Full Throttle: True Stories of Vietnam Air Combat Told by the Men Who Lived It [Mass Market Paperback]

Philip D. Chinnery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1999

Airmen in Vietnam weren't above the hell of war-but they went beyond the call of duty.

It was America's longest, most withering war, as hellish in the air as it was on the ground. But little has been told of the airmen who fought, who died, who lived and dared to remember...until now. Three dozen airmen tell their secret stories of the air war in Vietnam the only way it ought to be told: in their own words. In this brutally accurate picture of brave men fighting a tragic war-a portrait that touches upon every branch of the armed forces-aviation journalist Philip D. Chinnery finally honors the heroes who have been nearly forgotten.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Compelling." --Chattanooga Times

"An uncommonly vivid picture of what it's like to wage a modern air war...engrossing!" --Kirkus Reviews

"Fascinating reading...gripping...These experiences deserve to be better known." --Inside Books

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (August 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312920105
• ISBN-13: 978-0312920104
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > Puerto Rico

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating collection of airwar experience, February 22, 2001

By 

Claudio Bompadre - See all my reviews

This review is from: Full Throttle: True Stories of Vietnam Air Combat Told by the Men Who Lived It (Mass Market Paperback)

Personal testimonies of fighters are always very interesting, each tale gives a touch of human dimension in wars coolly and distantly narrated by freelancers or reporters. In this book there is a vivid picture of the burden to wage aerial war in Vietnam, a scar still painful in memories of those who fought it. Their stories are well worth a careful reading since they reveal the psychological attitude of the airmen and their lifestyle under the strain of action. This portrait is accurate and gripping, giving many details of how tactics, training and hardware worked under real condition (contrary to the flawless operations of a peacetime simulation). Clearly some stories are edifying experience of servicemen that went beyond the call of duty, but largely most of them resound of day to day life and of behaviour of common soldiers towards the harshness of fight. Compelling.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FULL THROTTLE, February 12, 2002

By 

David L. Eastman "DAVE EASTMAN, OL 23,-24" (Center Sandwich, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Full Throttle: True Stories of Vietnam Air Combat Told by the Men Who Lived It (Mass Market Paperback)

A friend who flew out of Udorn AFB in Thailand as a KC-135 navigator gave me this book, as he knew I might know some of the characters in it. I did, and some of the stories I tell in OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM correspond and back up some of these exploits. My tour was in UH-1D helicopters out of Vinh Long in the Delta. The Seven Mountains area is aptly described, as well as the old French minefield at Chi Lang that blew up a Knight aircraft as he depicted. Phillip Chinnery hung out with some of the VHPA aviators a few years back to garner up these stories, and they are well presented. It is unfortunate that a lot of the guys who flew these birds can't write well enought to record these amazing times. Another good book to have on your RVN shelf.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good aerial combat descriptions especially from the helos, October 22, 2009

By 

Jerry Wilt "JBW857" (Katy, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Full Throttle: True Stories of Vietnam Air Combat Told by the Men Who Lived It (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read several books on aerial combat in Vietnam. This book is as good as those although not the best. I found I enjoyed the stories of the helicopter pilots better than those of the jet pilots. BUT, they were all good...just some better than others. Of course, all of the stories about the sorties into NV, Laos, and Cambodia were very interesting. Nevertheless, in saying that, you do find yourself flying along with these pilots wondering if "you" were going to get hit and make it back to base or the carriers. Or, hoping you avoid the SAMs as they rise out of the jungle.

The biggest drawback to this book is the lack of a key to explain what all of the acronyms mean. You just have to read and hope that it comes up during the story. For example, the pilots mention several times about bombing the POLs. Finally, one pilot said that it meant Petroleum-Oil-Lubricants storage vessels. This book is told by pilots for pilots. However, if you have a passing interest in aviation you shouldn't have any problems with the acronyms. I was familiar with most but not all.