Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds [Paperback]

Christina Olds (Author), Ed Rasimus (Author), Robin Olds (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 10, 2011

Robin Olds was many things to many people. To his West Point football coach he was an All American destined for the National College Football Hall of Fame. To his P-38 and P-51 wartime squadrons in WWII he was the aggressive fighter pilot who made double ace and became their commander in nine short months. For the pioneers of the jet age, he was the wingman on the first jet demo team, a racer in the Thompson Trophy race, and the only U.S. exchange officer to command an RAF squadron. In the tabloid press he was the dashing flying hero who married the glamorous movie star. For the current crop of fighter pilots he is best known as the leader of the F-4 Wolfpack battling over North Vietnam. For cadets at the Air Force Academy he was a role model and mentor. He was all of those things and more.

Here’s Robin’s story in his own words and gleaned from the family and friends of his lifetime. Here’s the talent and learning, the passion and leadership, the love and disappointments of his life. Few men have written on the tablets of aviation history with such a broad and indelible brush. Olds was a classic hero with vices as well as virtues, a life writ large that impacted many.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Fighter Pilot:

“A gripping narrative...Compelling reading, likely to become a classic.” —Booklist

“Robin Olds is probably the greatest aerial warrior America ever produced. His autobiography tells it like it was...and provides written proof why the people who served with him made him a legend. This book will be an instant classic.” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassin

 “One man’s account of war and, in its way, a tribute to a vanished breed of men.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Excellent...at times, his poetic descriptions reveal a humanity rarely exhibited in public by this swashbuckling, handlebar-mustachioed giant of air power.” —Aviation Weekly

About the Author

Robin Olds (1922-2007) was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. A triple ace, he achieved a combined total of 16 victories in the Second World War and the Vietnam War. Born into an army family in Honolulu and raised in Virginia, he was educated at West Point, where he was an All American football player. He fought in Europe during World War II, and was regarded as the best wing commander in the Vietnam War. He was promoted to brigadier general after Vietnam, and also served as Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

 

Christina Olds is the daughter of Robin Olds. She holds a B.A. in English and creative writing from Vassar.

 

Ed Rasimus is a retired USAF fighter pilot whose books on the Vietnam air war include When Thunder Rolled and Palace Cobra.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Paperback Edition edition (May 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312569513
• ISBN-13: 978-0312569518
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (181 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

158 of 161 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rockin' Robin April 13, 2010

By AdamSmythe

Format:Hardcover

This is a substantial book (about 400 pages) about the life of one of the most famous fighter pilots of all time, Robin Olds. It is largely a compilation of Olds' diaries, documents, letters, articles, etc, put together by his daughter, Christina Olds, after Robin's death in 2007. Indeed, before he died, Robin and Christina were able to share a fair amount of time together in preparation for the completion of his unfinished memoirs. Appropriately, the book is written in the first person. It's a well written book, not because it contains highly polished writing (it doesn't), but rather because it reads as you'd expect it to read coming from a maverick fighter-pilot. (I was fortunate to hear Robin Olds speak a number of times, and this book is true to his rather abrupt style of speaking.)

The book begins right where you'd expect a fighter pilot to begin--in the air, in combat ("We had been taking the war to Hitler...")--but then settles back to develop Olds' life story, starting from the beginning. His mother died when he was four, and he grew up the son of an Army officer. (There was no Air Force at that time.) The reader learns about his interest in football (6' 2", captain of his high school team, later played for West Point--including once in front of 100,000 fans at an Army - Navy game, back when that game was a big event to all sports fans).

The heart of this book, like the main theme in his life, is flying, especially in conflict. Olds flew P-38s and later transitioned to the marvelous P-51 (with the Merlin engine) during World War II. On his second P-51 training flight he almost crashed the aircraft trying to land (they didn't call it the Mustang for nothing).... His experiences in Europe during World War II and his Air Force career thereafter read almost like a stream-of-consciousness. D-Day. His kills. His eye for women. Taking command of a fighter squadron. V-E Day. His temper. Life in the fast lane. The P-80. His marriage to Hollywood star Ella Raines. Exchange duty with the Royal Air Force, reportedly becoming the only U.S. Air Force officer to command a RAF squadron. The F-86. And so on.

Olds tried hard to get assigned to combat duty during the Korean War, but apparently his wife (and her TV directors) managed to persuade Laurence Rockefeller to use his considerable political influence to get Olds' name off the Korea assignment list every time it came up. Olds almost resigned his commission in 1952 to become a civilian test pilot, but remained on active duty. Then, more stream-of-consciousness. Libya. An assignment to the Pentagon. And more.

But then there was the Vietnam War. Olds was assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, where he (and close friend Chappie James) became a legend. In preparation for this combat assignment in the F-4C, Olds describes wanting to experience the F-4's noted "adverse yaw" on only his second training flight. In doing so, he lost both engines and almost his life. He wrote, "If I had been a North Vietnamese pilot, I would have been an ace ten times over." (He was only an ace once in the Vietnam War.) The reason he said that was that while the F-4 could fly at Mach 2, dogfights typically don't take place at supersonic speeds, and there was no way an F-4 could turn with a MiG-17. On the cover of the book is a famous photo of Olds being carried on the shoulders of his men--tears in his eyes. Robin Olds was seemingly made for commanding men in combat, and he did that very well. His men loved him, and that probably says it all. Speaking of photos, there are about 16 pages of black-and-white photos in the book that bring back lots of memories.

After returning from the Vietnam War, Olds was promoted to Brigadier General and made Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy, after he shaved off his trademark handlebar mustache. (One of his cadets was Sully Sullenberger.) He tells of an experience when an F-105 was brought to the Academy to be dedicated as a reminder of all those who fought in the air above Vietnam. A flight of F-105s flew over the 4,000 cadets assembled before lunch, and these aircraft accidentally broke the sound barrier, resulting in the equivalent of millions of dollars of broken glass (in today's dollars). I was there at the time, and it was an unforgettable experience.

In closing this review, I'd like to relate one personal experience about Robin Olds. It was during the time he was Commandant of Cadets at the Academy, and he was talking to an auditorium of cadets. While he was speaking, he spotted one cadet with his foot resting on top of a chair. From the stage, Olds proceeded to chew out this cadet for not sitting up straight. When he asked the terrified cadet whether he had anything to say for himself, the cadet responded that his leg was in a cast, and he could not sit up straight. Olds replied, "Well, I'm sure I've been embarrassed this much before--but I really can't remember when." Everyone laughed, and Olds went back to his lecture as if nothing had happened. That's the way I'll remember him: intense, yet human. Read more ›

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely AWESOME!!! April 23, 2010

By Christopher Charney

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

In a word-AWESOME!!! This is the incredible story of one of, if not "the" greatest combat flying wing commanders that has ever graced our presence. Robin Olds was a larger-than-life character who flew hard, fought hard and played hard. Imagine a story where a young boy grows up with many of American aviation's greats (Billy Mitchell, Tooey Spaatz, Hap Arnold, and Jimmy Doolittle) hanging around his father's house. With all that influence and exposure, it's no wonder Robin Olds developed into a great fighter pilot and a great combat leader. Then imagine that young boy being accepted into West Point. Robin played football at West Point (offense and defense), becoming an All-American. He then went off to pilot training, and made it into World War II, becoming an ace in both the P-38 Lightning and the P-51 Mustang (13 aerial victories, and 107 combat missions). But the story does not stop there. Robin Olds went on to marry a beautiful movie star, and take command of one of the RAF's first jet squadrons. Somewhere in between here and Vietnam, he found time to father two beautiful daughters; the loves of his life. Robin Old's combat leadership in the 8th Tac Fighter Wing in Vietnam is legendary. He went on to shoot down four MiGs, bringing his total count to 17 aerial victories. After fighting his way through 152 missions, Robin Olds would become Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Sound too good to be true? Well not for Robin Olds. 'Fighter Pilot' is action packed from the beginning. Readers will experience the thrill of flying into battle in some of the greatest American fighter planes. And they will learn the finer points of great combat leadership. What a great movie this book would make.

The efforts of Robin's daughter Christina also cannot be overstated.... As Robin Old's life neared its end, Christina spent many long hours discussing the stories in this book with her father. She read through page after page of reports, diaries, letters, articles and stories, in an effort to capture the essence of her father's story, from her father's perspective. This was no small undertaking. And the result is simple outstanding. Buy this book. You won't be disappointed, and you won't able to put it down. Read more ›

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for all members of the US Air Force. April 21, 2010

By Christopher C. Cline

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I arrived at the 8th TAC Fighter Wing at Ubon, Thailand a year after Robin had left the base. People on base would tell me you should have been here when Robin was the Wing Commander. I enjoyed the fact that the writers didn't try to make the book a PC product, they illustrated the real Robin Olds, crusty words and all. If you love flying and want a good account of what we do in the US Air Force then please buy this book, you will have a hard time putting it down. Chris Cline, MSgt, Ret. USAF, Overland Park, KS

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Where have all the Cowboys gone"..... May 15, 2010

By Keith

Format:Hardcover

Like the Paula Cole song asks: "Where have all the cowboys gone?" "...where is (our) John Wayne?" "...where is (our) Lone Ranger?" Gen. Robin Olds was not only a hero because of his valor in a cockpit, but his willingness to buck the conventional wisdom of USAF and political leadership...even to the detriment of his own career. The words LEGEND and HERO are often misused in describing actors, sports participants, and musicians, but those words are apropos when describing Gen. Olds.

What a life! Gen Olds' life could fill 10 other fighter pilots' .....from growing up the son of a pioneer in US military aviation and being surrounded by the likes of Spaatz, Rickenbacker, Arnold, Turner, Mitchell ect. What role models to mold a young fighter pilot.....it couldn't have been better than that! Over his life, he excelled by his own makings, not by riding coat tails. Whether it was being an All American at West Point or becoming a leader and ace at an age most would consider still wet behind the ears.

Tales of both his aerial battles and the battles with those on the ground are riveting. It lets us see the steel willed determination of a man who truly believed in "lead by example" and "never ask those you lead to do anything you weren't willing to do." It's obvious the men he led, loved him and were willing to go to the Gates of Hell for him.....that is something that can't be demanded or ordered......it is earned.

Throughout this book we got glimpses of his home life and his marriage to the beautiful movie star, Ella Raines. Though he (or Christina) didn't go into depth about it, we got enough to know things weren't always blue skies and sunny days on the Olds' home front which made an extraordinary life seem realistic......we all have personal problems and Robin was no exception...but in true Robin Olds fashion, he didn't shy away from the truth. Whether it be about his marriage, his love of parties and drink, or his feelings about friends and foes....he (and Christina) kept it real....and I for one thank them for it.

I could pick out passages to quote in this book, but others here have done a fine job doing that... so I won't. Just know that if you are a fan of aviation, military history, or just want to read about a REAL hero and legend......read this book, you won't want to put it down and will find yourself wanting more.

Note to Hollywood: This is a movie that needs to be made.....I hope someone with credentials is smart enough to see the action and humanity that are waiting to be put up on the silver screen. I suspect it would be a cross between "Topgun" meets Mel Gibson's "We Were Soldiers" and/or Hanks/Spielberg's "Band of Brothers" with a little "Patton" sprinkled in for flavor. In fact this would make a great miniseries ....are you listening HBO? Read more ›