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Flying from the Black Hole: The B-52 Navigator-bombardiers of Vietnam

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The front dust jacket of the book claims "[i]t is the only work to detail the B-52 air war in Vietnam from the perspective of a navigator-bomber." I cannot speak to the veracity of this claim, but Robert Harder scores a `shack' with this outstanding work.

The book begins with the obligatory background on the B-52 covering topics such as the training regimen; and technical specs on the different variants of the B-52 (A through G) models. Harder also introduces the reader to the lingo associated with the BUFF (a term of endearment meaning Big Ugly Fat Fellow).

No discussion of B-52s during the Vietnam War would be complete without a discussion on the Strategic Air Command and the role the strategic bomber force. Along with this background information, Harder provides insightful analysis of the deployment of B-52 variants; and the basing options used during the war. He also examines the tactical employment of three-ship strike packages.

The book focuses on two missions that B-52s supported - Arc Light and Linebacker II. Arc Light was the name given to B-52 operations providing close air support in South Vietnam (and later Cambodia & Laos). Harder actually flew Arc Light missions during the war, so he speaks with a voice of authority. Rather than tell the story as a memoir, he uses a fictional scenario to illustrate a typical Arc Light mission.

Linebacker II was the bombardment campaign of North Vietnam that is credited with bringing them back to the Paris Peace Talks in 1973. Along the historical accounting of the bombing missions, Harder revisits the fictional Blue Three crew and what they would have experienced in the intervening years.

The final chapter of the book "The Twenty-First Century Buf/BUFF" has a few debatable assertions (such as the F-22 as a replacement for the F-117), and a few typographical errors (continued use of JADM when referencing the Joint Direct Attack Munition).

The book will be a treasure for the casual reader. The material is written at a perfect level for readers looking for an introduction to the B-52. It's written with enough detail to cover the material, yet not too much to be boring. It also helped that Harder sprinkled a lot of humor throughout the book.

In 1997, the Air Force Chief of Staff included Jack Broughton's "Thud Ridge: F-105 Thunderchief missions over Vietnam" on his recommended reading list. This book should be on par with that book in offering another perspective on Vietnam War aviation. It offers insightful analysis into the operational employment of B-52s. Not only does it look at the history of the BUFF employment, it offers candid analysis of what went wrong and how the operational planners fixed the problems. These lessons are 30 years old, but they continue to illustrate the importance of knowing when to break with established doctrine and use a little creativity.

Thanks to Robert Harder for sharing his story and that of his fellow "Black Holers".

From personal war time experience Harder spins a compelling and informative story about the giant B-52 and the vital but unsung role navigators played in every successful mission. For the military buff there are the crucial technical details while the general reader will be absorbed by the danger and even romance of military flight. This is a wonderful read.

It is tough to describe a typical B-52 Arc Light mission. Some went as planned, but most involved some mix of malfunctioning equipment, detours around thunder storms, turbulence at the refueling point, and ECM/evasive actions on the bomb run. Many, particularly the 12 hour flight out of Guam, were both physically and mentally demanding. Bob Harder describes the Nav-Bomb Arc Light experience from Anderson, Kadena and Utpao superbly, as only someone who had been there could. But this book offers so much more. The history related to aerial navigation and aerial bombardment is extremely well researched and the description of "sitting alert" with nuclear weapons is dead on. Still, for me, the Linebacker Two story pays for the book as a standalone. Bob paints a vivid picture of the long odds that confronted the Line Backer Crews and explains just how magnificently they performed. Thanks Bob for telling the story and thanks to the Linebackers for carrying that load.

This is a must read for anyone who was there. I was on the ground on Guam with the munitions maintenance squadron from the buildup in early '72 through Linebacker II and then off to U-Tapao. This book brought back memories of the effort and pride everyone took in what was accomplished there. This book is also for historians and others interested in the history of the B-52, the best aircraft ever made. Extrapolating from the impact of Linebacker II, Vietnam could have ended a lot sooner with significantly fewer lives lost if the politicans had not shackled the capabilities. I too had conflicts with the masters in Omaha; its amazing how experts thousand of miles away think they know more than those on the scene and particularly with those who put their lives at risk. As a maintainer, I respect what was done by the dedicated aircrews. We must not forget what was accomplished at Guam and U-Tapao; this book is a major contributor to that memory.

This is a very informative book for the casual, non-technical reader. Bob Harder provides a compelling commentary on the role of the B-52 in the Vietnam War from the perspective of a navigator-bombardier. Harder is a superb storyteller and his personal experiences, told with appropriate humor, reflect the commitment, bravery and heroism of the aircrews that were engaged in a seemingly unending war. The condensed, non-technical history of aerial navigation, bombing techniques and the development of bomber aircraft provides the background necessary to fully understand the role played by the B-52 in the over eight year bombing campaign. The day-to-day descriptions of the December 1972 bombing raids over North Vietnam are riveting. I was not aware of the pending disaster caused by centralized planning in Omaha and the extraordinary corrective efforts made by the local commanders. It is a remarkable story and I highly recommend it.

Bob Harder's book is a home run on so many levels. It is the best, most concise and most truthful description of not only the history of aerial navigation and bombing and SAC/B-52 crewmembers and families lifestyles during the Cold War, but also the saga of Linebacker II and the Vietnam Conflict itself. He sifts through the information and condenses the facts into a very readable account injected with appropriate humor, while at the same time maintaining the intensity, excitement and aura of the fog of war. An excellent read.

Flying from the Black Hole: The B-52 Navigator-bombardiers of Vietnam I too was in RVN in the early 70's but had no true appreciation of the bravery and fortitude of my B-52 Air Force comrades flying over me. Bob Harder's experiences are told in clear, graphic, and understandable prose with both humor and pathos. His pace is excellent, starting with the perils of the Linebacker Two operation and then taking the reader carefully through the aircraft, training, personalities in SAC, history of aerial bombing, the Arc Light operations, combat ready alert status and then concluding with the terror that was Linebacker Two. An excellent read! LTC USAR (Ret).

I am not a flyer or knowledgeable of navagation and from a layman point of view found this book very informative. Bob went into just enough details so someone like me could make sense of the skill it takes to do what he and so many others did and still do. I had no idea the Linebacker operation was so messed up but do credit the command in Omaha for finally seeing some sense. All in all, it is an excellent book and well written.

This is an excellent history of the B52's role in the Vietnam War from the viewpoint of the navigator-bombardier. It is told from the author's first hand experience but is also well researched and draws from many people's experiences. It is told with reverence but also with humor. I thought the details of the 1972 Christmas bombing of North Vietnam were especially well done. I had no idea we almost lost this battle in Omaha! I found it a very interesting and enjoyable read.

From someone who was there, Robert paints the most accurate picture of the B-52 campaign over North Vietman I have yet to read. It is accurate from a technical and historical standpoint. It is not only well researched and documented, but his own personal experiences are injected at the appropriate time and in the appropriate context. And, if all of that is not enough, his style of storytelling brings back memories (both good and bad) of a very important time in my life. Thanks, Robert.