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Summary: My favorite book on 105s over North Vietnam
Review: I have just about read them all and this book ranks up there with "When Thunder rolled" simply outstanding!
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Summary: Tales of Air War in Vietnam
Review: It seems to me as if stories about the U.S. foot soldier in Vietnam abound, but the Vietnam War was also a war Americans fought fiercely in the air. It stands to reason then that the chronicle of the F105 fighter pilot, who flew the most harrowing missions and suffered the greatest losses, is one of the more significant, albeit under-appreciated, tales worthy of telling. As such, Ken Bell's 100 Missions North is an excellent place to dig in to the subject to appreciate a unique, by-gone perspective. Bell's first-hand account of the 100 missions he flew as a Thunderchief pilot over north Vietnam in 1966-67 provides a superb, three-dimensional picture of his life at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base north of Bangkok, Thailand, one of two primary facilities for F105s during the war. Aside from the fact that Bell was a major at the time and thus missed out on the opportunity to live dorm-style in a hooch with lower-ranking officers, his story in many ways typifies the life of an F105 pilot of this era. Although his is not the only first-hand account of the F105 pilots' experience, it may be the most satisfying. Thud Ridge, Jack Broughton's account of his tour, for instance, although essential as a piece of F105 fighter pilot history, is not a straightforward chronological account of his experiences. Instead, Broughton picks and chooses subjects for each chapter, so although there is something of a running narrative, the text skips around a bit. Not a big problem but it can be confusing unless you've been a member of a fighter wing. Therefore, I would also say Broughton seems to be writing more to a limited audience, the fellow fighter pilot as well as the military enthusiast; hence, although a good book regarding its subject, Thud Ridge is more for those already with a base knowledge of air war and squadrons. Another top-notch book but with a broader appeal than Thud Ridge is G.I. Basel's Pak Six. Basel's book is quite an enjoyable read. He turns a nice phrase, recounts interesting stories, and is easy to follow and understand. Basel also has a good sense of humor that helps the outsider appreciate the F105 fighter pilot mentality. Why then is Pak Six not the first book to pick up on the F105 pilot experience? Length! Pak Six has about half as many pages as 100 Missions North. In spite of the fact that Basel's book was a pure pleasure to read, and I finished it in about two days, it nonetheless gets into and out of its subject too quickly. It's good to leave the reader wanting more, but I wanted much more. It was after I read these two books that I came across 100 Missions North. Bell's book is the one I wished I'd picked up first. At 300 pages, it provides a detailed, nicely paced, chronological account of the 100 missions he flew. Although he doesn't literally account for all 100 missions, Bell presents the highlights of his most significant missions and discusses life outside the cockpit as well. Like Basel, he is easy to understand and can tell a good story, and like a seasoned writer, is not embarrassed to confess his fears and mistakes while flying missions. Likewise, he provides honest observations about the world and people around him during his tour. For anyone interested in this side of the Vietnam War, all three books are a must, and certainly, all three offer something unique that in total present a thorough picture of what it must have been like to be there, a subject of particular interest to me since my father was there too, but he's no longer around to recount his experiences. Of the group, 100 Missions North is the most well-rounded regarding its subject and is certainly a worthy place to begin getting a grasp of life inside the cockpit while flying bombing missions into a region reputed to be the most heavily defended in the history of warfare.
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Summary: A "Must read" for any interested in the Airwar over Hanoi
Review: Just found out this book was back in print!! Now I can finally get my own copy!!!!~yay~ Having, for as long as I can remember, been interested in the Air war over N. Vietnam and the F-105 in particular. I first picked up this book from a local library while in High school.
By that time I had already read Jack Broughton's Two books on the war over Hanoi, Thud Ridge and Going Downtown, which while great books and also among the "must read" category, are written from a quite different perspective than "100 missions north".
Bell writes from the point of veiw of a mid-level officer i.e. he was a major, he had more admin responsibility than the lieutenants and captains, and less "mission time", but the opposite was true when compared to those like Broughton (who was the Vice-wing commander during Bell's tour). So we get a fairly balanced look at life inside of a Tactical Fighter Squadron. the other reveiws here have cover most of the rest of why i liked, it so i'll let that lay.
Rating:
Summary: A "Must read" for any interested in the Airwar over Hanoi
Review: Just found out this book was back in print!! Now I can finally get my own copy!!!!~yay~ Having, for as long as I can remember, been interested in the Air war over N. Vietnam and the F-105 in particular. I first picked up this book from a local library while in High school.
By that time I had already read Jack Broughton's Two books on the war over Hanoi, Thud Ridge and Going Downtown, which while great books and also among the "must read" category, are written from a quite different perspective than "100 missions north".
Bell writes from the point of veiw of a mid-level officer i.e. he was a major, he had more admin responsibility than the lieutenants and captains, and less "mission time", but the opposite was true when compared to those like Broughton (who was the Vice-wing commander during Bell's tour). So we get a fairly balanced look at life inside of a Tactical Fighter Squadron. the other reveiws here have cover most of the rest of why i liked, it so i'll let that lay.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: Ken Bell has done an great job of communcating both the story of those who sacrificed so much over North Vietnam and the feel of being there. For the first time since aircraft went to war Hollywood chose to virtually ignore the drama and terror of the air war in Vietnam. There are no classic movies which will endure for future generations. We are left only with some excellent written accounts of the conflict. Although I read and enjoyed When Thunder Rolled and a number of other books on the air war in Vietnam I would rate this at the top of the class. Bell not only tells the story but also the emotions from the highs to the lows. Highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: Ken Bell has done an great job of communcating both the story of those who sacrificed so much over North Vietnam and the feel of being there. For the first time since aircraft went to war Hollywood chose to virtually ignore the drama and terror of the air war in Vietnam. There are no classic movies which will endure for future generations. We are left only with some excellent written accounts of the conflict. Although I read and enjoyed When Thunder Rolled and a number of other books on the air war in Vietnam I would rate this at the top of the class. Bell not only tells the story but also the emotions from the highs to the lows. Highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: Life above the Red River Valley
Review: Ken Bell's book describes the life of an Air Force fighter pilot during the combat of the 1960s. Many things have changed since then:
- A pilot had a 50% chance of completing a tour (100 missions over North Viet Nam) without getting shot down.
- Targets were often selected for political, not strategic, reasons. Good pilots were lost going after targets of marginal value. One thing that has not changed is the bravery of the pilots that fly combat and the professionalism and dedication of the maintenance crews that keep the aircraft flying. Ken Bell documents all this in an excellent manner. You get the feeling that the F-105 is a two-seater with you in the back seat. He is honest about the problems that he encountered, and how he dealt with them.
Rating:
Summary: Life above the Red River Valley
Review: Ken Bell's book describes the life of an Air Force fighter pilot during the combat of the 1960s. Many things have changed since then:
- A pilot had a 50% chance of completing a tour (100 missions over North Viet Nam) without getting shot down.
- Targets were often selected for political, not strategic, reasons. Good pilots were lost going after targets of marginal value. One thing that has not changed is the bravery of the pilots that fly combat and the professionalism and dedication of the maintenance crews that keep the aircraft flying. Ken Bell documents all this in an excellent manner. You get the feeling that the F-105 is a two-seater with you in the back seat. He is honest about the problems that he encountered, and how he dealt with them.
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Summary: Overview of Life in an F-105 Squadron
Review: Much is made of the 50% loss rate of Thud crews during Vietnam, and certainly there is plenty of information about combat losses in Ken Bell's book, but the great thing about this book is its macro description of life in a tactical fighter squadron in Vietnam in the fierce 1967-1968 time frame. I am a long time fan of the F-105 and have read most of the books available about the F-105 and combat in SEA. This book is an interesting one as it is seen through the eyes of a Major (an experienced, mid-level officer) as opposed to Jack Broughton's classics 'Thud Ridge' and 'Going Downtown', which are written from the higher level viewpoint, and the new classic 'When Thunder Rolled', by Ed Rasimus, who went to the Thud (and Vietnam) as a Lieutenant right out of Pilot Training. As such, Bell's '100 Missions North' is right in the middle. If you have the time I would read all three authors, as in combination, you can get the best composite viewpoint. Bell's writing is strongest in describing everyday events and life in the squadron hooches. I think there is more tactics and flying specific information in the Broughton and Rasimus books (which I love), but Bell is able to make anyone (even someone not familiar with the military, the F-105, or Vietnam) feel like they are right there. This book should be on the bookshelf of everyone with an interest in military aviation, especially if you happen to love the F-105.
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