Air Combat: An Oral History of Fighter Pilots [Hardcover]

Robert F. Dorr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006

At 20,000 feet, any fight you survive is a victory...A fully-illustrated oral history of pilots and their planes.

From the savage dogfights of World War II to the high-tech missile duels of today, those who wage war in the skies-and the machines they fly-are a breed apart. These are their stories, in their own words.

In Air Combat, veteran and military author Robert F. Dorr has collected dozens of interviews from combat veterans who have experienced what it's like to face the enemy in the skies above-from the first days of World War II to the current war on terror. Each story offers a first-hand account of what it's like to be in the thick of the fight, describes the history, strengths, and weaknesses of each man's plane in detail, and offers readers a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who dare to fight in the air.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert F. Dorr, a veteran, retired American diplomat, and author, has written numerous books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425211703
• ISBN-13: 978-0425211700
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If you're in the market to buy, keep searching., February 18, 2007

By 

A. Nolan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Air Combat: An Oral History of Fighter Pilots (Hardcover)

When the jacket of the book described how Mr. Dorr has written 60+ novels, I was impressed. That quickly disappeared as I read the book and realized the reason he has been such a prolific writer is that he apparently spends very little time working on his books.
This particular effort can be summed up as mediocre writing, backed with indifferent editing, by an author who hasn't really researched the topic. Mr. Dorr consistently repeats himself while retelling the stories, not for effect or emphasis, but seemingly because he forgets he told you the same thing a few pages or even just a few sentences earlier. Coupled with the (lack of) writing style, he manages the rare feat of making several of the stories of air combat boring. Finally, his last three chapters, the stories drawn from post-Vietnam conflicts, include a surprising number of errors that are immediately obvious to someone with tactical aviation experience. These may not detract from the story for most readers, but a little research or review of the book before publishing could have, and would have, eliminated them. Instead their presence begs the question of how accurate he has been with the information in earlier chapters.
There is a wealth of titles available for readers looking for a book of this style to buy. If that includes you, I recommend you demand a little more for your hard earned money than what Mr. Dorr has churned out, and keep looking.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very badly edited, November 4, 2009

By 

Patrick Campion (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Air Combat: An Oral History of Fighter Pilots (Hardcover)

I agree with reviewer A. Nolan about the poor editing job. I had to quit reading this book after the first few chapters. It was just too painful to see such a bad job done on a subject that I have always had a huge interest in. If I had not given this book away to a donation box already, I would be able to quote from the exact pages which contained these errors, but they include: (1) Within two lines, referring to the "F4F Hellcat" and the "F4F Wildcat", when the Hellcat was the F6F; (2) Constantly repeating the same idea, sometimes practically the same sentence, within just a few paragraphs (or even lines) of each other; (3) Making no indication of when a first person account ends and editorial comment/third person narration begins - no quotations, no change in font, no white space...nothing. Just a jarring shift wondering how a pilot's first person account just turned into some academic/historical comment that is of a completely different style; (4) Sub-chapter headings that make no sense that I could figure out. I remember one heading such as "Bombers vs. carriers" (or something similar) that contained maybe two or three sentences on that subject, and then went on without break to a completely different topic. And there were others...

I would have enjoyed the pilots' stories if they had been compiled and edited in a way that did them justice. This book did not do that.

5.0 out of 5 stars True stories of aerial warfare receive important first-hand history, May 17, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Air Combat: An Oral History of Fighter Pilots (Hardcover)

From dogfights to high-tech missile duels, those who fly warplanes take battles to the sky and often employ cutting-edge technology and flying techniques. AIR COMBAT offers the stories of pilots in their own words, from World War II experiences to flying combat in Vietnam and in the Middle East. True stories of aerial warfare receive important first-hand history and descriptions essential not only for military collections focusing on aviation, but for general-interest public lending libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch