Looking for books about vietnam air war

[Kaos]

I've read quite a lot of them some time ago, but after reading vietnam air losses
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1857801156.01._PE30_PI_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
I want more, so I'm looking for some bio and other stories from that period.
If you can tell me of a web page dedictated to that kind of books, that would be great.
;)

[Gordon]

http://www.dropbears.com/b/broughsbooks/military/vietnam_airwar.htm

There's a link to a bunch of books. Personally i've only read "ChickenHawk" and it's a really good book, I was trying to remember the name of it so I could post it here and came across this page on the net so here it is.

[Kaos]

Thx a lot.
;)

[marktigger]

a lonley kind of war and hit my smoke are my favourites on the vietnam airwar

[AFACadet]

Get "Into the Mouth of the Cat." Also look for "To Hanoi and Back."

[Kaos]

Already read "A lonely kind of war", about FACs on OV10, right?
Good book indeed.
Can U tell me more about "To Hanoi and back"???
I've seen it on amazon, but I wonder if it's exactly the kind of book I'm looking for???

[Merik]

I can name lots of books that I've read that are good.

Going Downtown and Thud Ridge by Jack Broughton
100 Missions North by Ken Bell
Pak Six by GI Basel
Taking Fire by Ron Alexander(Surprisingly there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book and the author by other vets who claim that even though the author was in vietnam, he did not do the various things described in his book. Still a damned good book I think.)
Angel's Wing by Joe Finch
Wings Over Nam #2 by Cat Branigan
Fast Movers by John Darrel Sherwood

I havent read this one yet but I hear its really good, When Thunder Rolled by Ed Rasimus.


http://www.dropbears.com/b/broughsbooks/military/vietnam_airwar.htm

There's a link to a bunch of books. Personally i've only read "ChickenHawk" and it's a really good book, I was trying to remember the name of it so I could post it here and came across this page on the net so here it is.

I was going to buy ChickenHawk earlier today but I dont know much about, was it worth the buy?

[AFACadet]

Can U tell me more about "To Hanoi and back"???
I've seen it on amazon, but I wonder if it's exactly the kind of book I'm looking for???


I'll write what's inside the cover:

By the summer of 1966, the US Air Forces's reputation had hit rock bottom in Vietnam. After nearly eighteen months of the limited bombing campaign called Operation Rolling Thunder, North Vietnam's airfields, principal port , and capital city remained largely unscathed. Working under technological, geographical, and political constraints, the Air Force began to look for ways to use limited air power more effectively. In 1972 the two Linebacker campaigns joined with other air operations to make a dramatic, although temporary, difference. While they unleashed powerful B-52 area bombers, the campaigns also demonstrated the efficancy of newly developed laser-guided precision bombs.

Drawing upon twenty years of research in classified records, Wayne Thomposn integrates operational, political, and personal detail to present a full histoyr of the Air Force role in the war against North Vietnam. He provides an unprecedented view of the motivations and actions of the people involved--from aircraftw to generals to politicians--in every phase of the air campaigns. He outlines the political reasons for President Johnson's reluctance to use B-52 bombers against major North Vietnamese targets. He descrives the roles and personalities of generals in Asia and officials in Washington. He tells how the media influenced U.S. policy and how U.S. prisoners in North Vietnam became the war's most celebrated heroes.

The war in Southeast Asia pushed the Air Force toward more flexible tactics that incorporated increasingly sophisticated weapons. Although the Air Force's second Linebacker campaign showcased the effectiveness of traditional area bombing, the first took advantage of the new guided-bombing technologies that would shape later conflicts.


Wayne Thompson is chief of analysis at the Air Force History Support Office. He contributed to three of the six volumens of the Air Force's Gulf War Air Power Survey (1993) and has served since 1995 as the Air Force's lead historian on air power's role in recent Balkan conflicts.



hope that helps

[Kaos]

So, it's more an overview of the conflict, than a view from the cockpit?

And how about this one?
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1571683011.01._PE30_PIdp-schmoo2,TopRight,7,-26_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Anybody's allready read it?

[Merik]

Amazon should have a review of that book man so see if you can find it.

[James]

One of my uncles was a FAC in Vietnam. He flew a Cessna O-2. Once, his plane was hit by ground fire, and he and his co-pilot lost control - the yoke was limp and dead. They popped the doors and were getting ready to jump. My uncle touched the trim wheel, then stomped the rudder pedals, and discovered that they still had a little bit of control. They flew home and landed using the trim wheel and rudder pedals.

Crazy.

[Gordon]

I was going to buy ChickenHawk earlier today but I dont know much about, was it worth the buy?

Defintely worth the buy, it's about the air cavalry in Vietnam covering one of the pilots, Robert Mason's, tour of duty.

here's a link to his website with a bit more info and reviews on this book and others by him:

http://www.robertcmason.com/

if you want more info about it before you buy just search for "chickenhawk mason" on google and there's a bunch of stuff.

edit .. be sure to check out the pictures in his online gallery, there's some real good stuff there.

[Kaos]

Thx.

[cold0]

Linebacker Raids: The Bombing of North Vietnam 1972
and
Rolling Thunder: The Strategic Bombing Campaign, North Vietnam 1965-1968
by John T. Smith are the best books if you want to read the ovrall history of american air campaign against the North Vietnam

10 may 1972, one day in long war by Alfred Price is out print but if you find a copy buy it! It's dedicated at the fiercest day in the air war over North Vietnam, expecially at the air battle between USAF/US NAVY against N Vietnam Air Force

War in the Fourth dimension by Alfred Price is a must if you to knoe something about the EW in the modern aircraft. 40% of the book is dedicated at the Vietnam War

....and Kill Migs by Lou Drendel is good book if you are interested in air-to-air combat, 'cause it report the pilots accounts of battles against migs. I have an updated version including the IIPGW.

Every man a Tiger by Clancy and Gen. Chuck Horner. The story of
Chuck Horner personal experience in Vietnam War are very interesting and it's one of strongest attack against the military top brass that lead the war in South-East Asia.

The Osprey books! Espacially the ones dedicated to the Vietnamese Peoples' Air Force (VPAF)
MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War
and MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War are very interesting 'cause it's a inside view of the "enemy". Even the books dedicated to the US NAVY F-4 are goods ones, so and so the Crusader's books.

[el borracho]

Fast Movers by John Darrel Sherwood

Yeah, thats a good one...some good stories about air-to-air combat, and especially survival in POW camps. After reading that book, I developed a whole new respect for those guys.

[RBull]

You may also like to check the classic (but excellent) books by Squadron & Signal. Along with the And Kill Migs, which is mentioned above by Cold0, there is the Lou Drendel's trilogy Air War over Southeast Asia (also available as one hard cover book if you look into used books), then if you are into Phantoms, you should definitely not miss the USAF, USN and USMS "..... Phantoms in Combat" (three separate books by Squadron & Signal), then of course the Phantom in combat by Schiffer Books. All of those could be described rather as pictorial books, having good deal of text in them too.

RB

[Nomad35]

James

What year was your uncle in VN? I too was a FAC who flew the
O-2 Skymaster. I was in an O1 Birddog (Gypsy3) my first 3 months, Then moved up to the O2 as (Nomad35). I was out of Danang from Jan. 68-Feb69. Do you know his handle (Call sign) ?
Capt. USAF

[wolfcall]

My favorite is "SOG The Secret Wars of Americas Commandos in Vietnam" by John Plaster. He has another one out too but I don't recall the name of it. They're both true accounts of SOG Operations. Another book I could recommend is "Viper 7" by Charles Pocock. Charlie was one of my ALO's when I was there.

[wolfcall]

James

What year was your uncle in VN? I too was a FAC who flew the
O-2 Skymaster. I was in an O1 Birddog (Gypsy3) my first 3 months, Then moved up to the O2 as (Nomad35). I was out of Danang from Jan. 68-Feb69. Do you know his handle (Call sign) ?
Capt. USAF

What unit were you assigned to. Neither of those call signs is in the FAC Association database.