I'm not a Navy Pilot yet so I can't really say what books "get it right", but here are some of my favorites, great books regardless...
The title of the "Bogeys and Bandits" book mentioned above is correct. The author is Robert Gandt.
FEET WET, by RADM Paul T. Gillchrist (RET), a heartwrenching and hilarious memoir of a 38 year Naval Aviator career. The "GATOR" did it all.
TOMCAT, THE GRUMMAN F-14 STORY, by the same author. He was there when the "big cat" was born, through her glory years and when the decision was made to axe her. As much about the Navy, it's pilots and it's politics as it is about a plane.
IRONCLAW, by Sherman Baldwin. An EA-6B Prowler pilots Gulf War experience aboard the legendary USS MIDWAY. The author doesn't shoot down any planes or drop any laser guided bombs, but Prowler pilots were in the thick of the air war, hunting radar sites and leading strike packages with no guns, air-to-air missiles or supersonic speed to save them. Great stuff!
Tom Clancy's CARRIER book is pretty cool as an overall introduction to what goes on during training and cruises.
I have yet to see a photo-journalistic look at carrier aviation that comes close to THE CUTTING EDGE, by C.J. "Heater" Heatley III. Published in the eighties, it's a bit dated (most of the aircraft and carriers in the book have long since been retired) but the photography is still stunning.
Anything by Jane's is good if you want to learn about un-classified techie stuff. Their quarterly review and magazine has up to date articles and news briefs on who's doing what, where and when.
...just some of my favorites.
D
Edited by - Dave Shutter on 06/16/2001 23:34:06