REQUEST: Good aviation/military books

[ryan1234]

Not Navy related but a great read.

I just finished off the book Fulcrum by Alexander Zuyev. Nothing like defecting the Soviet Union by borrowing a Mig-29 and bolting across the Black Sea to Turkey and handing over the keys. It also give an interesting perspective of life in the Soviet Union and the dissatisfaction with the Communist political system.

There is also a book called "MiG Pilot" about Lt Victor Belenko who defected with a MiG-25, good read, you may like that as well.

 

[Seal]

Ironclaw by Sherman Baldwin EA-6B pilot during Desert Storm http://www.amazon.ca/Ironclaw-Sherman-Baldwin/dp/0553577484/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298951779&sr=8-2 I would recommend this book to anyone. Made me change my mind about Prowler squadrons. You, Prowler guys, really doing great and important job.
Start to read Angles of Attack: An A-6 Intruder Pilot's War by Peter Hunt http://www.amazon.ca/Angles-Attack-...=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298952101&sr=1-4 Really enjoy this one. Excellent account of Navy A-6 driver during Desert Storm.
I would recommend next book maybe you will not like it because it's written by officer from the other side (Russian Army) but it's real account from first war in Chechnya Vyacheslav Mironov. Assault on Grozny Downtown http://artofwar.ru/m/mironow_w_n/text_0180.shtml

 

[BigIron]

This isn't a book, but I recently streamed it from Netflix:
Azorian: The Raising of the K-129


If you get a chance, this is a very impressive documentary. Mech E at its finest.

 

[KBayDog]

Netflix is the f'ing devil.

Thanks for the recommendation - now that I've burned through all six seasons of Nip/Tuck, I'm always looking for something good to watch.

 

[coolhandlukesd]

Very rare I think. But given the internal bitter schism within the Air Force regarding B-52s in Vietnam, and especially the polarizing events of Linebacker II and its regrettable tactics, it is not surprising that some careers were trashed.

I am not familiar with your great uncle. But my guess is he was one of the "good guys" who balked at the absurd B-52 tactics that caused loss of lives, and who paid a price for being both outspoken and right.

Whether there was actually a "mutiny" at Anderson AFB in Guam is debatable. But there obviously was a major confrontation between the B-52 crews and the Generals. This incident and the failures of Linebacker II were mostly covered up for a few years, until a former B-52 pilot (Drenkowski) published a 1977 article in the Armed Forces Journal, "The Tragedy of Linebacker II." This was later expanded in Soldier of Fortune magazine, where he alleges the refusal of crews to fly ('mutiny') not only in Guam, but also in U-Tapao.

The Air force soon rebutted all the allegations in a follow-up Journal article.

There is no doubt there was animosity between the operators, and the SAC generals, most of whom planned the tactics in Omaha's Offutt AFB. They did not want to hear anything from the crews who had to fly ridiculous and dangerous flight patterns repeatedly, despite the losses.

Having flown in Linebacker II myself, watching the Buffs fly overhead and on radar, it was immediately evident to me that their tactics were wrong. And observing their burning losses in the night sky proved it!

A couple of weeks later a couple of Buff crews over a beer detailed an incredible standoff confrontation at the Anderson O'Club, where the crews refused to fly the next day unless the tactics were changed... and thankfully they were, finally but belatedly.

The 11 Days of Christmas

Operation Linebacker II - Triumph & Tragedy at 30,000 Feet

Bibliography

Are you sure he wasn't just forced to retire before earning a BGen retirement? I ask because a general actually losing a rank would mean that he was actually taken to trial at a court martial and found guilty of a crime. That is, unless he was frocked or something, though I've never heard of anyone frocked to flag rank.

I was recently told by a relative, that he was indeed frocked and a few years after that he retired from the Air Force. On another note he thought of his frocking, as a badge of honor.

Also I was not give any details on the incident.

I will find out more about it latter.

Sorry for the thread Jack.

 

[BarrettRC8]

Hornets Over Kuwait by LtCol Stout has been excellent thus far.

 

[bunk22]

Hornets Over Kuwait by LtCol Stout has been excellent thus far.

He wrote a new book, the Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe....good book, about half way done with it.

Another book, which I may have recommened already but it's a really good read is "Hostile Skies" The Battle for the Falklands by David Morgan. He was a Sea Harrier pilot who shot down two A-4 Skyhawks and his recollection of the battle is pretty intense. He also notes that he and his wingman shot down 3 of 4 Skyhawk's that day and the survivor was actually parked a few hundred feet at his six o'clock, unbeknownst to him. He met the Skyhawk pilot years later and his 20mm guns had jammed, from damage as I recall, so the pilot was unable to fire. The saying I'd rather be lucky than good applies. Anyway, really good book.

 

[Kaman]

Not sure if anyone posted this one, but "Launch the Intruders" (2005) is an outstanding read. Basically, a chronical of VA-75 and their 1972 combat cruise aboard the USS Saratoga as a part of CVW-3. I found it at a used bookstore in Lexington, VA.

 

[bunk22]

Not sure if anyone posted this one, but "Launch the Intruders" (2005) is an outstanding read. Basically, a chronical of VA-75 and their 1972 combat cruise aboard the USS Saratoga as a part of CVW-3. I found it at a used bookstore in Lexington, VA.

Yeah, that's a good read, have it at home.

 

[Cron]

Hornets Over Kuwait by LtCol Stout has been excellent thus far.

That's definitely one of my favorite "been there" books of any (air) war.

Another good one dealing with Desert Storm is 'Vipers in the Storm' (was probably mentioned in this thread already).

 

[armada1651]

Anyone know of any good books written about the carrier-based side of OEF?

 

[wink]

My Secret War by Richard Drury. Great first person account of flying Spads in the USAF during Viet Nam. The guy hated AF rules and how they prosecuted much of the war, especially the SAR effort. A story related in the book is the rescue of LCDR "Pee Wee" Reese from VA-145, I think, USS Ranger. I was reading this book on my first cruise, on Ranger, and had it on the table at lunch in the dirty shirt one day. Strike Ops came over and sat dow at my table and noted the book. Turns out he was a squadron mate of Pee Wee's on that cruise and provided even more insight into the shoot down and rescue. Coolest thing was Drury's final act of rebellion, folding his wings taxing back to the line, something absolutely verboten in the AF. He speaks highly of NAVAIR performance in the Viet Nam war.

 

[leo20307]

I second "MiG Pilot" and also recommend "God is My Co-Pilot" by Col. Robert Scott. The book is not spiritual as the title suggests; rather, it is about the Flying Tigers squadron of American pilots flying for the Chinese in pre-Pearl Harbor WWII. Rather interesting read, was published in 1943 and has a "wartime conditions of paper met" stamp on the title page.

The title refers to how the Chinese laborers in Burma were astounded by the fact that a single man could fly a plane, shoot the guns, drop bombs, navigate, talk on the radio, change fuel tanks, and land by himself. Returning from a mission rather shot up with rivets from his plane in his back, the pilot overhears the British doctor in Burma telling someone that he had the greatest co-pilot of all.

 

[Catmando]

..... the Chinese laborers in Burma were astounded by the fact that a single man could fly a plane, shoot the guns, drop bombs, navigate, talk on the radio, change fuel tanks, and land by himself.....

Only Chinese laborers?
Heck, I am still astounded that anyone could do all that alone, too!
Fortunately, I always had a RIO.

 

[MasterBates]

Anyone know of any good books written about the carrier-based side of OEF?

Dunno, but I've read about every issue of Maxim, Stuff, Dirt Rider, Trans-World Motocross, and Playboy published in the last 10
Years on the Boulevard.

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