Air war vietnam history of the sea air war welcome home. Even though this book is called rolling thunder, it is not a history lesson of this operation but an entertaining story about a fictional marine captain valentine jordan, a fighter pilot assigned to a f4j phantom ii squadron during the controversial vietnam. Vietnam war, book, mac v sog by jason hardy, volume vi, 1st edition, exc. From army, air force and marine bases in south vietnam and the philippines to the navys aircraft carriers in the gulf of tonkin, mr. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war.
The books opening thrusts the reader into the thick of the wars climactic 1972 hanoi christmas bombing, an operation so poorly planned that it. This is the best book i have read about the air war in vietnam. Remember the brutal air war in vietnam the american spectator. More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. Your military aviation book resource airforce army. Dorr and chris bishopboth experts in their fieldthe book is uptodate and comprehensive in its treatment of the american air effort over north and south vietnam, as well as the operations of the republic of vietnam air force throughout the war and the french air effort in indochina prior to. The vietnam war is one of the most misunderstood military conflicts in twentiethcentury america. Fields of fire is a brilliant book about the vietnam war. The citadel, this fort hue was a city of about 140,000 people.
Air warvietnam began life as an article in flying magazine in 1966 before being expanded for paperback publication in july 1967, and represents the eye witness experiences of the author in a visit to vietnam at that time. Our detachment commander was an rf101 voodoo pilot who had been shot down twice outside of hanoi and rescued the same day each time. Dec, 2017 this book happens to be one of the best novels about vietnam and will give you some great insight into what it was like to be in this war. The accounts seem to differ in terms of the events surrounding the rescue of. The vietnam war has generated more than its share of firstrate books, a fact that might limit the audience for. For whatever reason, the expansion included 10 pages of his experiences on riverine patrols which. Air force historical support division books special.
Vietnam 1972 us navy fighter weapons school topgun f14 f4 phantom manual book. Historian and former air force officer mark clodfelter wrote in his workthe limits of air power, air power was ineffective throughout the end of the johnson era of the vietnam war because both civilian and military leaders possessed preconceived ideas that affected its application. The forward air controller fac played a significant part in the vietnam war from the very start. We had the wrong airplanes, the wrong weapons and the wrong training for that kind of war, says retired fighter pilot dick anderegg, who flew 170 combat missions in vietnam and recently retired as director of the u. From his encounters with exvietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the. This perspective also allows honodel to focus on the interpersonal relationships, worldviews, and larger air force interactions that are sometimes found in other memoirs but often condensed or not fully explained. Vietnam by frank harvey meet your next favorite book. Air war in vietnam hardcover january 1 1987 for sale. Operation rolling thunder, 19651968 cold war 19451991 by stephen emerson.
Using makeshift propellerdriven aircraft and inadequate radio nets, they became so essential to air operations that the overall need for facs would not be completely satisfied. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. Air forces poor performance in this and other operations during vietnam was partly due to the fact that they had trained their pilots according to methods devised during world war ii and the korean war, when strategic bombers attacking targets were expected to take heavy losses. It is an interesting technical read of tactics and statistics by an airforce. This book happens to be one of the best novels about vietnam and will give you some great insight into what it was like to be in this war. Vietnam air war book recommendations boardgamegeek. Vietnam air war book recommendations wargames boardgamegeek. The book is the best narrative i have ever read about the pre1967 air war in southeast asia.
It is the only work to detail the b52 air war in vietnam from the perspective of a navigatorbombardier. Clodfelters comment should be extended to apply through the end of the. In early 1965 the united states unleashed the largest sustained aerial bombing campaign since world war ii, against north vietnam. The bridge was originally built during the french colonization of vietnam. The war fought in the air during the vietnam war was decisively in favour of us forces. Deals with the role of the united states air force i. In addition to the usual close air support strike missions to aid south vietnamese ground forces in their struggle against insurgents backed by the democratic republic of vietnam, he might direct combat search and rescue operations or air interdiction strikes on the ho chi minh. The history of the air war in south east asia is important.
It was not until the final days of americas involvement in that war, that the bridge finally came down in 1972. Air power helps stop the invasion and end the war, 1972. Hue 1968 revisits an american turning point in the war. For example, the army and marines lost a staggering 3,254 hu1 huey, 277 ah1 cobra. Matterhorn by karl marlantes, the things they carried by tim obrien, the th valley by john m. Winner of the 1974 national book award for fiction, dog soldiers is a story of the vietnam war and of drug smuggling. The blue book studies examined a wide range of united states air force plans, policies, and operations in southeast asia. Book store books related to military aviation will be advertised on these pages as a service to our guests. The forward air controller fac fulfilled many duties during the second indochina war. Oriskany battle the internal politics of their unit, their own doubts about the vietnam war, and fears. If you own one of the previous releases in the air campaign series, you know what you are getting. Phil chinnery examines the use of helicopters, fighters, bombers, and reconaissance aircraft in the vietnam war. National security archive electronic briefing book no.
If you are a writer or publisher and have a book or books you would like to see on this page please contact the webmaster via the mailbox at the bottom of the page for details. The book includes some great observations and agonizing human truths about the nonstop combat of the war. First with 20th tass at da nang, vietnam and the second with det 1of 56th sow at udorn, thailand. Interestingly, the author adopts air war vietnam began life as an article in flying magazine in 1966 before being expanded for paperback publication in july 1967, and represents the eye witness experiences of the author in a visit to vietnam at that time. The reporting of the air war itself makes terrific reading, in its warts and all style. There was a time when all i knew of vietnam war books was tim obriens, the things they carried, a book that prompted the laconic entry in my book journal, this book destroyed me. Oct, 2017 but the steepest losses in the air war in vietnam were the helicopters, which suffered devastating casualties. Generals, politicians, officials, diplomats, intelligence officers, correspondents, and academicians have surveyed the political, moral and legal aspects of the war in a surfeit of articles. Interestingly, the author adopts air warvietnam began life as an article in flying magazine in 1966 before being expanded for paperback publication in july 1967, and represents the eye witness experiences of the author in a visit to vietnam at that time.
A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. Even though this book is called rolling thunder, it is not a history lesson of this operation but an entertaining story about a fictional marine captain valentine jordan, a fighter pilot assigned to a f4j phantom ii squadron during the controversial vietnam war. Air force top secret blue book studies 1962 to 1980. Often compared to joseph conrad and ernest hemingway, and largely considered one of the best vietnam novels, stone focuses on two characters, one of whom is a sailor traveling home from vietnam. But the steepest losses in the air war in vietnam were the helicopters, which suffered devastating casualties. This airplane epitomized american airpower doctrine during the early cold. Vhs download the brave browser to block unwanted ads and choose which. In this sympathetic and penetrating history the pilots of a fighter squadron aboard the u. The royal australian air force also flew combat and airlift missions in south vietnam, as did the republic of vietnam. As a new air force rotc cadet in 1974, i was educated and led by a staff of officers with multiple tours in southeast asia flying missions in support of the war in vietnam. Air war vietnam presents a long neglected aspect of the controversial and frustrating struggle that of the military. Vietnam war, book, mac v sog by jason hardy, volume iv, 1st edition, exc. Navy spent seven years trying to bring that bridge down.
Americas air power dwarfed north vietnams and, in theory, such dominance should have had a decisive say in the outcome of the vietnam war. The vietnam war has generated more than its share of firstrate books, a fact that might limit the audience for another account, however. Largely relegated to airborne duty by the constraints of jungled terrain, facs began operations as early as 1962. Air force histories reveal cia role in laos, cia air strike missions, new evidence on nuclear weapons, air force policy disputes, during vietnam war years. The books opening thrusts the reader into the thick of the war s climactic 1972 hanoi christmas bombing, an operation so poorly planned that it nearly became a disaster of epic proportions. This site attempts to give recognition to the flying units that flew in, on, or over south east asia during the vietnam war. Gerry reponen flew 266 missions over vietnam, laos, cambodia during the war. I was stationed in many of the locations mentioned during my two tours in sea. The f4 phantom ii was the united states primary air superiority fighter aircraft during the vietnam war. Air force pararescue medic william pitsenbargers actions were credited with saving almost 60 men in one of the bloodiest battles of the vietnam war. Showcasing seventytwo true stories told by american servicemen who fought from the skies, this unique and historically significant collection is a stunning record of the air war in southeast asia during the 1960s and 1970s.
Jun 21, 2019 honodels perspective gives the book a good, indepth look at a specific part of the war through the eyes of a single fighter pilot. Air war over north vietnam paperback pen and sword books. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. The book s opening thrusts the reader into the thick of the war s climactic 1972 hanoi christmas bombing, an operation so poorly planned that it nearly became a disaster of epic proportions. Lt col david buff honodel does more than just tell the war as it happened in the phantom vietnam war. List of aircraft losses of the vietnam war wikipedia. There were those in america who supported the idea of simply bombing north vietnam. Read about the war, the missions, the aircraft, and the men this site is dedicated to those that were lost in the skies over the gulf of tonkin, north vietnam, south vietnam, laos, cambodia, thailand, and on routes to and from the war zone. Air war in vietnam hardcover january 1 1987 for sale online. Stephen emerson does an outstanding job of outlining the complicated flashpoint of vietnam that lasted for more than 30 years and culminated with the height of the vietnam war. One of the things i loved so muchand that broke my heart so cleanlyabout the things they carried was that it reminded me of another beloved war book, slaughterhouse. Air combat over north vietnam, by marshall l michel iii.
His new book about a pivotal battle in the vietnam war is hue 1968. Despite how one may feel about the war, the universal themes bourke exposes re. Forward air control during the vietnam war wikipedia. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. All series air vanguard aircraft of the aces aviation elite units battle orders campaign combat combat aircraft command duel elite essential histories essential histories specials fortress general aviation general military graphic history men at arms new vanguard raid warrior weapon xplanes anatomy of the. Operation rolling thunder, 19651968 cold war 19451991. Mar 27, 2015 the war fought in the air during the vietnam war was decisively in favour of us forces. The book brought back a flood of memories, many good, some bad. Jun 14, 2018 covering world war i, world war ii, and the vietnam war, this book does an exceptional job illuminating the psychological aspects of wartime on those who do the killing. If you are into the vietnam war, this is a good reference book that provides the latest perspective on the rolling thunder campaign. Rolling thunder 196568 johnsons air war over vietnam. Was a book that i previously owned and needed to replace.
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