Dark Eagles

Rating:
Summary: The hidden history of aviation, now revealed!!
Review: A wide ranging historical survey of once classified material. We know we're not getting the whole story, but the author has enough to satisfy. From stolen (actually borrowed) Russian jets and unmanned space probes, to our own unmanned D-21 Mach-3 spyjets, the authors go for it all. Some of the information is pretty suprising (the mysterious Col. Tomb, thought killed in the now legendary Vietnam airwar dogfight with Driscoll and Cunningham, may have been misidentified) while other stories seem tedious (like the use of Hound-Dog cruise missiles as first generation remote spyplanes). I would have preferred the authors concentrate on the really mysterious jets (I get the sense that the authors felt they owed each story equal time), but what comes out is an eye-opener nontheless.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Aircraft
Review: AS an aviation enthusiast, I can tell you this book provides a great look into the world of "Black Projects", aircraft like the U-2 spyplane and the SR-71 Blackbird, many of which played an important role in strategic reconnaissance throughout the Cold War and continue to do so to this day. Included in this book are such notable aircraft as the F-117 Nighthawk Stealth fighter and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and their beginnings as black projects. Recommended to any aviation enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Aircraft
Review: AS an aviation enthusiast, I can tell you this book provides a great look into the world of "Black Projects", aircraft like the U-2 spyplane and the SR-71 Blackbird, many of which played an important role in strategic reconnaissance throughout the Cold War and continue to do so to this day. Included in this book are such notable aircraft as the F-117 Nighthawk Stealth fighter and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and their beginnings as black projects. Recommended to any aviation enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: Reader-friendly for aviation novices
Review: As one who couldn't tell you the difference between a J57 engine and RJ-43-MA-11 ramjet, I'd still highly recommend this to any reader who wants to more about Black Projects but is leery about buying a book because they don't want to be confused by technical humdrum.
Peebles book is quite the contrary and it's very entertaining for both an aviation novice reader like myself as well as any aficionado of aircraft (a friend of mine who is currently getting his pilot's license also read it and enjoyed it). Granted, you must have a little understanding of military aircraft. If you would be unable to decipher between a P-51 Mustang and F-4 Phantom, it may be too much.

Peebles writes with colorful narrative on some of the US's most astonishing and mysterious aircraft in the last 50 years. Included in his book are chapters on the first US jet (XP-59A Airacomet), the spy plane Francis Gary Powers made famous (U-2 Aquatone), the birth of the stealth fighter (F-117A), 'borrowed' MiG's flying in the Nevada desert, reconnaissance drone vehicles, the Star Wars-like A-12 Oxcart, as well as the current Black Project plane - Aurora.

In each chapter, Pebbles writes on what precipitated the need for a new secret aircraft, how the craft took shape behind closed doors, its test flights, and how it performed in action. He includes a plethora of colorful stories on how the U-2 was named, how a US Navy aircraft carrier was 'captured' by the US Air force, and tales of gorillas smoking cigars and flying in the southwest desert.

Pebbles also goes into great detail about two controversial topics of today - Area 51 and the Aurora. Throughout the book, Peebles gives the history of Area 51, how it originated as a base at Groom Lake all the way up to the flying saucer tales of today. Conspiracy theorists will be disappointed as well as many Black Ops devotees looking for proof that the Aurora exists.

In conclusion, I thought Peebles book was a great, intriguing look into some of our nation's biggest secrets of the Cold War that's also a quick read (only 292 pages of text) and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Behind the Scenes in the World of Black Project Aviation
Review: I had picked up "Dark Eagles" primarly because it was one of very few books to present information on "Have Donut" and similar projects in which the United States tested captured MiGs and other Soviet aircraft. I was pleasantly suprised to find that the rest of this book is as superbly researched and detailed as Peebles' glimpse into the testing of foreign equipment.

Peebles discusses, in amazing detail, the developments of such famous aircraft as the U-2, A-12, SR-71, F-117, "Have Blue" and "Tacit Blue." Peebles also delves into the history of the less-glamarous unmanned platforms such as the trisonic D-21 ("Tagboard") and various models of the Model 147 Firebee, used extensively in Vietnam.

This book is a must for anyone interested in black project aviation. It is well written and thoroughly researched, and is engaging to both the causal and technical reader.

Rating:
Summary: This is very Cool Book
Review: There's nothing too densely technical here, but this is a good overall introduction to the area of black US aircraft and reconnaisance projects. Peebles may be a bit shy on the technical details, but he has documented the history of the U2, SR-71, F-117 and other, lesser-known craft very well. He also does an excellent job of piecing together and tracing the origins of various legends and rumors that are passed around as if they were fact, like the mythical "Aurora" aircraft.

One small detail: In the SR-71 section Peebles refers to the problem of titanium panels being corroded by "pencil marks", and the footnote identifies the source as a public lecture. Ben Rich's book, "Skunk Works", states that it was "Pentel" pen ink that was the problem. Well, we can forgive him that one slip.

Overall a useful and entertaining read.

Rating:
Summary: Jump on the Bandwagon
Review: This book is a reasonable introduction to the world of aviation 'Black Programs', but use it as a stepping stone to titles such as Ben Rich's or Jay Miller's books on Lockheed's Skunk Works.
Competent rather than outstanding