Rating: 
Summary: soulwatching
Review: Contrary to other reviewers,I found Salter's book extremely rewarding in giving insight into a closed community that values only one thing-kills.
The protagonist is a believable ,real human being,not some gung-ho cardboard-character.
Michener's 'bridges at tiki-ro' I had to put down after the first twenty pages-it was like some propaganda leaflet.
Salter,on the other hand,develops his characters along the line of
a greek tragedy,letting the reader track the maturing of the main
character,until culmination takes place,in an almost humble,modest,way.
The fighting scenes are thrilling,real,but do not require too much technical knowledge,so the book is interesting also for those not generally interested in war and flying.
One of the best american books I ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A great unknown treasure of prose
Review: I actually discovered this book while going through the reviews of a customer whose opinion seemed to be often similar to my own. He praised the book so much I decided to get a copy. I also was drawn to it because I teach English in Korea and thought it might shed some light on the historical experiences of the soldiers that fought here during the war. It doesn't really do this. The book could be set almost anywhere because almost all the action takes place in the sky with American pilots going against faceless and mostly nameless MIGs. But it did surprise me in two ways: first, it was written so beautifully and nearly flawlessly that I was stunned that I'd never heard of it or it's writer(How did this book remain in obscurity when it's author is an obvious prose master? Nothing in the book seems forced, the sentences are seamless, the similes perfectly matched.); second, for one of the few times since my childhood I found myself racing through a book's pages to get to its end(I've often heard people say that such and such a book is a page turner, but it usually turns out to be nonsense; however, The Hunters IS a page turner. You're swept up in its pages and carried along to the book's completion. You respond to the characters the way you would real people. You also get to experience vicariously the incredible feeling of battle in the sky with a MIG.)
The simplicity of this book and at the same time it's grandeur rings truer than more stylized, experimental works, and exposes the futility of lesser authors who build their stories on cheap gimmicks, shock and window dressing. James Salter puts all of his ability into telling his story. That he succeeds so well, demonstrates his enormous talent. We all too often forget that there can be just as much truth in a simple parable as a Finnegan's Wake.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Classic That Stands Alone in Aviation Literature
Review: I am re-reading The Hunters by James Salter for about the fourth or fifth time, and continue to be amazed at its density and subtlety, and the truth of its story. Almost nothing in the history of air warfare has been written that compares with it for quality or maturity. It is the best psychological profile on the character of the fighter pilot and especially the mammoth ego of the fighter ace, ie, one who can claim 5 or more victories in aerial combat. Readers may want to compare The Hunters with Salter's more recent memoir Burning The Days, since the latter book includes the non-fiction story of Salter's own F-86 Sabre tour in Korea in an equally evocative way, but written more than 40 years after the event. The Hunters is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of air warfare, the Korean War, and the personality of the fighter pilot. It is an excellent work of high literary standards, that foreshadowed the achievements of Salter's non-aviation books that came later.
Rating:
Summary: I Felt As If I were There!
Review: I ran accross this book by accident; and I'm sure glad I did.
After a few pages i was hooked, and quickly identified with the main character, Cleve. Salters description of the characters is great, without alot of detail. During the flight scenes, I felt as if I was in the cockpit. i was as disapointed as Cleve when someone else got a "kill" and he didn't. I had a gnawing in my gut almost the entire book, which I could not put down and read in one sitting. I have read well over 100 books about combat and this ranks up there in my top 5. Highly reccomended if you want to face some MIG's over Norh Korea!
Rating: 
Summary: A good novel to read
Review: I read this book several years ago and enjoyed it solely for the perspective of Cleve. He is an aging pilot having to compete with younger, unexperienced pilots in MIG alley. I just found the movie on DVD and wonder how it will be compared to the book. I thought it a good read and recommended it to some fighter jocks I know. I'd say give it a go and see what you think.
Rating:
Summary: thank goodness it's been reissued
Review: In this long out of print masterpiece, James Salter, himself an aviator in the Korean War, wrote one of the best books ever about warfare, especially aerial warfare, and what may well be the only great piece of fiction to emerge from the war. (Can anyone else think of any?) Moreover, his lean tough prose established him as one of the most important stylists of his generation--a reputation he subsequently embellished with works like Solo Faces.
The novel tells the story of Captain Cleve Connell and his 100 missions in Korea. His goal, like that of nearly every other pilot, is to shoot down the 5 MIG's that will qualify him as an ace: In this war, he was more certain than ever, he would attain himself, as men do who venture past all that is known. This is the strange attraction of war, the opportunity it affords for men to test themselves at a pressure point that lies beyond anything they experience otherwise. But as Cleve flies mission after mission, he seldom even meets the enemy and, more galling, he sees unworthy men become heroes when they put personal glory ahead of the safety of their fellow pilots. Then in one brilliant moment, both his physical and moral courage are tested. This is a terrific novel. Thank goodness it was finally reissued. GRADE: A
Rating:
Summary: Mig Alley Ace
Review: James Salter quit fighting MIGS and left the Air Force to write `The Hunters', a novel set during the Korean War. The writer's authority breaths life into every sentence and the authenticity of his story is irrefutable. That's not the reason for recommending it however. This book should be read because it is that rare gem, an ambitious war novel that is literary without being pretentious. Originally written in 1956 and out of print for 40 years, it stands the test of time on a par with Remarque's `All Quiet on the Western Front' or Heller's `Catch-22'. `The Hunters' chronicles Cleve Saville's quest to become an ace. He goes to war for the first time as an experienced pilot at the age of 35. Being a good pilot isn't enough to absolve him of self-doubt as he struggles with the issues of command, mortality and situational ethics. Fighting MIGS is easy compared to fighting time. And like all heros, Cleve has an Achilles Heel that can get him killed in the blink of an eye. While Cleve confronts existential issues familiar to any Hemingway hero, this is not a book about doing the right thing despite the consequences. It's a story about how men refuse to acknowledge alternatives. Ahab must find the white whale. Cleve pursues his Moby, a MIG Driver known as Casey Jones, across the skies of Korea. There is plenty of jet combat and the climactic duel is exciting and well rendered, but `The Hunters' is hardly a techno-thriller a la Clancy. While Clancy is Mr. Outside, constantly relaying hardware speeds and feeds, Salter writes from the inside out. For example, we know precisely what Cleve is seeing, hearing and thinking, but Salter never identifies the aircraft Cleve is flying (it's an F-86 Sabre, natch). Salter's streamlined prose compares favorably to Hemingway. He is as austere with his words as an Emil (ME-109E) pilot husbanding cannon ammunition. Precision and efficiency are the keys to his success. The book is written so smoothly that I was tempted to read my 1958 Bantam paperback edition (184 taut pages) in one sitting. If you feel similarly compelled, I suggest making a second pass to appreciate the nuances missed while skimming the surface. Salter camouflages his craft adroitly. Your observations and enjoyment will be much more acute at open cockpit speeds. Pre-avionics, pre-missile, jet combat over Korea has more in common with biplane duels than the massive air sieges of the Second World War. The distance from the Somme to the Yalu is less than you might think. Small numbers of aircraft employ a new technology (turbine engines) to contest the skies over fixed boundary lines. From a fighter pilot's perspective, Korea feels closer to Lanoe Hawker and Douai than Curtis LeMay and Douhet. Heck, both wars were even trench bound. Not surprisingly then, when reading `The Hunters' two novels depicting aerial combat in the First World War spring to mind: Ernest K. Gann's `In the Company of Eagles' and Jack D. Hunter's `The Blue Max' (1965). Combat is the stratosphere may seem cold and impersonal but the passions and fears expressed during debriefing remain familiar, despite Korea's higher closing speeds. `The Hunters' and `In the Company of Eagles' share a rivalry between key characters as their central theme but the similarity ends there. Gann builds his book around a French squadron leader stalking a German pilot who killed his friend. This unlikely scenario gives rise to mawkish sentiment, and melodramatic behavior in contrast to the immediacy of Cleve's rivalry with a rising star (Pell) in his own unit. Cleve and Pell maneuver within the intimate confines of their squadron firing a few well airmed verbal salvos. The hits tell because Salter adheres to the admonition that "revenge is a dish best served cold." `The Blue Max' reveals the ruthless rise and rot of Bruno Stachel as he pursues the coveted decoration and its attendant fame. On his way to the top, Stachel fights everybody; particularly Heidemann, his flight leader. Hunter tells essentially the same tale as Salter, but from the antagonist's point of view. Stachel and Pell, opportunistic louts on the make, leverage their celebrity to undermine traditional martial virtues represented by Heidemann and Saville. Although the books' plots play out similarly, the opposing nature of their respective protagonists demands a very different tone in each. `The Blue Max' feels desperate, bitter and corrupt as Germany loses the war. `The Hunters' on the other hand is resigned, bittersweet and transcendent: in keeping with stalemated peace of Korea. Interestingly, Hollywood embraced both these novels. Dick Powell's 20th Century-Fox, 1957, Robert Mitchum/Robert Wagner effort virtually disregards Salter's source material, but `The Blue Max' starring George Peppard doesn't stray as far afield. Aircraft aficionados appreciate the authentic footage in both, screenplays be damned. Salter never wrote another war story and has only a handful of books to his credit over the last four plus decades. One in particular, `A Sport and A Pastime', earned him the title of `Ace' in the pantheon on contemporary literary heros. Ever the perfectionist, Salter sees `The Hunters' as very humble beginnings despite its many fine qualities. He was ambivalent about its return to print. Standards that high are as unreasonable as keeping a fine novel out of print for 40 years, and as uncompromising as insisting that virtue be its own reward.
Rating:
Summary: No Substitute For Experience
Review: Mr. James Salter flew combat missions in jets in Korea; additionally he has earned a reputation as a premiere novelist. So when he decided to take what he had done as a pilot and then to add his literary skills, the result was not only excellent but also authentic, as only a combat pilot can know what the experience was like. No amount of research can approach the realism of a man who has actually done the job. Others may document the history faithfully, however it can never compete with actual first hand experience. I greatly enjoy reading the new novels based on the latest technologies and the capabilities of aircraft that border on what was science fiction a short time ago. This is an entirely different reading experience. Technology is not the focus of the book because it did not exist. The Pilot was the technology, and any supplemental help he had was minimal. These pilots did not fly with massive amounts of weaponry, there were no such things as missiles, no flying tankers to refuel them, and no AWACS plans that could give them an understanding of the overall engagement. The most critical element they relied upon was their sight, their unaided sight. They flew against planes that generally could fly above them, and were able to exploit political lines to hide behind when our pilots could not. These men went in with the ability to fire upon an opponent for all of 11 seconds. That was it. That was the sum total of their offensive capability. Mr. Salter also writes about War without glorification, in fact he often illustrates how artificial the notoriety that can come from war can be on occasion. His writing reminded me of Hemingway and other chroniclers of war that showed the experience in its everyday routine. Mr. Salter shows the fear, the boredom, and the massive amounts of time there was literally nothing to do. The Author of this book flew over 100 missions in Korea. This may be called a novel but its accuracy is probably as precise as any documentation could be. As to credibility, his is a given.
Rating:
Summary: Psychological study of men at war
Review: Much has already been said here about the precision of Salter's crisp, clean style. It's Hemingway over ice with a splash of bitters. If you love language, you will read every word. Much also has been said about this book as an accurate portrayal of flying and a great novel of warfare. What I would add to all that is how "The Hunters" is a fascinating account of the dynamics within a group of highly trained men who engage in a high-risk occupation. The central character Cleve begins the novel as a well respected flyer, a cut above the rest, and admired by the less experienced men around him. Fiercely independent and reserved, he has a somewhat aloof personal style that makes him all the more respected and even idolized. Enter a younger, hotshot flyer, brash and egotistical, the opposite of Cleve in every respect -- and, we are led to believe, somewhat less than honorable -- who quickly establishes himself as an equal to Cleve, determined to be seen by the commanding officers as superior. The rest of the novel is a psychological study of "grace under pressure" and the eventual failure of Cleve to maintain his position in this hierarchy of men, where the respect of others is the reason for being. This drama of the individual against a closed social order that first praises and then abandons him is compelling from beginning to end. I recommend the book not only to readers looking for well-written accounts of air warfare. Its nuanced portrayal of the shifting dynamics among men in an all-male setting makes it excellent material for gender studies, as well. For another Salter book that picks up some of these same themes and writes about them just as eloquently, read his novel "Solo Faces."
Rating:
Summary: Rarefied writing skills
Review: Salter is among the finest writers in the language and this (a very early book of his) shows what happens when a writer takes a world he knows into the bones--in this case, flying jet fighters in Korea--and describes it with scrupulous prose.
It's hard to critique the book except to say that fighter pilots will want more of the inside, which might bore non flyers. That aside, Salter started with this book to prove what great writing can be and he has never stopped. We are all the fortunate recipients of his insights and skills.
Another great book of Salter's is SOLO FACES (read it!). You can hardly get enough of this spectacular weaver of words.
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