "took off and flew". final verdict? down in flames! Want my copy free?

I have worked as a speech-language pathologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs for about 35 years, and my earliest patients included young veterans of the Vietnam War. Now, towards the end of my career, I have the privilege of working with veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I read Recondo and Mr. Chamber's other book on his war experiences, Death in the A Shau Valley (Death In the A Shau Valley: L Company LRRPs in Vietnam, 1969-70.), years ago, and was profoundly affected by the people and actions described. He writes with an authentic voice and we are fortunate to have his experiences preserved. I recently re-read both books after reading Jonathan Shay's two recent books on Vietnam War combat veterans (Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character) (Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming). I bought additional copies of all four books for my staff to read to better understand -- as much as it is possible for those of us who haven't experienced combat - what our brothers and sisters have gone through and what they are going through as they reenter civilian life. Perhaps every war is unique. I believe every veteran is. But Recondo give the rest of us a piece of the picture that helps us welcome the men and women of war home, no matter how long it has been since the battle ended.

Very good account of life in Recondo. The walk through the Vietnam service portrayed in this book, will keep you in the moment.

This book gave a good accounting of the training to become a Long Range Reconaisance Patrol leader, and what it was really like to be almost alone, behind the enemy lines.

another excellent book by Larry Chambers. This details his attendance at the coveted Recondo School in Vietnam, detailing the processes and the experiences. Very well written and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone looking into the LRRPs of Vietnam

This is an exelent book, it covers the author time while serving in F coy/ 58 LRP and L coy/ 75 Ranger

One of the things I love is the way the author decribes the small details, the nitty gritty...attention to details are importend, but it is details in the field...


This book also gives an avid account of the authors trip to the famed MACV recondo school and has plenty of goddy tips that can be used even today by modern patrol soldiers.

The author is a modest man, but you cannot miss that fact that Larry Chambers was icecold in combat.....did things that many others would have freaked out on......
I could not put i down

Go Buy it

Wow! I feel like I have just escaped from the jungles and the enemy myself! This is a great book. It has the perfect blend of action, technical detail and personal information. The technical details on the aircraft, combat procedures (bombing runs, strafing, etc)and how a rescue mission is run are presented in a manner that is interesting to the reader; not boring. The descriptions of the on the ground action as the two pilots attempt to escape and evade are riveting. As I read, I could feel the heat of the jungle, my body was tense with apprehension when the enemy was near and I could feel my heart bursting with fear as the pilots burst through the jungle as the enemy chased and fired upon them! Outstanding book!

The true story of a US navy pilot forced down in Laos during the Viet Nam war. Surrounded by enemy troops, he was only feet away at times from being discovered. The suspense makes this a very difficult book to put down. The minute by minute account is heart pounding.

A well written first hand account of one of the most amazing rescues of a downed pilot in the Viet Nam war. The author puts you in the jungle with him and I found it difficult to put down even knowing that he would eventually be rescued. An excellent read.

This is a truly amazing story of determined, (real) heroism by both downed aviators and their airbourne rescuers. This very well written, technically detailed, story narrates some forty hours following a naval aviator's harrowing parachute descent into the midst of a large concentration of North Vietnamese army, complete with many light and heavy caliber AA artillery, in the Laotian jungle.
The evasion by Streetcar 304 and the truly dedicated and dogged attempts by airbourne rescuers, the Jollys and the Sandys, is almost beyond belief.
This saga will become a classic of the Vietnam Air War.

Author and Navy veteran Kenny Wayne Fields flew 139 combat missions during two combat tours in Vietnam, and served for years as a flight instructor. The Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot's Forty Hours on the Run in Laos is Fields' true-life story of his first combat mission in his A-7 Corsair II. At the time, his target was Laos, even though it was "officially" off-limits for U.S. attacks. He destroyed his target, but was shot down with enemy troops in pursuit. This began his brutal, 40-hour struggle for survival while the U.S. Air Force embarked on one of its largest air rescue missions of the war. In the process, 189 sorties were flown, four pilots were forced to eject, seven planes were lost or severely damaged, and one pilot became a prisoner of war for five years. The Rescue of Streetcar 304 is a captivating true tale of duty, brotherhood, and confronting the very real possibility of an early death. Highly recommended.

Ted Lawson's first-person tale of America's first blow back at the Empire of Japan is a "must read" for anyone interested in military history. The first book published on the Doolittle Raid, Lawson's narrative describes the genesis, preparation, and execution of the raid, and should be followed with a reading of Doolittle's autobiography, in which Doolittle describes his mission as well as his despair after bailing out of his B-25. Little did either of them suspect that a raid intended to boost American morale would have strategic consequences, and that Japan would divert badly needed resources to home defense that otherwise would have gone to the front lines.

Well told story of the Doolittle raid told by one of the pilots on the raid. The story is about the pre-raid, the raid itself, and the aftermath, which tells about the injuries sustained by Capt. Lawson and his crew and the help they received from missionaires and the Chinese in escaping capture by the Japanese. He also relates the stories of some of the other crews on the raid.

This is a tense account of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in the spring of 1942. World War II pilot Ted Lawson describes the pre-raid preparation, taking off from the aircraft carrier Hornet, attacking Tokyo, and crash landing his B-25 bomber in Japanese-occupied China. As many know, the B-25's took off farther out to sea than planned after the Hornet was spotted while approaching Japan. With too little fuel to reach the safety of Chinese lines, the crews bailed out or crash land in Japanese-occupied China. The surviving airmen then tried to avoid Japanese army patrols and find help from friendly Chinese. Most flyers did so despite the language barrier and survived. But Lawson was injured in the crash-landing, and when infection set in his leg was amputated in a field hospital. Lawson survived, returned to the USA, and wrote this book in a matter of days in 1943. The story is often gripping but loses a bit of steam later on - thus just four stars.

I read this book as a youngster for its thrill value without fully realizing that war is mostly tragedy rather than adventure. The book became a 1944 film starring Van Johnson, Robert Walker and Robert Mitchum. As for Lawson, he returned with his wife to California where he eventually ran a machine shop and he lived until 1992.

It a first person account of the Doolittle raid over Tokyo in 1942, written by one of the B-25 pilots from the raid. It covers his story from flight school all the way through his eventual return to the United States. Its an amazing story, especially the crews crash in China and the 5 month ordeal of evading the Japanese. It is a great book for younger readers with its fast pace and informaly written style.

I first read this book so many years ago that I can't remember, but I think it was about when I was in the eighth grade, say about 1955. I remember the book, and I remember the Van Johnson movie. The scene where the Chinese peasant brings Van Johnson the pair of slippers only to see that he has lost one leg stays with me even now. ==This is a classic book. It was written by one of the pilots on the Doolittle raid over Japan. In fact it was the character played by Van Johnson, Lt. Ted W. Lawson, that wrote this book.

This book, these men as much as any other that I can think of illustrates exactly what Tom Brokaw had in mind when he referred to them as the 'greatest generation.' Especially so when you talk to one of them and they invariably tell you they were not a hero. Heros were the ones who didn't come back. Heros were the other guys. I was just doing my job. Heros they were all.

Read this book. Read it again if you read it years ago. Give a copy to that youngster in your family or church that you think will appreciate it.

Really enjoyed this book and often found myself laughing out loud. Too funny to put down, read it in one sitting. Have loaned it out to several friends and they also enjoyed it.

I have to admit that it has been some time since I read this book, but it's hysterical. I can still remember (from 1966) quite a bit of the dialog. Unfortunately Roger Hall's obituary was in the paper this morning and I started to look for another copy of it. It's a shame that he didn't go into the CIA, it would have been a much funnier world.

Even though it looks like I won't be able to find one, I'll still wait in line for a copy I"ll remember his medical examination. "What's your name"? "Call me candy bar, I'm half nuts"

I'm going to miss you Roger.

I grew up with this book in the house. I purchased this copy for my Father to replace the old copy he had, as it was literally falling apart. This book is so much fun. An absolutely insightful, delightful book about the beginnings of the OSS. The author has a truly unique sense of humor that even young readers will be able to appreciate. I really love this book!!!

I first read this book when I was in England, in 1958,
enjoyed it greatly, it was very well done..

I had been looking for this book for the last 20 years, and over joyed
I found it. Thank you, Amazon

Russ

Who thought spying could be funny. If you like to laugh, this is the book for you. Hall's life as a spy was hardly 007-ish, but you can't find a spy with a better sense of humor. It's hard to believe that one Army officer could find himself in as many laughable predicaments as he was. This book will ring even truer for those who have see military service. More than once I had to wipe tears of laughter from my eyes so I could continue reading. Not a long read, but certainly one high on the laugh scale.

I too was a forward air controller. The col. relives alot for me. The Ho Chi Ming trail was pure hell. 57mm rounds leave a lasting impression on one who has experienced war. The book deserves 20 stars.

This is an entertaining and honest read. I really enjoyed the writing style. This book focusses more on the life of a FAC than the actual flying of the missions. Fans of DaNang Diary and A Lonely Kind of War might be disappointed to find much less in the way of the white knuckle accounts of hostile engagements, but anyone interested in the people who fought the war can't fail but to be impressed with this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I am not very interested in war or military titles but this was a departure from the standard fare. Mr. Jackson's personality and joyful approach to life left me feeling proud. His view of life is very uplifting. I can't really explain the way this book made me feel, a combination of proud and sore, from laughing, but with a better understanding of why someone is willing to fight a war. The last chapter made me cry as did other parts but overall the book was a pleasure to read. I may even read it again I definitely will be buying it for friends. Thank you to the authors for helping me understand things that were unknown to me before this book.

I initially ordered this book because I didn't think it could live up to its reviews and I was going to give it less than five stars. After reading it, I would give it six stars if that was possible. This is a top drawer example of a really well constructed, well written and well drawn picture of a man and his impressions and experiences in combat. Te story telling is brilliant, a real "page turner." I have read numerous volumes of war stories, many were excellent but none were able to catch and hold me like this one. Mike Jacksin has done a large favor for Vietnam veterans by showing just how normal they really were.

What a special book this is. It traces Mr. Jackson's experiences as a young man growing up in Ohio and follows him into air force training, pilot training and, finally, into combat. It does an excellent job of showing civilians what it is like to train for and experience war. I think it gives a more personal and even funny view of Vietnam than other books I have read of that era. It is also a timely book with solders once again marching off to war. Mike Jackson has my respect and appreciation.