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REQUEST: Good aviation/military books
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Highly recommend "The Nightingale's Song" by Robert Timberg.
It examines five USNA grads: John McCain, John Poindexter, Bud McFarlane, Jim Webb, and Oliver North and how their experiences at the Academy and in Viet Nam shaped their decisions and involvement in Reagan's White House and the Iran Contra program. Written by an Academy grad.
It examines five USNA grads: John McCain, John Poindexter, Bud McFarlane, Jim Webb, and Oliver North and how their experiences at the Academy and in Viet Nam shaped their decisions and involvement in Reagan's White House and the Iran Contra program. Written by an Academy grad.
invertedflyer
500 ft. from said obstacle
Jay Stout: Hornets over Kuwait
Hammer from Above: Marine Air Combat Over Iraq
To Be A U.S. Naval Aviator
Ward Carroll: Punk's War, Punk's Wing, and Punk's Fight.
Hammer from Above: Marine Air Combat Over Iraq
To Be A U.S. Naval Aviator
Ward Carroll: Punk's War, Punk's Wing, and Punk's Fight.
Six Frigates, by Ian Toll. Excellent book about the founding and early history (through War of 1812) of the US Navy. If you've read any of Patrick O'Brian's books, the combat passages read much like him, replete with nautical terminology. It's also interesting to see some arguments for and against various positions from that time repeated today.
Not sure if its been posted but "Shattered Sword"....The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway is so far, a very good informational read. It might just be me but it's tought to read in the beginning but picks up as it goes along. The standard thought for the Battle of Midway has been we were lucky or it was a miracle. However, more recent research has found just how lacking the Japanese were in planning and preparing for the invasion of Midway. It sheds a not so good light on ADM Yamamoto, his staff and the leadership of the Japanese navy in general. The research for the book is along the lines of John B. Lundstrom, very thorough.
No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf
Bradley Peniston
From Amazon.com website:
"Book Description
Like its World War II namesake of Leyte Gulf fame, USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) was a small combatant built for escort duty. But its skipper imbued his brand-new crew with a fighting spirit to match their forebears, and in 1988 when the guided missile frigate was thrust into the Persian Gulf at the height of the Iran-Iraq War, there was no better ship for the job. Forbidden to fire unless fired upon, Captain Paul Rinn and his crew sailed amid the chaos in the Gulf for two months, relying on wit and nerve to face down fighter jets and warships bent on the destruction of civilian vessels. Their sternest test came when an Iranian mine ripped open the ship’s engine room, ignited fires on four decks, and plunged the ship into darkness. The crew’s bravery and cool competence was credited with keeping the ship afloat, and its actions have become part of Navy lore and a staple of naval leadership courses ever since.
This is the first book to record the Roberts’ extraordinary tale. After years of research and interviews with crewmembers, journalist Bradley Peniston chronicles the crew’s heroic efforts to save the ship as they fought flames and flooding well into the night. The author also describes the frigate’s origins, its operational history, and the crew’s training. Peniston’s personal approach to the subject not only breathes life into the historical narrative but gives readers an opportunity to get to know the individuals involved and understand the U.S. retaliation to the mining and the battle that evolved, setting the stage for conflicts to come. Foreword by Adm. William J. Crowe, USN (Ret.) "
Bradley Peniston
From Amazon.com website:
"Book Description
Like its World War II namesake of Leyte Gulf fame, USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) was a small combatant built for escort duty. But its skipper imbued his brand-new crew with a fighting spirit to match their forebears, and in 1988 when the guided missile frigate was thrust into the Persian Gulf at the height of the Iran-Iraq War, there was no better ship for the job. Forbidden to fire unless fired upon, Captain Paul Rinn and his crew sailed amid the chaos in the Gulf for two months, relying on wit and nerve to face down fighter jets and warships bent on the destruction of civilian vessels. Their sternest test came when an Iranian mine ripped open the ship’s engine room, ignited fires on four decks, and plunged the ship into darkness. The crew’s bravery and cool competence was credited with keeping the ship afloat, and its actions have become part of Navy lore and a staple of naval leadership courses ever since.
This is the first book to record the Roberts’ extraordinary tale. After years of research and interviews with crewmembers, journalist Bradley Peniston chronicles the crew’s heroic efforts to save the ship as they fought flames and flooding well into the night. The author also describes the frigate’s origins, its operational history, and the crew’s training. Peniston’s personal approach to the subject not only breathes life into the historical narrative but gives readers an opportunity to get to know the individuals involved and understand the U.S. retaliation to the mining and the battle that evolved, setting the stage for conflicts to come. Foreword by Adm. William J. Crowe, USN (Ret.) "
Did someone mention Midway .. ???
The Unknown Battle of Midway: The Destruction of the American Torpedo Squadrons (Hardcover) by Alvin Kernan ( a veteran of VT-6, i.e., Torpedo 6 off the Enterprise ...
... it's all there: Stanhope Ring, Mitscher, Fletcher, the abandonment and destruction of the VT's (torpedo variety) ... it puts a new light on some of the "accepted' stories and possible coverups put forth for public consumption, largely to protect careers. Short and sweet, a "new" look at some old information ... a few typos, but nothing that should detract from an historian's examination of the death ride of the torpedo 'rons ...
The Unknown Battle of Midway: The Destruction of the American Torpedo Squadrons (Hardcover) by Alvin Kernan ( a veteran of VT-6, i.e., Torpedo 6 off the Enterprise ...
... it's all there: Stanhope Ring, Mitscher, Fletcher, the abandonment and destruction of the VT's (torpedo variety) ... it puts a new light on some of the "accepted' stories and possible coverups put forth for public consumption, largely to protect careers. Short and sweet, a "new" look at some old information ... a few typos, but nothing that should detract from an historian's examination of the death ride of the torpedo 'rons ...
purduenavy
BDCP SNA
In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors By Doug Stanton
Boot by Daniel Da Cruz - follows a marine class through boot camp during the Reagan Administration, it also offers a critique on how the civilian government influences military training and the affects it has on our military.
Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk - Follows a naval officer through WWII, excellent reads.
Boot by Daniel Da Cruz - follows a marine class through boot camp during the Reagan Administration, it also offers a critique on how the civilian government influences military training and the affects it has on our military.
Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk - Follows a naval officer through WWII, excellent reads.
THREE CLASSICS:
Street Without Joy by Bernard B. Fall: The French in Indochina, fighting a counter-insurgency just a decade after WWII, they suffer defeat and groundwork is laid for our involvement later. A great place to start when learning about Viet Nam.
Hell in a Very Small Place, also by Fall: Comprehensive look at the seige of Dien Bien Phu.
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman: A definitive account of the beginning of the First World War. I'm reading it now, and it is dense but worth it. She was an excellent writer who really shows the odd characters in power at the time. A Russian General who refused to believe in the superiority of bullets over sabres and horses. French leadership who did not want to change the French military uniforms from bright red & blue to a sand or grey color...fearing it would get hurt French elan.
Street Without Joy by Bernard B. Fall: The French in Indochina, fighting a counter-insurgency just a decade after WWII, they suffer defeat and groundwork is laid for our involvement later. A great place to start when learning about Viet Nam.
Hell in a Very Small Place, also by Fall: Comprehensive look at the seige of Dien Bien Phu.
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman: A definitive account of the beginning of the First World War. I'm reading it now, and it is dense but worth it. She was an excellent writer who really shows the odd characters in power at the time. A Russian General who refused to believe in the superiority of bullets over sabres and horses. French leadership who did not want to change the French military uniforms from bright red & blue to a sand or grey color...fearing it would get hurt French elan.
The Winds of War and War and Remberance by Herman Wouk. Also The Caine Mutiny by the same author, if it hasnt already been mentioned. All historical fiction.
The former two follow the family of a Navy Captain from 1939 through the end of WWII. Winds of War is pre-Pearl Harbor, and I found it to be the most fascinating as it goes behind the scenes into the smoky rooms of diplomacy in the run up to war.
The former two follow the family of a Navy Captain from 1939 through the end of WWII. Winds of War is pre-Pearl Harbor, and I found it to be the most fascinating as it goes behind the scenes into the smoky rooms of diplomacy in the run up to war.
"Wind, Sand and Stars" by Antoine de St. Exupery (author of "The Little Prince") Author tells of his adventures pioneering air mail routes in Africa and Latin America.
It is more what you would consider good Literature than a TV Book or poorly written "I was there" book. Poetic and insightful, it examines war and friendship and what makes aviators different from others. Every aviator should have this one on their shelf.
It is more what you would consider good Literature than a TV Book or poorly written "I was there" book. Poetic and insightful, it examines war and friendship and what makes aviators different from others. Every aviator should have this one on their shelf.
Currently reading Guests of the Ayatollah. More of a public policy book, but debriefs Operation Eagle Claw. Mark Bowden (Blackhawk Down) is the author.
http://www.amazon.com/Guests-Ayatol..._bbs_sr_1/103-3089783-5080612?ie=UTF8&s=books
http://www.amazon.com/Guests-Ayatol..._bbs_sr_1/103-3089783-5080612?ie=UTF8&s=books
Finding the Target... by Frederick Kagan. Evaluation of military policy/"transformation"/"revolution in military affairs" since the end of the Vietnam War.
Different then what some people have been offering, but in the fiction department of naval aviation
The Brick maxwell series(With Hostile intent, acts of vengence, black star, shadows of war, the killing sky, and Black star rising, which coming out this january) by Robert Gandt who also wrote Bogeys and Bandits:The making of a fighter pilot.
Also the Punk Series (Punks war, Punks wing, Punks fight) by ward carroll who is a former tomcat guy
both series are interesting but offer some extremely unrealistic situations. The gandt series follows a f/a-18 super hornet pilot and the punk series follows a tomcat pilot through their respective experiences in the navy
good quick fictional reads
The Brick maxwell series(With Hostile intent, acts of vengence, black star, shadows of war, the killing sky, and Black star rising, which coming out this january) by Robert Gandt who also wrote Bogeys and Bandits:The making of a fighter pilot.
Also the Punk Series (Punks war, Punks wing, Punks fight) by ward carroll who is a former tomcat guy
both series are interesting but offer some extremely unrealistic situations. The gandt series follows a f/a-18 super hornet pilot and the punk series follows a tomcat pilot through their respective experiences in the navy
good quick fictional reads