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Flight Of The Intruder (2006)

Flight of the Intruder (2006)

Book Info

Genre
Series
Rating
4 of 5 Votes: 2
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ISBN
1591141273 (ISBN13: 9781591141273)
Language
English
Publisher
us naval institute press

About book Flight Of The Intruder (2006)

This is one of my favorite books of all time. As far as I understand, there really are not that many stories out there about the aviators experiences during the vietnam war. In this story Jake Grafton is a naval officer/carrier pilot who flies an A-6 Intruder (bomber jet), Like any infantryman on the ground. He has grown tired of a war that seems without end. He's lost friends seemingly without purpose, and all he wants is to really make a difference. Now with a new co-pilot (bombadiere/navigator Virgil "Tiger" Cole) He has developed a plan to bomb a deserving target. The only problem is the target is unauthorized. Grafton, Cole, and the rest of the crew of the USS Shiloh are vivid colorful charachters filled with color and emotion, you feel the camraderie and wish these men were your friends. This is a fantastic story for anybody who enjoys books about military service.Update Sept 2015: The first time I read this novel eleven years ago, i remember sitting in a hammoc on my college campus enjoying the sunny afternoon. But when I re-read this novel last month. I finished the book looking out at Norfolk Bay (Virginia) by way of the aircraft elevator of an active United States Navy Carrier Vessel. This book is great for anybody, but for those of us who have served on CV's and CVN's. You'll understand all terminology, and it makes the story that much more rewarding. A must read for all the flat top sailors!

As part of my current focus on all things A-6 intruder related, and having watched and enjoyed the film of the same name I decided to read this book. The film is based on the book and has some major differences.The best thing about this book is that it was written by an ex navy pilot - it really shows in the sections that cover scenes within the cockpit and the take off and landing of a plane on an aircraft carrier. The characters have that real feel which is invaluable.The story takes place during the Vietnam war just before and at the start of the 'Rolling Thunder' phase. There have been a lot written with anti-Vietnam war sentimentality, but what sets this apart is that the main character is not anti-War, rather he is anti how the war is run which seems to have been the main feeling of the participants at the time. If you want to read an enjoyable story that revolves around the cockpit of a naval carrier borne strike fighter with a real feel of authenticity then this is definitely worth a look see.

Do You like book Flight Of The Intruder (2006)?

This was interesting to me because it was written by and based on the combat experiences of the author who did exactly what my father did in Vietnam. He was even in the same squadron and might have flown some of the exact same planes as my dad. Unfortunately, I can't get my dad to read it or see the movie, due to his as yet unresolved personal issues with his experience. As a result of his beliefs, he quit after flying nine combat missions. What is so personally interesting to me is that the author displays in his character the exact same political conflict and the resulting inner turmoil as my father has described his to me. The way the character resolves this personal crisis would be to my father, I believe, cathartic and satisfying.
—Colin L.

Easily one of my favorite novels. I'm a naval aviation fan boy as it is, but this book was written by a man that actually lived what he wrote about, (much like Ian Flemming), and it shows. The material is so well sourced and written that it's easy to follow, and the explanations for the technical aspects of the aircraft, carrier life, and tactics are easy for anyone to follow. As a pilot, I enjoyed being able to recognize a lot of the technical aspects as well, but that was really just for me. The story is a great one about a man that has a job to do, in spite of the pointlessness of it all. He gets tired of not risking his life, but risking his life for nothing, and finally decides to do something about. It perfectly expresses what I'm sure a lot of other soldiers in Vietnam felt, but using creative liberty to take it a little farther than most responsible soldiers would. The movie does this book no justice. Avoid it at all costs. But definitely read the book.
—Dustin Gaughran

For the first book in the Jake Grafton series, it kept me interested. I do not think it was a great story by any means, but it was good and worth the read. I have now moved on to book two, so at least it has me hooked for at least another book. Character development I found to be a bit lacking, besides Jake, characters seem to have stereotypical comments and no real depth to them besides his love interest. Some strings of his story telling just seemed to be odd placements for non important or in my opinion non character forming moments. Hopefully as the series goes forward, we will see more character development. The story itself seemed a bit weak, and stretched out a bit more than it needed to be, and had an anti-climatic ending, hopefully they will get better as the series goes on.
—Samuel Sieja

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