I am in the middle of Clashes: Air Combat over North Vietnam 1965-1972 by Marshall L Michel. I highly recommend it, it’s easy to read and revealed a lot that I didn’t know about the air war there. For example, our missles only hit 57% of the time and had a 13% kill rate, which seems pathetic (especially when a lot of the F-4’s didn’t have guns). This period saw the techniques of air warfare evolve from some almost post-WW2 technology to the modern age. It’s very interesting to follow the ebb and flow of the battles as each side gained the advantage.
Gary,
Mike was a Medevac Pilot and is interviwed on the Discovery Wings show about he “Huey”. I believe he also flew with his son, pilot and copilot on active duty.
I don’t know if any of these are still in print but
T.R. Fehrenbach’s This Kind of War is excellent non-fiction about Korea.
Fields of Fire by James Webb excellent fictional Vietnam novel.
Currahee by Don Burgett (I think that’s the name) is a first person account by an enlisted man in the 506 PIR (the regiment in Band of Brothers) it covers Burgett’s Basic, jump school, the formation of the 506 at camp Toccoa, through the Normandy campaign (and maybe Market Garden, it’s been 20 years since I read it). Burgett also wrote an account of Bastogne, but I haven’t read it.
I’m in the middle of “No one left behind” the Scott Speicher story… it’s pretty good so far, although very sad.
Gary: whats this new book out in “The Corps” series? Ive been an avid reader of the series since I first picked up book 3 (liked it so much I had to go out and get the first 2 then catch up. The last book I read I think was “Under Fire” in which Pick Jr is shot down in enemy territory after trying to become a Choo Choo Ace 
If theres a new book to this series do you know the name of it. I cant wait
Garydmason
A book not listed in the replys is “Body Count” by William Turner Hugget. A fictional work on the war in Vietnam that is the best I ever read. It is out of print but you can get it for a couple of bucks on’Amazon’. I know,I just received my 3rd copy.I believe the copyright is 1973. Very,Very entertaining.
Happy Reading
TEise
Awood23,
“The Corps” latest book is called “Retreat, HELL!” (released Jan 2004), and is book number 10 in the Series. A GREAT read!! But, it still leaves a lot of unfinished business, so there’s gonna have to be at least two more books, in my opinion. I mean, this one is still in the beginning of the Korean War, and it took Griffin 8 books to get through WWII.
TEISE,
Thanks for the info. Sounds like a good read. I’ll have to get it when I get to the Half-Price Book Store next time. Man, there are SO MANY books listed in this thread that I want to read. If I read every one of them, I would probably be 80 years old by the time I finished!! I just didn’t realize that there this many military books out there.
I try and keep up some professional reading to stay well-rounded with my job, so I’ve acquired a small, selective library of military-related books. All of which I would highly recommend to anyone who’s into military reading.
In no particular order:
Fields of Fire - James Webb
With the Old Breed - Eugene B Sledge
Rumor of War - Philip Caputo
On Killing - LtCol. Dave Grossman
When Thunder Rolled - Ed Rasimus
Flags of our Fathers - James Bradley (also have Flyboys, but didn’t like it so much)
In the Company of Heroes - Michael Durant (the helo pilot shot down in Somalia - gives a different perspective than BHD)
Colder than Hell - Joe Owens
The US Marine Corps Story - Robert Moskin
The Art of War - Sun Tzu
Flight of the Intruder and its sequel The Intruders - Stephen Coonts (sure, it’s fiction, but he was an A-6 driver so its pretty good and has lots of real-life thrown in)
FMFM-1 Warfighting - haha…every Marine will recognize this one.
I have just started Boots On The Ground by Carl Zensmeister. It’s about the 82 Airborne in Iraq. When I finish I’ll let everyone know if it’s a good read.
Not aircraft related but, “The Short Timers” by Gustav Hasford — One of the most incredible books I’ve read. The movie, “Full Metal Jacket”, was based on this book. But the book is pretty different and 100 times more intense than the move. Check it out if you can find a copy!
What do I read?
WellThe entire “Brotherhood of war” by Griffin is a contender. But I still feel sorry for myself for not beeing able to find “The corps”
The three first books Larry Bond wrote under his own name are awsome
Richard Herman jr., harold coyle and Barett Tillman also uses a good pen.
And of course mags like aviation history, flight journal, FSM, Scale aviation modeler int. does belong in my shelves.
Hopefully some hints here
I too have have read most of Tom Clancy, Stephen Coontz, and Dale Brown, but I also have read a lot of Harold Coyle (loved "Team Yankee), several of John Harris’s war novels, “Whip” and “The Last Dogfight” by Martin Caidin, and I have a copy of “The Boat” by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim. For reference books, I love the stuff published by Kookaburra… I’ve also read loads of biographical stuff too, such as “Reach for the Sky” about Bader, and wartime biographies about John Cunningham, and a couple of Luftwaffe pilots, one flying night fighters, and one Stukas (Rudel possibly?). Also one called “Iron Coffins” about a guy who served in U-boats, but I cant remember the author. Fortunately for him, it was autobiographical!!! I’d love to find another copy of “The Man Who Owned a Navy” about the salvage of the German High Seas Fleet after they were scuttled at the end of WW1.
triumf,
I’m surprised that you can’t find “The Corps” series by W.E.B. Griffin. Anywhere that sells Griffin’s books always has “The Corps” books. I travel all over the country, and see them all the time in the airport bookstores, so I would assume that other bookstores would be the same way as well. But, if you can find them, buy them. They’re great reading.
I just finished reading “Tex” Hill’s new book titled, Tex Hill-Flying Tiger, and highly recommend it.
Tim Landers
thanks gary for the info on the corps series… looks like Im off to the bookstore for another book I fly to Belgium on Thursday and this will give something to read on the flight… thats if I dont finish it between now and then. His books are so good I tend to fly through them. I can relate to triumf’s displeasure at not being able to find some books by Griffin. Many of the book stores Ive been to only carry one or two series (sp) of his books and often not the whole set… though of you read this triumf… theres always the internet. Ive been able to find almost everything Ive wanted off the net short of a 1/48 Vigilante or a decent 1/48 RF-4C
Thanks again Gary
Reading another thread today caused me to remember a book I treasure {even though I didn"t think of it when this thread was going around}. A few years ago my Dad was in a book club and got me a reprint of a very old book first written in the 30’s by a guy with a pen name of “Vigilant”.
The book was called “German Warbirds” and was a compilation of the careers of the more outstanding and some not so outstanding German fliers of WW1.
It was written in an almost dare I say it, gentle kind of light hearted early style, and looked upon all fliers of that period as being like some sort of chivalrous knights of the air who regarded the war as a great adventure and their enemies were respected and treated fairly.
Apparently “Vigilant” wrote books on French pilots and other s too but I was never able to locate any. Has anyone else read this or anything else by this guy ?
Cheers, Jeff
All of Roger A Freeman’s works on the 8th Air Force in WWII
With the Old Breed-Eugene B. Sledge
Helmet for My Pillow-Robert Leckie
The March to Glory-Robert Leckie
The Look of Eagles-John Godfrey
Brazen Chariots-Major Robert Crisp
Hell in A VerySmall Place-Bernard Fall-
Street Without Joy-Bernard Fall
Currahhee-Donald Burgett
Seven Roads to Hell-Donald Burgett
Bravo Two Zero-AndyMcNabb
SOG-Maj. John Plaster
SOG(Pictorial)-Maj. John PLaster
The Spearheaders-James Altieri (Rangers in WWII)
The Marauders-Charlton Ogburn Jr.
The Great Escape-Paul Brickhill
The First and tthe Last-Adolph Galland
Samurai-Martin Caidin and Saburo Sakai
Low-Level Hell-Hugh Mills
Tank Sergeant-Ralph Zumro
more later
GaryD,
Many, many of great books listed here, but I have to disagree with the movie “Sniper” being good. They stole a few catch phrases and scenes from the book, but it definitely didn’t mirror the book. Just my opinion.
Scott
Hey Gary,
Thanks for the info about “Retreat Hell” I bought it friday and finished it yesterday. The last book kinda ticked me off because it left ya hanging on Pick running around as a downed aviator. Atleast this one cleared that up… if not very dramaticly, not what I was expecting. Overall another great book my Mr Griffon, thanks for pointing me in the direction.
Hey guys, I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned these but they are three of my favourites.
First Light-by Geoffery Willum, his experiences as a 19yr old Spitfire pilot during the battle of Britain. This is a really cracking read that leaves you feeling like you are there in the thick of a dog fight!
Tornado Down-Flt.Lt’s Peters/Nicols-The experiences to two RAF aircrew flying over and capured in Iraq in the 1991 Gulf war.-One heck of a story about two very brave men.
Thunder and Lighting-This is a collection of stories of RAF personell who served in the first Gulf war.-A very vivid collection of experiences, courage, humour, loss and comradship.
Just my [2c]
Darren.