Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces [Mass Market Paperback]

Jennie E. Chancey (Author), William R. Forstchen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2002

Fifty Years Ago,
The Skies Blazed Above KoreaBetween 1950 and 1953, America was locked in a fearsome struggle to decide the fate of a relatively small pennisula jutting into the Sea of Japan. More than fifty thousand brave U.S. fighting ment gave their lives in this bloody conflict that has all but faded from public memory, a "forgotten was" that ushered in a modern age of jet-to-jet combat.

Editors Chaney and Forstchen have gathered together the spellbinding account of America's Korean War aerial aces -- the "Hot Shots" who took to the Asian in their Mustangs, Sabres, and Shooting Stars to confront an overwhelmingly superior number of enemy aircraft. Through the vivid voices of real-life "top gun" heroes -- with their remarkable first-hand stories of courage, duty, and awesome ability -- an all important chapter in our nation's military history is retrieved from the shadows, a return to a time of exhilaration, terror, and glory when, more than before, control of the skies helped determined victory or defeat on the ground.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Curiosities about bravery in the first jet war will be amply satisfied by these eyewitness anecdotes.” (Booklist )

About the Author

Jennie Ethell Chancey, the daughter of legendary aviation historian Jeff Ethell and granddaughter of a P-38 ace of World War II, is a writer. She lives in Rileyville, Virginia. William R. Forstchen is a professor of history at Montreat College in Montreat, North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he specialized in American military history.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch; Reprint edition (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380817675
• ISBN-13: 978-0380817672
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,013,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stories & concise overview of air war & conflict, January 12, 2003

By 

K. Kuberek (Fredericksburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces (Mass Market Paperback)

If you are interested in air combat, this book is definitely worth reading.

It's a very enjoyable read. Most of the book consists of firsthand accounts by US fighter & fighter-bomber pilots. Mostly F-51 ground attack & F-86 MiG alley encounters, with a few other types & situations included. Interspersed among the flying stories is a great overview of the air war in Korea, and a concise summary of the overall conflict. This helps place the flying stories in the context of the time, and is very well done. Also covers the experiences of POW's.

Gives a good feel for how unprepared the US was at the beginning of the conflict. Covers the retreat from the initial North Korean attack, the defense of the Pusan perimeter, the landings at Inchon and subsequent advance into North Korea, the Chinese entry into the war and retreat back to South Korea, then the stabilization around the 38th parallel. Gives a good account of efforts to develop tactics for air warfare in the jet age. Also covers the "honchos" - Russian & Warsaw Pact pilots flying the MiG 15 against the "hot shots" in their Sabres.

Finally, covers the POW experience of fliers captured and interned in China for 2 years after the war ended. A number of these men (less than 35, but the exact number is not given) never came back, and were never accounted for. Mentions the similar circumstances of hundreds of Vietnam War aviators. Many believed to have ended up in China & Russia, but there is no firm accounting of their fate. As the authors said in the last line of the book, "May their sacrifice not be in vain."

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars lacks accuracy, poorly written, July 4, 2003

By 

mike esposito "espo" (Morton Grove, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces (Mass Market Paperback)

I was excited when I saw this title on the shelf. However, after I read the first few pages. I was disapointed. Inaccuracies abound, like when the author states the kill ratio of migs to f-86s as 7 to 1. Postwar records from the former Soviet Union show that the ratio was more like 3 to 1. Inaccuracies in the photographs state f-84s as f-94s ect. However, the work would still be acceptable if not for the poor writing style of the author. When recounting the first hand stories of aces, I found I had to read them three times to get any clear picture of what is going on. Perhaps she was using the words of the probably 70+ year olds which could add to the problem.

If you like first hand muddled accounts of the air war in korea, this book is for you, but if you want more detailed accounts of tactics and exploits ect. you will need to look elsewhere.