Customer Reviews

Alone, Unarmed, and Unafraid: Tales of Reconnaissance in Vietnam

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"I have flown into the jaws of the cat of death," is the English translation of a Vietnamese proverb, which applied to flying at night. American aviators simply said, I have seen the Doom Pussy. This story would be good fiction; as it is--true--it is electrifying. That, plus the story of the snake, the guard and spending Monopoly money on the local economy are enough for me to recommend this to anyone. One last pathos: combining Ed Atterberry's plane being shot down with Browning's poen "...Ghent to Aix" works beautifully. Plus we learn how even respected and veteran reporters published false information about the torture or lack of torture of Americans in the Hanoi Hilton...well, I got bleary eyed. Read this. You'll laugh more than you cry, but you'll do both.

This book really moves. Taylor Eubank flew 200 combat missions in Southeast Asia--all unarmed. He was a member of a small group of American servicemen to go into combat unarmed. This makes for exciting flying and exciting reading. The tales of derring-do and night flights and unarmed photo runs over Hanoi are funny and poignant and, well, gripping. I could not stop reading "The Longest Run," which recounts missiles (SAMs) coming from all around while the mission required the aircraft to fly straight and level. Try putting that down! This is a really good read. If you or yours have been touched by the Vietnam conflict in any way, you need to read this book.