Bandits Over Baghdad: Personal Stories of Flying the F-117 Over Iraq [Hardcover]

Warren E. Thompson (Author), Alton C., Jr. Whitley (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

Many argue that the Gulf War was won largely by the Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk, better known as the "Stealth Fighter." This book provides insight into a high-tech war as seen through the eyes of the pilots who flew the black jets into the heart of Baghdad. Thompson shares stories told by the leaders, pilots, and mission planners who worked together to compile a record unheard of in any prior war.

This work details, in very personal terms, the experience of a small cadre of highly-trained pilots who opened a new chapter in the use of stealth technology and extreme pinpoint precision bombing. Included with these personal accounts are technical facts and details of the F-117, making this one of the most comprehensive books ever published on the role of the Nighthawk in Desert Storm.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The text is informative and an easy read. The pictures are interesting so as a historian and model builder this is really inspirational. ---IPMS, reviewed by Floyd S. Werner Jr., October 2011 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Warren Thompson specializes in military aviation subjects. He has written twelve books, and is a regular contributor to "Combat Aircraft," "FlyPast," "Wings of Fame," and "AirPower/Wings" magazines.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN) (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580070310
• ISBN-13: 978-1580070317
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,418,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New perspective on the F-117 in Desert Storm, April 6, 2001

By 

Michael D. Derry (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bandits Over Baghdad: Personal Stories of Flying the F-117 Over Iraq (Hardcover)

'Bandits Over Baghdad' is a fresh and revealing look into the usually secretive operations of the F-117 Stealth Fighter. Warren Thompson has assembled several recollections from the pilots and support personnel who flew and maintained the F-117 during Desert Storm. All of the stories and interviews are new, although a few of the principal pilots have been interviewed in other books about the F-117. However, the insight and information in this book is very satisfying. Most of the photos are from the private collections of the 37th TFW's pilots and have never been published before. The only drawback of the book is the relatively short yet concise length. This book would be ideal for anyone who would like a more personal view of the F-117 during the Gulf War. The forward by Col. Al Whitley further lends credibility to the stories that follow.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating about the "Black Jets", September 2, 2001

By 

"finals" (Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bandits Over Baghdad: Personal Stories of Flying the F-117 Over Iraq (Hardcover)

This one is hard to put down until you are finished reading it. It gives insight into just how hard Desert Storm would have been without these mounts of Darth Vader, and the unbelievable dedication and hard work the ground- and aircrews put fore in those months of 1990-91.
All through the book there are plenty of pictures, both posed pilot shots and pictures taken by 82nd Airborne after the cease fire showing the damage done to Iraq by the F-117 community.

There is one small error in the book though. There is a picture of a fighter in it where the caption claims it's a damaged Iraqi Jaguar. Anyone that sat through aircraft recognition in any service around the world will recognize it as a MiG. Not a very big issue, but an error nonetheless.

I can recommend this book for anyone interested in getting a glimpse into a world only a few hundred people inhabit on a day to day basis. It's no wonder the F-117A was considered the star of the show after the Gulf War was over. This book explains why.

4.0 out of 5 stars F-117 Nighthawk, At Peace and War, March 17, 2003

By 

Lawrence R. Mayes (Rapid City, SD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bandits Over Baghdad: Personal Stories of Flying the F-117 Over Iraq (Hardcover)

Warren Thompson, a F-117 "Nighthawk" pilot, has put together a superb book, one of those that the aviation enthusiast will consider a "must" for his reading collection. This book covers the development, maturation and wartime employment of an aircraft unique in the annals of airborne warfare, and which is still relatively unknown as to its capabilities and potential for further application. The personal stories of the pilots who learned how to use this very different airframe, flying exclusively at night in a very demanding tactical environment, tell a compelling story of how men and airplane come together to become an awesomely effective war machine. Many of the pilots who flew "Downtown" to Baghdad on the opening night of the Gulf War, and many subsequent missions as the war progressed, tell their riveting personal stories as they faced some of the densest Anti Aircraft Artillery and Surface to Air Missile threats ever. Their determination, professionalism, camaraderie and teamwork are clearly articulated in a most readable fashion. They give every detail, short of Classified Information, about how they planned, adjusted and ultimately executed some of the most demanding bombing missions ever completed. The book also covers the intricacies of mission planning, sortie generation and a myriad of other challenges faced by those who put together the air attack plan and those who were charged with its execution. The book contains many excellent and previously unpublished photographs, including 7 in color, of the aircraft, aircrew, ground support personnel and results of bombing attacks in Iraq. A number of illustrations, photos of unit patches and maps augment this excellent text. This is a great book about superb aviators and a new and deadly form of air warfare told in a wonderfully personal and particularly readable manner.