The Price of Vigilance

Rating:
Summary: VERY detailed
Review: "The Price of Vigilance" would probably be a great PhD dissertation in military history. The reporting is very detailed, and the analysis seems to be objective. The last 50 pages of the book are appendices, reference notes, and an index. Included are many excerpts of letters, reports, and interviews. These excerpts give the book a human touch and help liven up the at-times monotonous recitation of facts and timelines.

The first chapter of the book was written after most of the manuscript was complete, as a review and partial analysis of the EP-3E incident on Hainan Island, China, in April 2001. The book went to press before the plane was returned to the U.S., but the authors comment on changing attitudes in the world of airborne surveillance as compared to the height of the Cold War.

If you're a SERIOUS student of surveillance activities in the the Cold War, you'll find this to be a worthy textbook. More casual readers will probably have trouble getting all the way through.

Rating:
Summary: VERY detailed
Review: "The Price of Vigilance" would probably be a great PhD dissertation in military history. The reporting is very detailed, and the analysis seems to be objective. The last 50 pages of the book are appendices, reference notes, and an index. Included are many excerpts of letters, reports, and interviews. These excerpts give the book a human touch and help liven up the at-times monotonous recitation of facts and timelines.

The first chapter of the book was written after most of the manuscript was complete, as a review and partial analysis of the EP-3E incident on Hainan Island, China, in April 2001. The book went to press before the plane was returned to the U.S., but the authors comment on changing attitudes in the world of airborne surveillance as compared to the height of the Cold War.

If you're a SERIOUS student of surveillance activities in the the Cold War, you'll find this to be a worthy textbook. More casual readers will probably have trouble getting all the way through.

Rating:
Summary: Review of The Price of Vigilance
Review: At last the friends and family members of the 264 U. S. Airmen who were KIA and MIA during surveillance flights can learn of their loved ones' missions and last hours. The authors of The Price of Vigilance researched and cited recently declassified documents of Russia and the U. S. that provided information previously unknown about surveillance flights and shoot-downs near the borders of Russia, China, North Korea, North Vietnam, Cuba and Israel. Firsthand knowledge of the authors and their interviews with fellow airmen who served in security service for our country are presented in detail and with compassion for their brother Silent Warriors who flew their last mission. The families and friends of all veterans who served in our security service owe a debt of gratitude to Larry Tart and Robert Keefe for spending many days and nights researching and writing this book for us. /s/ Burton R. Knotts, 7316 Dahlia Drive, Little Rock, AR 72209, e-mail: [e-mail]

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Summary: Why don't we know these stories?
Review: I started to hear about these surveillance flights about a year ago. The information in this book is fascinating.
Worth the read!

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Summary: Contrast in Navy reactions/rewards
Review: I've just got past the lengthy introduction and was struct by the Navies quick reaction to praise and reward for the crew of the EP-3E while the USS Pueblo Skipper and Sigint teams OIC were wanted to be Court Martialed. Both the Pueblo and Liberty crews were short changed. What an injustice!!! I can't wait to finish the book about these Heros that protect our freedom.

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Summary: The Definitive History of Aerial Reconnaissance
Review: Larry Tart and Robert Keefe have written a book which will establish itself as an historical documentary on aerial reconnaissance during the Cold War.

This book should be read by every American so that they will know that while they were sleeping young airmen were keeping vigilance over them 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year. It was a dangerous business by some extremely bright and creative young men, often times too bright and creative for the military service. But they did an outstanding job and helped win the Cold War.

Larry Tart and Robert Keefe were two of the men involved in this business. They know the inside scoop and the behind the scenes stuff like no one else but those who did the work.

This book will undoubtedly surprise those who were not aware of these covert activities during the Cold War. Planes were shot down, men died, and some were never accounted for. Now at least the world will know their story and hopefully offer up a silent "Thank you" to these "Silent Warriors."

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Summary: Essential reading on this topic.
Review: Shortly after reading Curtis Peebles' "Shadow Flights," I saw "The Price of Vigilance" on the shelf at my local bookstore. Recognizing the doomed C-130A '528' on the front cover, I could not resist picking the book up.

I was concerned that the introduction of the book began by discussing the recent EP-3E incident near Hainan, PR China, fearing the book was a cheap attempt at capitalizing on recent events. I am glad to say that I thought wrong.

The book is an incredible compendium of incidents between U.S. reconaissance aircraft and Soviet fighters. Every incident is described and analyzed in exacting detail. Even the EP-3E-focused introduction is intensely researched and well thought out. I was impressed that Tart and Keefe were able to acquire internal Soviet documents detailing the incidents and the U.S. reaction, which provides fascinating and fresh viewpoints from which to view these provocative moments of the Cold War.

As mentioned, the introduction focuses almost exclusively on the April 2001 collision involving a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II ELINT aircraft and a Chinese J-8II fighter. The first half of the book details most every hostile incident between U.S. recce crews and Soviet 'defenders,' a history of U.S. aerial SIGINT and COMINT since WWII, and a history of the USAF Security Service, which was responsible for much of the airborne electronic intelligence gathering along the Soviet border regions. The second half of the book details the shootdown of an USAF C-130A on 2 September, 1958 over Soviet Armenia, and its repercussions. The wayward C-130, tail number 60528, lost with all 17 aboard, became a symbol of the risky aerial ELINT game played in the 1950s and 1960s along the Soviet border regions.

Though not as friendly to the causal reader as "Blind Man's Bluff," to which it has been likened, "The Price of Vigilance" is a fascinating look at a shadowy and deadly aspect of the Cold War that is a must-read for anyone interested in the Cold War, the history of surveillance, or someone looking for a real life spy thriller.

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Summary: You done good, Larry, Trish Schiesser, Chula Vista, CA
Review: The Price of Vigilance is one of the most informative and historical books of the Cold War that I have had the pleasure to read. I have used this book for researching my own book, THESE GUYS, to come out in about 18 months. The unit 6901st in Zweibrucken (West Germany at the time of Cold War) is mentioned many times, which is difficult to find, if at all. The transcript of MIG Pilots shooting down our C-130 - tail # 60528 is hair raising. This is reality. This is military history at it's best. Writing is superb!Citations are as good as the book! Well done, Larry Tart and Bob Keefe. I salute you.

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Summary: The Price is More Than You Know
Review: This is an excellent book. Most people don't realize the price that people have paid, and are STILL paying because they chose this line of work. This book tells you the personal details of those who have sacrificed, and helps the reader to better understand what thier lives were like.

Of course, I am probably impartial because Capt John Simpson, the co-pilot on the C-130 that this book is about is my husband's grandpa.

Rating:
Summary: A lot of Detail
Review: Timing is everything in life; the main reason I bought this book was timing. The China / U.S. spy plane midair crash and forced landing had just wrapped up and was still in the general media when this book came out. It sounded interesting and timely so I picked it up. The book covers every signal intelligence flight that was lost during the years of the cold war with primary focus on Europe and the USSR. The authors also included a chapter on the recent China / U.S. incident. I found that the recent events were the most interesting and best-written part of the book.

The number of U.S planes that were either shot at or shot down shocked me by the Russians. I was disappointed by the book dust jacket and the mention that the book would go into more detail about how these flights played a major role in avoiding armed conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. There did not seem to be a lot in the book to back this up, what did the USSR do different because these planes were in the air other then to put together a campaign to harass them.

The book is very detailed and well researched with all most too much detail. I was interested in the full story, but the book just overloaded me with so much detail I felt like I was getting a military briefing by the crew. Because of the many details and the dry writing, the book can drag a little in parts. It is interesting and if you are interested in the topic you will find value.