Foreword by Stephen Coonts. Combining vivid personal narrative with historical and operational analyses, this book takes a candid look at U.S. naval airpower in the Vietnam War. Coauthors John Nichols, a fighter pilot in the war, and Barrett Tillman, an award-winning aviation historian, make full use of their extensive knowledge of the subject to detail the ways in which airpower was employed in the years prior to the fall of Saigon. Confronting the conventional belief that airpower failed in Vietnam, they show that when applied correctly, airpower was effective, but because it was often misunderstood and misapplied, the end results were catastrophic. Their book offers a compelling view of what it was like to fly from Yankee Station between 1964 and 1973 and important lessons for future conflicts. At the same time, it adds important facts to the permanent war record.
Following an analysis of the state of carrier aviation in 1964 and a definition of the rules of engagement, it describes the tactics used in strike warfare, the airborne and surface threats, electronic countermeasures, and search and rescue. It also examines the influence of political decisions on the conduct of the war and the changing nature of the Communist opposition. Appendixes provide useful statistical data on carrier deployments, combat sorties, and aircraft losses. This paperback edition of a book first published in 1987 includes a new foreword by Stephen Coonts.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Keep This Book Alive:
This remains one of the best books about the Vietnam War and the Air War in particular. I read this book again and again. All Naval Aviators (including us Marines) should have this book in their library. Find a copy before it becomes impossible to do so. I don't think I have read a more honest, focused and reasoned book about the war. Good combat descriptions, artfully done. Excellent comments about morale. And brutally accurate accounts relating to wartime leaders, and specific consequences of their folly.... more info
An excellent history:
In my search to learn more about the era and the war I almost joined, I've read a lot of book about the war in Vietnam, including many specifically about the air war, and the pilots who fought it. "On Yankee Station" stands out from the pack. It's not the usual "There I was at 20,000 feet.." memoir; this is a critical look at the global strategy and the local tactics of the Vietnam war told by someone who had a unique view from the cockpit. It's also a blistering critique of the men who sent them to... more info
Pirate: Wings Folded:
John Nichols, callsign "Pirate," folded his wings in September 2004. OYS remains his testament to those naval aviators who follow in his slipstream. I never had a better friend. And neither did anyone else.
Required reading:
This book on the naval air war over Vietnam should be required reading not only for all military pilots, but for every military and civilian official who is involved in planning strategy, tactics, or military weapon procurement. But don't get the idea it's a boring book; besides giving the reader a clear view of what happened in the air over Vietnam, the author makes his points in a very readable fashion, not by preaching but by simply pointing out what we did, and why we could have done so much better... more info
