Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK HAS THE RIGHT STUFF!
Review: The book was written as a "Narrative" point of view by the Author, Lt. Shane Osborn. It was written as a biography and memoir. The crew stood up for Lt. Osborn and vice versa! They all worked hard together as a unit and as a team.I give this book 5 stars, because it was very well written, providing an informative look into the situation firsthand from the narrator's point of view. It also looks into the rigourous training that the Lt. and his crew have to endure on a regular basis. Reading the book, it gave me chills, thrills, warmth, happiness, tears, sadness, and laughter. It has all the right stuff for a classic book. When I finished reading it, I actually wanted more to read. That goes to show what a great book this is. It is hard to put down once you start reading it and the glossary terms in the back of the book are great for non-aviators. I want to say to the Lt. and his crew, Congratulations on a job well done and God Bless you all!
Rating: 
Summary: American Military Propaganda
Review: The most inspiring thing said by the author and which I will remember most from this book was that drugs are for losers. I sure would have liked to see how the author justifies how his own country enforces a 200-mile defense zone beyond its borders while expecting everyone else to obey the international (except for the U.S., apparently) 12-mile zone.
Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate and white-washed
Review: There are quite a few problems with this book: typos!!, technical inaccuracies (Shane says he pulled the number 1 e-handle from the co-pilot's seat...you physically cant reach it from there, for one example), blame-pointing (Shane says that Wendy, the flight engineer, just sat there in shock instead of acting to shut down the number 1 engine, for one example), and self-glorifying praise for a pilot that put self-preservation above his oath as an officer to put the interests of America first. Sure it's easy for me to say this, I wasn't in the plane, yada yada. But that's what he's paid to do..to be in harms way and to put the needs of America above his own. Shane says he wanted to be a Top Gun, a fighter pilot, and P-3s were his very last choice when he was unable to get into the jet-pilot training lineup. So he took that arrogant, stick-jockey jet-pilot attitude to a slow reconnaisance plane. The book is marginally entertaining for those who don't know or understand the P-3 or EP-3E community. For those who do know that world, this book will make you really mad and confirm your suspicions about Shane's character.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing "Untold" Here
Review: This book has two parallel narratives. Scenes of that final, fateful, flight, spliced with tales of Osborne growing up in the midwest. Unfortunately, neither are very interesting. Sure, Shane worked hard and made all the right moves, but every personal anecdote ends along the lines of "...and that's where I learned to respect my elders." The book's high point is Osborne trying to control the badly dmaged P-3 after the collision. Once on the gound in China, however, the melodrama fizzles out. The descriptions of the "hardships" they endured are almost laughable....no cable, email is three days late, etc. There are some glaring omissions here. Why were the Chinese concerned about these particular flights and what (if anything) did they learn by having our plane in their possesion. I don't know who felt this book needed to be written. Anyone who even casually watched the news during this time, got the important details. I just get this picture of some publisher wanting to exploit this situation by printing exactly what the (American) public wants to hear.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspiring Story
Review: This book is an inspiring true story of how a Navy pilot and his crew safely landed a crippled plane after a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter jet and the 11 days of captivity they endured together. The true meaning of honor, courage, strength and a bond between the mission commander and his crew that was unbreakable under pressure; is shown throughout the book. Easy to read and not loaded down with military jargon that no one understands. Highly recommended for those interested in a story that shows the best in the military when under pressure. True Americans!
Rating: 
Summary: Great book, best when talking about one thing
Review: This is a great read for people who have always wondered about this incident with EP-3, and the Chinese. It's very well written, and a real page-turner at some points. Everything in the book is perfect except for one thing, during the first few chapters, the author starts off with talking about piloting his plane, after the first 5 pages, he starts getting off track and starts talking about something else, like his training or childhood. Instead, he should have mentioned his training and childhood during the begining of the book, and talked about the flying of the EP-3 later. Overall this is a great book!!
Rating:
Summary: American Military Propaganda
Review: Well, I am a 64-year-old woman whose knowledge of airplanes and the military are scant. Yet I was drawn to this book from viewing interviews with Shane Osborne on TV. I wasn't disappointed and could scarcely put this one down. I didn't care that he (as some critics complain) portrayed himself glowingly. I know enough about Navy pilots to realize they do what they do well in large part because of their self-confidence. I view that as merely honest self-appraisal. Lt. Osborne's "collaborator" Malcolm McConnell seems to have written with people like me in mind, carefully explaining pilot and airplane terminology so that we could at least keep up and feel part of the events as they occurred. I loved this book. I learned so much. I am extremely proud that these people (the crew and the U.S. military in general) are part of the country where I live. Read it. You'll love it too.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing and Moving
Review: Well, I am a 64-year-old woman whose knowledge of airplanes and the military are scant. Yet I was drawn to this book from viewing interviews with Shane Osborne on TV. I wasn't disappointed and could scarcely put this one down. I didn't care that he (as some critics complain) portrayed himself glowingly. I know enough about Navy pilots to realize they do what they do well in large part because of their self-confidence. I view that as merely honest self-appraisal. Lt. Osborne's "collaborator" Malcolm McConnell seems to have written with people like me in mind, carefully explaining pilot and airplane terminology so that we could at least keep up and feel part of the events as they occurred. I loved this book. I learned so much. I am extremely proud that these people (the crew and the U.S. military in general) are part of the country where I live. Read it. You'll love it too.
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