Rating:  Summary: Fighter Wing: An updated Cold War History Review: In the updated and expanded version,Tom Clancy goes into great detail of why air superiority was and remains key to U.S. armed forces. For instance, the f-15 originally developed to combat Russian Migs, is now becoming obsolete. Third World contries can now rival the fighter. This is now why the U.S. developed the f-22. The radically advanced fighter has stealth, advanced avionics, and radar. This was SUPPOSED to fight new Migs and Sokui aircraft, but the Cold War ended. With Russia as our ally the U.S. has endured many cuts an reformation of airforces. Why hasn't the f-22 replaced the f-15? Why has the b-2 not become the U.S.'s primary bomber? This is a must read for all those interested in answers to these questions. Plus, analysis on why the U.S. is developing the Joint Strike Fighter!
Rating:  Summary: Accurate account of a top Air Force Base and its mission. Review: Mr. Clancy is right on when it comes to writing about the military, I only wish I had as many powerful allies in the military. His ability to capture both the science of flight and the thrill of getting aboard a F-15E Eagle and hitting the target range is excellent! He uses descriptions of how air power made it possible to swiftly win the war over Iraq, and incorporates inverviews with key commanders from that conflict!One piece of advice, I too hope that someday the Republic of Vietnam decides that communism isn't for them and revolts, but that type of fiction is better left for one of his action/thriller novels. I am about to enter the USAF, and piced this book up to begin to familiarize me with the language and equipment the USAF uses to carry out its various missions. It certainly was the right choice.
Rating:  Summary: Accurate account of a top Air Force Base and its mission. Review: The best part of this book was everything up to page 172. He starts right off explaining the principles of how airplanes fly, then goes on to more technical stuff like the difference between a turbojet and a turbofan, and then goes into awesome details regarding aviation ordnance. All of the information is very readable, and really helped me sort out all kinds of questions I had, like the different purposes and missions for different aircraft, how stealth technology makes aircraft invisible, and so on. I especially enjoyed his explanations of the different kinds of missiles and bombs and how they work. The story about the 8-inch howitzer tubes that they turned into "bunker-busting" bombs during the Gulf War was the best!!! Like I said, this book was fantastic right up to "This Isn't Your Daddy's Air Force," part, and then it got really boring. Let's face it: Air Force pilots as well as their support personnel are very good at what they do. However, I really don't care about their (short) history. As far as the future is concerned, I'd rather read about what the air forces of other countries are capable of doing. In that respect, "Submarine" was a lot better.
Rating:  Summary: Great info, but a lot of stuff I just don't care about! Review: The best part of this book was everything up to page 172. He starts right off explaining the principles of how airplanes fly, then goes on to more technical stuff like the difference between a turbojet and a turbofan, and then goes into awesome details regarding aviation ordnance. All of the information is very readable, and really helped me sort out all kinds of questions I had, like the different purposes and missions for different aircraft, how stealth technology makes aircraft invisible, and so on. I especially enjoyed his explanations of the different kinds of missiles and bombs and how they work. The story about the 8-inch howitzer tubes that they turned into "bunker-busting" bombs during the Gulf War was the best!!! Like I said, this book was fantastic right up to "This Isn't Your Daddy's Air Force," part, and then it got really boring. Let's face it: Air Force pilots as well as their support personnel are very good at what they do. However, I really don't care about their (short) history. As far as the future is concerned, I'd rather read about what the air forces of other countries are capable of doing. In that respect, "Submarine" was a lot better.
Rating:  Summary: Off we go into the wild blue with Clancy and Gresham.... Review: The third book in The Guided Tour series, Fighter Wing is a non-fiction book devoted to an Air Force Composite Wing. (Why it's called "Fighter Wing" escapes me, since the 366th Wing includes a wide range of combat aircraft!) Like the other books in this seven-volume series, Fighter Wing gives the readers a reasonably interesting look at the U.S. Air Force since its restructuring in the early 1990s. Here, for instance, is where I found out the Air Force had renamed its major commands; Strategic Air Command (which controlled the bombers, particularly the B-1, B-2, FB-111, and B-52 aircraft) and Tactical Air Command (which controlled the smaller fighters and fighter-bombers) merged and became Air Combat Command. The book discusses the theory and history of air power, the training of the men and women who fly for the Air Force, and, of course, the planes and weapons of a typical Composite Wing. As in most of the books in the Guided Tour series, photographs, graphics, an interview with a senior flag officer, and a fictional scenario depicting the combat roles of a Composite Wing are included. The book is informative without getting too technical, and one comes away with a bit more inside information about how the modern Air Force works.
Rating:  Summary: Off we go into the wild blue with Clancy and Gresham.... Review: The third book in The Guided Tour series, Fighter Wing is a non-fiction book devoted to an Air Force Composite Wing. (Why it's called "Fighter Wing" escapes me, since the 366th Wing includes a wide range of combat aircraft!) Like the other books in this seven-volume series, Fighter Wing gives the readers a reasonably interesting look at the U.S. Air Force since its restructuring in the early 1990s. Here, for instance, is where I found out the Air Force had renamed its major commands; Strategic Air Command (which controlled the bombers, particularly the B-1, B-2, FB-111, and B-52 aircraft) and Tactical Air Command (which controlled the smaller fighters and fighter-bombers) merged and became Air Combat Command. The book discusses the theory and history of air power, the training of the men and women who fly for the Air Force, and, of course, the planes and weapons of a typical Composite Wing. As in most of the books in the Guided Tour series, photographs, graphics, an interview with a senior flag officer, and a fictional scenario depicting the combat roles of a Composite Wing are included. The book is informative without getting too technical, and one comes away with a bit more inside information about how the modern Air Force works.
Rating:  Summary: Puts you in the Ejection seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Review: This book goes inside to really show what goes on in the USAF. It is very well writen. You know how things work and why the work that way. Clancy even goes and explans how Fighter Jocks go to the bathroom on long flights. That is detail. The diagrams also help to show what he is explaining. The best part is when Clancy put all the technical stuff and his fiction writing flair into a good story at the end. It shows how everything works adn how USAF "Rules the Skies!!"
If you Tom Clancy this book won't let you down
Rating:  Summary: Very detailed review of the 399th Composite Wng and the USAF Review: This book is by the far the most personable book on aviation ever written. Clancy adds his usual charm that we saw in Subamarine and Armoured Cavalry and combines it with some of the most detailed research around. It is an invaluable addition to any collection and should be No1 on the Christmas list. 11/10 on this one.
Rating:  Summary: One of the Better Ones Review: This is one of the better books in this Tom Clancy series, especially if you are interested in the subject. One interesting observation is that in Tom's interview of Chuck Horner, General Horner doesn't come off as well as he does in "Every Man a Tiger", especially in comparison to the parallel John Warden interview. Colonel Warden is a visionary who wrote a groundbreaking book on air operations and knew enough military history to consider writing a book about the Alexander the Great and his relevance today.
Rating:  Summary: Worth it if it was a $1000. Review: Tom Clancy has a knowlage of the USAF so large it is a maricle that he could put it in one book. The way he explains the complicated imformation is so effectivly written that it can be understood as easily as a children's book. I am only 12, yet now that read his book I know more about planes than practicly every adult I know. If you love planes, you would be crazy not to own this book! I know that I love this book. Keep up the good work Mr. Clancy.
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