Apache: Inside the Cockpit of the World's Most Deadly Fighting Machine (Hardcover)

~ Ed Macy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Macy, retired after 23 years in the British army, does for the Apache helicopter's gunships what Dan Mills did for the infantry in Sniper One: he puts readers in the cockpit of an aircraft that requires great skill and attention to keep in the air. Macy takes readers to Afghanistan's Helmand Province: remote and mountainous, a center of the world opium traffic and chosen battleground of the Taliban. His squadron's eight Apaches faced both modern missiles and 19th-century rifles while supporting ground troops too few for a mission never clearly defined by the government. The book's climax comes when a British marine is listed as missing in action. In an unauthorized mission that reads like pulp fiction but whose details have been independently verified, Macy and another pilot fly into a Taliban fort to bring him out—dead. When the four crewmen are awarded the Military Cross, Prince Philip asks, Are you all mad? But since the days of Alexander the Great, Afghanistan has taught invaders two cruel lessons: never leave a man behind, and never count the cost. 16 pages of photos; maps. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Apache is the incredible true story of Ed Macy, a decorated Apache helicopter pilot, that takes you inside the cockpit of the world’s deadliest, most technically advanced helicopter in the world—the Apache helicopter. In the cockpit of an Apache, hands, feet, and even eyes need to operate independently. As strong as a tank and, equipped with two Rolls Royce RTM-322 engines, the helicopter is remarkably fast and nearly impossible to shoot down. And thanks to a powerful array of weapons and cameras, the Apache helicopter can spot prey from miles away—and kill the enemy with a flick of the finger.
In 2007, Ed’s Apache squadron was dispatched to Afghanistan’s notorious Helmand Province, with the mission to fight alongside and protect the men on the ground by any means necessary. And when a marine goes missing in action, Ed and his team know they are the army’s only hope of bringing him back alive. With a soldier strapped to each side of two gunships, they must land in the heart of Jugroom Fort, a Taliban stronghold, and come face-to face with hordes of their unrelenting enemy. What follows is a breathtaking rescue, unlike any the world has ever seen.

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Product Details Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (May 6, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 0802118941 ISBN-13: 978-0802118943 Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,260 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #43 in  Books > History > Military > Aviation

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	92% buy the item featured on this page: Apache: Inside the Cockpit of the World's Most Deadly Fighting Machine 4.8 out of 5 stars (13) $16.50
	3% buy Sniper One: On Scope and Under Siege with a Sniper Team in Iraq 4.6 out of 5 stars (19) $10.65
	2% buy Apache Dawn: Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned 4.0 out of 5 stars (1) $17.15
	2% buy Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War (Potomac Books' The Warriors series) 4.6 out of 5 stars (17) $8.95

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars As close as it gets to flying the Apache AH Mk1, May 17, 2009 By  Andre Heeger (Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Amazon Verified Purchase I could tell you what a terrific writer Ed Macy is and what a courageous soldier, marvelous pilot, and, and, and. All of that is true. But what it basically comes down to in this book is being inside. Inside the monstrous machine none of us would ever set a foot in - even less get to fly the 46 million GBP thing. You want to feel the thrill of first takeoff, Camp Bastion, Helmand Province? Burn your fingers on the stick and controls preheated by the Afghan sun, wipe the sweat off your face as you inhale the smell of metal and resin as the four thundering rotor blades race it across the desert, the twin Rolls Royce engines working at full speed. All of that and more you find in here. The book concentrates on a breathtaking rescue mission to retrieve a Marine MIA, where the Apaches must land right in the middle of a Taliban stronghold and come face to face with hordes of their unrelenting enemy. But it has much more. The human side, the thrill, the comradeship, the pain, the fear, the technical - you name it, it's there. Because Ed Macy was one of the very few who mastered the craft of operating (not just flying) this machine. And although after reading it you still won't be able to make your eyeballs work independently of each other like these guys can, at least you will have a sense of the courageous masterminds at work here. Includes 5 maps, 2 detailed drawings of the Apache and numerous color photographs. My highest respects go out to Ed Macy and his comrades. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Man and Machine as One in Battle, June 28, 2009 By  Michael Olson "MLOlson" (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I was captivated by this true story of a British Apache helicopter pilot's career and experiences flying missions in Afghanistan in 2006. What impressed me with Ed Macy as a person was his focus on achieving his desire to fly in the military and especially the new Westland AH Mk1 Apache helicopter. A good summary of the challenge is given by this excerpt from the front cover overleaf - ". . . the deadliest, most technologically advanced helicopter on the planet. As strong as a tank . . . the helicopter is remarkably fast and nearly impossible to shoot down. . . . [With] weapons and cameras, the Apache pilot can spot prey from miles away . . . And it is the toughest aircraft in the world to fly - only the top 2 percent of pilots make it . . . hands, feet, and even eyes need to operate independently." If it wasn't clear that this was a true story of one man's experiences, one could easily read it as a fictional novel filled with a character with beyond human capabilities. The action is palpable and the sacrifices Mr. Macy made to be a superior pilot in the face of danger are sobering and inspirational to reflect upon. I have to admit having a passion for the virtual worlds of video games, human augmentation, and flight simulators so it is of particular interest to me how an Apache pilot becomes one with the machine. This is essential in order to manage the complexity of the controls, split-vision monocle, and the visual sensors that include low-light and infrared imagers. The daylight camera, for example, can magnify 127 times. There are over two hundred switches many multifunctional. The monocle over the right eye forced left-right eye independence as an efficient way to cram more information into the brain. "A dozen different instrument readings from around the cockpit were projected into it." This alone is a significant learning obstacle to overcome. Note Mr. Macy's description starting with the example of driving your car - "After you've driven it for a while, you don't have to think; you just end up at home without having thought of driving one. It was the same with the Apache, but on a grander scale. Halfway through the first tour . . . I didn't need to think how to fly and shoot because my fingers, arms and legs were working in perfect harmony with my mind. I was no longer strapped to the Apache, the Apache was strapped to me." And ". . . the unimaginable demanding need to multi-task . . . only a very small percentage of human brains could do everything required simultaneously to operate the aircraft." The powerful imaging capability makes enemy engagement much more personal than is typical for the military aviator. Mr. Macy often could see the enemy as if up close and personal such as a sniper could. And this capability offered a similar surgical precision in limiting collateral damage. Partially reliving Mr. Macy's experience helps you appreciate the challenges of conflict with powerful weapons and the discipline necessary to manage multitudes of information while making instant life and death decisions. In this world with a growing cadre of unmanned, remotely-controlled, airborne vehicles (UAVs}, the video-game mind-set intrudes the perspective of the remote pilot I suspect. The personal life-death risk is much removed to be replaced by the career-risk proxy. Sure, the adrenaline may pump as in the video game, but deep down you know that you will still be breathing tomorrow. It is certainly not so for Mr. Macy with the Apache strapped to his back. I will add this title to my collection of true military experiences that include "Into the Mouth of the Cat - The Story of Lance Sijan Hero of Vietnam" by Malcolm McConnell and "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10" by Marcus Luttrell. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A ringside seat to deeds of heroism by many different people., June 8, 2009 By  J. Lesley (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)       Amazon Verified Purchase I finished reading this incredible book yesterday and I've been mulling over how to formulate a review for a book which is sure to touch people on so many different levels. I've finally decided that this book is one of those rare instances where a book can appeal to anyone, regardless of your particular ideas or feelings about the war in Afghanistan. I enjoyed the way the book was designed. It began with a mission from Macy's previous assignment at Camp Bastion where he was assigned the recovery of two SBS team members who were either missing or killed in an encounter with the Taliban. It then fast forwards to later in that same year when Macy has been assigned to that same Camp once again. After a brief time away from this particular hot spot designated for defense by the British, Macy was once again on that same ground as a pilot of the Apache helicopter. I've seen one of these birds sitting on a runway. They are truly impressive in their "ugliness". What a wonderful idea to use "Ugly" as the designation call sign for these warrior machines. This is a book written very much in "military speak" but every effort has been made to help those of us unfamiliar with some of the terminology and the military's love of abbreviations to be able to follow the action without too much trouble. A glossary is provided along with an index and the glossary especially comes in extremely handy for non-military personnel such as myself. After reading for a short while I realized that I was learning what most of the alphabet soup meant just by the context of the story. This entire book is showing the abilities and the capabilities of the helicopter, the pilots, and the entire force of troops required to keep the helicopters flying. But the book isn't completely given over to one mission after another. There is a lot of background information given concerning Macy himself and his relationships with those he is serving with. All of which go a long, long way to personalize the people and the situations and to explain why they found themselves in the situation of a collective imperative resolve to rescue Lance Corporal Mathew Ford. What a wonderfully humanizing touch it was to have that young man referred to as Mathew while the rescue was taking place and after his recovery. It brought the entire situation down to a very personal level. I appreciate all of the different elements which were included in the book; the maps of Helmand, the diagrams of the Koshtay attack, the drawings of Jugroom Fort and especially the one showing the Apaches on the ground at Jugroom Fort. They helped me visualize the rescue so much better. I also enjoyed the many color pictures included in the book. And I must not leave out Rocco, but everybody needs to find out about him themselves. This is a very good book and I highly recommend it for reading by both men and women alike. It doesn't matter how you feel about war in general, we all need to be aware of deeds of heroism which take place on a daily basis on our behalf. If we can't all go there, at least we can show our support and respect for those who do. Added June 9, 2009---I've just learned that Macy's next book is due out in early September of 2009. I'm looking forward to reading that one.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Credible An excerpt from this book was printed in Air & Space Magazine, which is why I ordered it. I guess the rescue attempt for which these folks are well known in the UK was little... Read more Published 2 months ago by laidbak 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! I'm an airplane guy, not so much into helicopters. I want to learn more about the air fighting in Afghanistan. Read more Published 2 months ago by Michel Palacci 5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest Warfighter books I have ever read! Ed Macy is as humble as he is courageous. Apache is an outstanding account of what it takes to fly the Apache Helicopter and a book about a very courageous pilot... Read more Published 2 months ago by S. A. ROBBINS 5.0 out of 5 stars excellent reading I really enjoyed this book.Learned alot about the war in afghanistan and U.K. apaches and pilots.Had to reference glossary alot cause of all the abbreviations but author writes... Read more Published 2 months ago by W. R. Cole 5.0 out of 5 stars EXCITING READ Brits combat fly modified AH-64's in Afghanistan during 2006. If you play helicopter sims like DCS Black Shark you can learn combat lessons from this book such as how... Read more Published 3 months ago by Jerome Beck 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read! A good book about combat helicopter operations in Afghanistan. Macy writes in an informal (and "soldier-ly") style that is refreshing to read... Read more Published 4 months ago by Edward Cobb 5.0 out of 5 stars What "Firebirds" (the movie) Should have been! If anyone out there is a "egg beater" fanatic - or a Tank Killer enthusiast, then this is the book for you! This book is more than just an insight into the Apache Long Bow. Read more Published 5 months ago by N. J. Fung 4.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent men in killing machines There have been a few books published by members of the British military services reflecting their hard work in Afghanistan and Iraq, Sniper One and Eight Lives Down to quote two... Read more Published 6 months ago by N. Brett 5.0 out of 5 stars Apache Review This is a must-have book for anyone interested in military rotary wing aviation. Mr. Macy does an excellent job explaining how the Apache functions and also how it was heroically... Read more Published 6 months ago by M. Waters 4.0 out of 5 stars Immersive Read Mr. Macy does a great job of putting you in the cockpit and the moment. Fast paced yet detailed. Highly recommended. Published 6 months ago by ditch Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (May 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802118941
• ISBN-13: 978-0802118943
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,260 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #43 in

  Books > History > Military > Aviation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As close as it gets to flying the Apache AH Mk1, May 17, 2009

By	Andre Heeger (Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I could tell you what a terrific writer Ed Macy is and what a courageous soldier, marvelous pilot, and, and, and. All of that is true.
But what it basically comes down to in this book is being inside. Inside the monstrous machine none of us would ever set a foot in - even less get to fly the 46 million GBP thing.
You want to feel the thrill of first takeoff, Camp Bastion, Helmand Province? Burn your fingers on the stick and controls preheated by the Afghan sun, wipe the sweat off your face as you inhale the smell of metal and resin as the four thundering rotor blades race it across the desert, the twin Rolls Royce engines working at full speed.
All of that and more you find in here.
The book concentrates on a breathtaking rescue mission to retrieve a Marine MIA, where the Apaches must land right in the middle of a Taliban stronghold and come face to face with hordes of their unrelenting enemy.
But it has much more. The human side, the thrill, the comradeship, the pain, the fear, the technical - you name it, it's there. Because Ed Macy was one of the very few who mastered the craft of operating (not just flying) this machine.
And although after reading it you still won't be able to make your eyeballs work independently of each other like these guys can, at least you will have a sense of the courageous masterminds at work here.
Includes 5 maps, 2 detailed drawings of the Apache and numerous color photographs.
My highest respects go out to Ed Macy and his comrades.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Man and Machine as One in Battle, June 28, 2009

By	Michael Olson "MLOlson" (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was captivated by this true story of a British Apache helicopter pilot's career and experiences flying missions in Afghanistan in 2006. What impressed me with Ed Macy as a person was his focus on achieving his desire to fly in the military and especially the new Westland AH Mk1 Apache helicopter. A good summary of the challenge is given by this excerpt from the front cover overleaf -

". . . the deadliest, most technologically advanced helicopter on the planet. As strong as a tank . . . the helicopter is remarkably fast and nearly impossible to shoot down. . . . [With] weapons and cameras, the Apache pilot can spot prey from miles away . . . And it is the toughest aircraft in the world to fly - only the top 2 percent of pilots make it . . . hands, feet, and even eyes need to operate independently."

If it wasn't clear that this was a true story of one man's experiences, one could easily read it as a fictional novel filled with a character with beyond human capabilities. The action is palpable and the sacrifices Mr. Macy made to be a superior pilot in the face of danger are sobering and inspirational to reflect upon.

I have to admit having a passion for the virtual worlds of video games, human augmentation, and flight simulators so it is of particular interest to me how an Apache pilot becomes one with the machine. This is essential in order to manage the complexity of the controls, split-vision monocle, and the visual sensors that include low-light and infrared imagers. The daylight camera, for example, can magnify 127 times. There are over two hundred switches many multifunctional. The monocle over the right eye forced left-right eye independence as an efficient way to cram more information into the brain. "A dozen different instrument readings from around the cockpit were projected into it." This alone is a significant learning obstacle to overcome.

Note Mr. Macy's description starting with the example of driving your car -

"After you've driven it for a while, you don't have to think; you just end up at home without having thought of driving one. It was the same with the Apache, but on a grander scale. Halfway through the first tour . . . I didn't need to think how to fly and shoot because my fingers, arms and legs were working in perfect harmony with my mind. I was no longer strapped to the Apache, the Apache was strapped to me."

And ". . . the unimaginable demanding need to multi-task . . . only a very small percentage of human brains could do everything required simultaneously to operate the aircraft."

The powerful imaging capability makes enemy engagement much more personal than is typical for the military aviator. Mr. Macy often could see the enemy as if up close and personal such as a sniper could. And this capability offered a similar surgical precision in limiting collateral damage.

Partially reliving Mr. Macy's experience helps you appreciate the challenges of conflict with powerful weapons and the discipline necessary to manage multitudes of information while making instant life and death decisions. In this world with a growing cadre of unmanned, remotely-controlled, airborne vehicles (UAVs}, the video-game mind-set intrudes the perspective of the remote pilot I suspect. The personal life-death risk is much removed to be replaced by the career-risk proxy. Sure, the adrenaline may pump as in the video game, but deep down you know that you will still be breathing tomorrow. It is certainly not so for Mr. Macy with the Apache strapped to his back.

I will add this title to my collection of true military experiences that include
"Into the Mouth of the Cat - The Story of Lance Sijan Hero of Vietnam" by Malcolm McConnell and "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10" by Marcus Luttrell.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ringside seat to deeds of heroism by many different people., June 8, 2009

By	J. Lesley (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I finished reading this incredible book yesterday and I've been mulling over how to formulate a review for a book which is sure to touch people on so many different levels. I've finally decided that this book is one of those rare instances where a book can appeal to anyone, regardless of your particular ideas or feelings about the war in Afghanistan.

I enjoyed the way the book was designed. It began with a mission from Macy's previous assignment at Camp Bastion where he was assigned the recovery of two SBS team members who were either missing or killed in an encounter with the Taliban. It then fast forwards to later in that same year when Macy has been assigned to that same Camp once again. After a brief time away from this particular hot spot designated for defense by the British, Macy was once again on that same ground as a pilot of the Apache helicopter. I've seen one of these birds sitting on a runway. They are truly impressive in their "ugliness". What a wonderful idea to use "Ugly" as the designation call sign for these warrior machines.

This is a book written very much in "military speak" but every effort has been made to help those of us unfamiliar with some of the terminology and the military's love of abbreviations to be able to follow the action without too much trouble. A glossary is provided along with an index and the glossary especially comes in extremely handy for non-military personnel such as myself. After reading for a short while I realized that I was learning what most of the alphabet soup meant just by the context of the story. This entire book is showing the abilities and the capabilities of the helicopter, the pilots, and the entire force of troops required to keep the helicopters flying. But the book isn't completely given over to one mission after another. There is a lot of background information given concerning Macy himself and his relationships with those he is serving with. All of which go a long, long way to personalize the people and the situations and to explain why they found themselves in the situation of a collective imperative resolve to rescue Lance Corporal Mathew Ford. What a wonderfully humanizing touch it was to have that young man referred to as Mathew while the rescue was taking place and after his recovery. It brought the entire situation down to a very personal level.

I appreciate all of the different elements which were included in the book; the maps of Helmand, the diagrams of the Koshtay attack, the drawings of Jugroom Fort and especially the one showing the Apaches on the ground at Jugroom Fort. They helped me visualize the rescue so much better. I also enjoyed the many color pictures included in the book. And I must not leave out Rocco, but everybody needs to find out about him themselves.

This is a very good book and I highly recommend it for reading by both men and women alike. It doesn't matter how you feel about war in general, we all need to be aware of deeds of heroism which take place on a daily basis on our behalf. If we can't all go there, at least we can show our support and respect for those who do.


Added June 9, 2009---I've just learned that Macy's next book is due out in early September of 2009. I'm looking forward to reading that one.