Son of Thunder

Rating:
Summary: It tears you heart out. You become a ¿FIGHTER PILOT¿
Review: I was having a cup of coffee the other morning when I began to read >the first few pages of Son of Thunder. My wife entered the kitchen and >asked what I was reading. I looked up at her; I could not speak; the >chills were running up and down my arms and spine; my throat was in >spasms; my eyes were tearing; I could not talk; she has never seen me >in such a condition. > >Son of Thunder is so very, very special; it is the catharsis for the >Vietnam fighter pilot-the modern day Red Badge of Courage. This story >is the equivalent base for a sequel like Herman Wouk's W.W.II story of >the United States Navy, War & Remembrance and Winds of War, but of the >era of Vietnam= > >I am astonished; J. D. Wetterling has captured on paper the sentiment, >interaction, norms more exacting than if one were >actually serving a tour and flying each mission. If you ever flew >missions like the F-100 pilots {and others} did, in order to function, >you had to suppress the human emotional content so deeply that it may >never resurface again in one lifetime-that is, until you experience >JD's vivid story, Son of Thunder. This is a Steven Spielberg, Ken >Burns, Oliver Stone level undertaking; I wonder who will obtain the movie rights? > >Stewart R. Gable >Colonel USAF [Ret'd] >[e-mail] >[e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Fiction? Hard To Believe!
Review: JD, or should I say "John Ellsworth", I just finished your story! I > liked all of it (except the put down remarks about all us F-4 Jocks)and > will highly recommend it to my 200 Email friends, many of whom are > Retired Air Force Pilots. The exquisite details lead one to believe > that the preponderance of the material was not fiction at all. Having > been there and done many of the same things, thought the same thoughts, > felt the same fears and exhilaration's, and arrived at many of the > identical conclusions, is overwhelming evidence of the books veracity > and power. At least as far as I am concerned. > > God left you and I, and others like us, alive for purposes still being > defined to us. We lost many > friends and comrades. For them not to have a messenger and spokesman > would have meant that they truly died in vain. Thank you for > understanding that calling and answering it with such depth and > dimension! >

Rating:
Summary: Excellent action, history and personality.
Review: Son of Thunder is a fast moving novel centered on the life of Lt. John - a fighter pilot. His thoughts, struggles and loves are opened up with honesty.

I read this book in a 3 day span, and having 5 children, that means that I couldn't put it down.

The thoughts of Lt. John on the Vietnam War, loyalty to friends, on death and living, hope, and the difference between thoughts that run through your head, and the calm words that are uttered between friends (or fighter pilots) were just as thought provoking as enjoyable. This book has impacted my thoughts on Vietnam.

I have enjoyed all of the Tom Clancy novels, and thought this was on par with the best of those - (and not as drawn out).

Five Stars - get it quick.