Heart of the Storm: My Adventures as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot and Commander [Hardcover]

Colonel Edward L. Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0471264369 | ISBN-13: 978-0471264361 | Edition: 1

Advance praise for Heart of the Storm

"Col. Ed Fleming tells a story of true heroism about the constant dangers faced by the pilots and crews who fly the most versatile-and vulnerable-aircraft in the skies today."
-John Glenn, former U.S. senator, astronaut, and bestselling author of John Glenn: A Memoir

"To risk your life to save a stranger is the highest mark of a human being. Ed Fleming is such a man, and this book is a great read."
-Dr. Jerri Nielsen, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Ice Bound

"Filled with suspense and emotion, Heart of the Storm reads like a thriller-but it's all true. Ed Fleming has led a dramatic and interesting life, and this book portrays it in living color."
-Robert K. Tanenbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Resolved and Absolute Rage

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

During his 30 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard, Fleming made a career of descending from the sky to pluck disaster victims from the jaws of floods, storms, sharks and polar white-outs. His gripping memoir vividly illustrates how tenuous the life of a deus ex machina can be. Fleming recalls the tragic and sometimes gruesome deaths of unlucky colleagues who succumbed to the elements and recounts hair-raising missions that often took place at night, flown through hazardous weather (including the vicious nor’easter Sebastian Junger made famous in The Perfect Storm) in fragile helicopters prone to mechanical breakdown. Avoiding gung-ho special-ops bluster, he probes the human flaws and lapses—incompetent, panicky pilots, abusive officers, penny-pinching bureaucrats who refuse to pay for much-needed equipment—that bedevil even elite outposts of the military. Fleming’s sober, straightforward, well-paced style lucidly conveys the lore of helicopter flight and the practical difficulties of rescue missions while letting the heroics speak for themselves. Photos.
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From Booklist

A real gift for adventure readers, this is the autobiography of a veteran U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard rescue helicopter pilot. The title refers to where Fleming spent a good deal of his time, including during the "Perfect Storm" of book and movie fame and on the longest helicopter rescue mission ever flown--to rescue the sole survivor of a freighter lost off Newfoundland. Fleming also survived Vietnam-era helicopter training and some instructors with more attitude than knowledge; in turn, he trained some would-be helicopter pilots who should never have set foot in one of the complicated, fragile, versatile, and now indispensable machines. He served in the Gulf War and, toward the end of his career, organized the complex mission that rescued cancer-stricken Dr. Jerri Nielsen from the South Pole. Now a teacher of college-level leadership courses, Fleming is less gifted as a writer than as a pilot, which, however, doesn't detract much from his exciting recollections. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471264369
• ISBN-13: 978-0471264361
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #729,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great thrill ride, April 24, 2004

By 

John J Tighe (saratoga springs, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of the Storm: My Adventures as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot and Commander (Hardcover)

The story Of Edward Fleming is a timely reminder of what a true american hero is.His story of a long and dangerous career is a testament to the people who put there lives in harms way not only in times of war put in the day to day operations of peace time service. A very good read for all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Story by a Real Warrior, April 21, 2005

By 

John L. Mahaffey "John 'Hobbit' Mahaffey" (The Hague, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heart of the Storm: My Adventures as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot and Commander (Hardcover)

A super story about real life heroes doing the daily business of protecting the nation both here and abroad. Col fleming tells it all as an oberver and a participant. His stories are not embellished for the reader, nor do they point to him as the central heroic figure. They do provide the reader with a look into a world that is boring and thrilling at the same time; deftly describing the tedium of daily squadron life as it gives way to the breakneck speed and physical demands of search and rescue over water.

This book is full of heroes... and a few malcontents, imcompetents and villains. He bravely steps up to describe the politics of the national guard. Where officers may be elevated for political reasons despite their shortcomings. His criticism is not couched in the whining of a man dissapointed by his leaders. It is a thoughtful observation of the things that go awry, even to the best of us. His determination to stay with his unit, then to move forward despite rejection, criticism and professional "second guessing" speak more about his character than the eagles on his shoulder or the ribbons on his chest.

Col Fleming reminds me of the ubiquitous "Old Sage" in every military unit. The Colonel or Master Sergeant who regailed there charges with the "old corps" stories of past glory and disappointment. These stories, often funny, sometimes tragic were tinged with morals and lessons to be learned and incorporated into the professional and personal lives of their young officers, NCOs and airmen. In an axiom that defines military men and women through time, the good ones learned there lessons from the Old Sage, the bad ones learned them the hard way.

Col Fleming has taken us all into his world and through his writing we come away with a deeper sense of gratitude and understanding for the people who stand in harm's way for us.

A Real Warrior sharing his world... an outstanding book

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Exciting It Reads Like the Best Fiction - but All True, June 6, 2004

By 

Jim Callan (Los Gatos, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of the Storm: My Adventures as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot and Commander (Hardcover)

In Heart of the Storm, Col. Fleming shows that he is as adept at writing about his lifetime of thrilling rescues as he was at performing them. What a career, and what a book! A work of fiction couldn't cover more high profile adventures - rescues he pulled off during the Perfect Storm, at the South Pole, in the Gulf War, just to scratch the surface. But it's not fiction. He really did it, risking his life to save perfect strangers more times than I could count. I don't have the patience to read many books, but this one wouldn't let me put it down.