Apollo's Warriors: US Air Force Special Operations During the Cold War [Paperback]

Michael E. Haas (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: University Press of the Pacific (June 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410200094
• ISBN-13: 978-1410200099
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GOD-LIKE ACCOMPLISHMENTS - TRIBUTE TO AIR FORCE SPEC OPS, December 22, 2004

By 

Troy A. Lettieri "Professional Warrior" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Apollo's Warriors: US Air Force Special Operations During the Cold War (Paperback)

Haas has an unbeatable book on Air Force Special Operations. This book covers the periods from WWII with high lights about the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, forerunner to the CIA and Green Berets) onto Korea covering air missions on psychological operations and support efforts, rolling into the late 50s early 60s coving various clandestine and covert operations, like the "Bay of Pigs". Haas then picks up with the 2nd Indochina war starting in the early 60s with Laos wrapping it up the Vietnam section with the Son Tay Raid. This book also covers Medal of Honor winners and other heroes and personalities of Air Force special operations. The book has an index and bibliography.

I rated this book 4 instead 5 stars for one reason. There are to versions of this book both soft cover, but the problem lays in that one version is printed in full color on high quality glossy pages and the other completely in black & white on low end paper, both soft covers are the same quality. This book being primarily and illustrated history with pictures, illustrations, charts and diagrams on practically every page it looses a lot of its luster in B&W. I guess if you never seen the color version it would not matter but I own both, because I borrowed a copy (color version) from a friend and liked it enough to add it to my library, I ordered the book on line an got the B&W version, so I went on the hunt and found another copy in color (FYI: Air University Press, Alabama, 1997 printed the color edition), big pain in the but and costly! Over all I highly recommend this book in ANY version it is truly a landmark edition to US Air Force Special Operation and American Spec Ops in general. Great Job Haas!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Survey book on Air Force Special Operations from 1941 through 1975, February 21, 2009

By 

J. Rudy "Major, USAF" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Apollo's Warriors: US Air Force Special Operations During the Cold War (Paperback)

Apollo's Warriors is an excellent survey book on the history of Air Force special operating forces. In the book, Colonel Michael Haas, USAF (Ret.) covers the period from World War II through the Vietnam War. The stories throughout the book are supplemented with many excellent full-color photographs throughout the book.

As with any survey book, Haas chose to provide a cursory glance and a variety of topics offering the reader familiarity with the topics. He covers many fascinating stories, but the reader will not become an expert on any of them.

World War II saw Air Force special operations forces supporting multiple distinct activities resulting in very different techniques and organizational structures. In Europe, the main focus was the support of "Carpetbagger" operations, or the support of the fledgling Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of today's Central Intelligence Agency. However, in the China-Burma-India Theater, the focus was on supporting the British Long Range Patrol Group who was fighting a guerrilla-style war against the Japanese. For a more detailed look at these organizations, I highly recommend Air Commandos Against Japan: Allied Special Operations in World War II Burma by William T. Y'Blood.

The Air Commandos were reborn during the Korean War providing air-sea rescue services; supporting unconventional operations; and conducting psychological operations.

The Vietnam chapter covers these same areas and adds the new mission area of foreign internal defense; and counter-insurgency.
The appendices include photos and award citations for each of the Air Commando Medal of Honor winners.

In a departure from the survey approach to the book, Haas offers a detailed case study on the Raid on Son Tay, a prison camp suspected of holding American Prisoner's of War.

Overall, this is a fantastic book and belongs in the library of every Airman!