Customer Reviews

Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces

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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."

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.