Customer Reviews

Hypersonic Thunder: A Novel of the Jet Age

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This book presents quandary: It is a wonderful ending to Walt Boyne's trilogy of aviation novels and is a delight to read; but its also the end, and we have no more of these exciting books to look forward to.

Despite my misgivings about the series ending, this book shows why Walt is considered one of the best aviation authors in the business. The plot development is wonderful, the characters exciting (although, I admit to be slightly embarrassed to be the namesake of one character in the book), and the aviation history precise and well placed. Although the main story line is complete fiction, the surrounding events are described in authentic detail that adds great credibility to the overall story.

If you have not read the entire series, you need to treat yourself to buying all three books. "Roaring Thunder" and "Supersonic Thunder" set the stage for "Hypersonic Thunder" and all make for an excellent read.

Now we just have to wait and see what Walt has up his sleeve for his next blockbuster idea.

Hypersonic Thunder is the third and last installment of Walter Boyne's fine aviation/historical trilogy. As usual, he delivers the goods--and in fine style, weaving an engaging yarn about the fictional Shannon family in and around the lives of real aviation people and actual events. The beauty of a Walter Boyne book, be it fiction or nonfiction, is his incredible knack of providing readers with a real insider's feel and insight of the flying game, from the personal sacrifices made by flyers and their families to the fascinating intricacies of the aircraft itself. Another great comfort with a Boyne work is that you never have to worry about the authenticity of the material--a former USAF Command Pilot himself, he has walked the walk and talked the talk. The author also clearly understands how some material, especially when it is about technical or specialty professions, can sometimes be rendered much more understandable and enjoyable when it is presented in novel form, and that is where Hypersonic Thunder really sings. The most significant events, both aviation and historical, of the latter half of the twentieth century are all linked together in this one great flowing narrative--from how the American POW's were able to communicate with one another using their own improvised Hanoi Hilton tap code, to what really happened at the 1973 Paris Air Show when the Soviet prototype Supersonic Transport crashed, burned, and promptly buried forever the Soviet SST program, to the inside skinny on American stealth fighters and bombers, and then finally to fascinating speculation on future scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engines and hypersonic (Mach 5 plus) manned flight.

This reviewer strongly suggests that readers interested in this twentieth-century aviation tale do themselves a favor and start at the beginning of the epic by also purchasing simultaneously the first two books in the series, Roaring Thunder and Supersonic Thunder. Both books are available on this website at very attractive prices.

Hypersonic Thunder is just a great, fun read and it is very highly recommended to all readers, not just aviation aficionados. If this is your first Walter Boyne book, then be assured that after reading it you will then understand why he continues to be the nation's most important aviation writer.

In magnitude alone, this trilogy rates as epic, covering the sweep of aviation progress from the start of WW II almost to today. That's an immense chunk of history and sky,
Walter Boyne certainly is qualified to tackle such a daunting task, and there's no point reciting his extensive knowledge. Suffice to say that he handles the chronology, the events, and most of the people with the sure touch his readers have come to expect.
In Roaring Thunder (1939-54) we meet the fictional Shannon family, father and twin sons, who interact with a stellar cast of aviation greats including the inventors of the jet engine. The characters include Hans von Ohain, Frank Whittle, Ernst Heinkel, Willy Messerschmitt, Dolfo Galland, Bill Lear, Bob Gross, and many others. Frequently in writing historical novels the most fun is making one's fictional characters mesh with real people, and Boyne obviously enjoys that task. (Insiders will smile over some colleagues who appear in times and places beyond their real existence!) Boyne enrolls the Shannon boys in Annapolis and West Point, then sends them to war: Tom over the Pacific and Harry in Europe. Subsequently Tom transfers from the Marines to the Air Force--an extremely rare event, if it happened at all.
The story continues in Supersonic Thunder (1955-73) with emphasis on cutting-edge designs such as the U-2, Lear Jet, and 747. It's a little hard to imagine today that anybody really believed there'd be a market for a supersonic transport, but there was, and father Vance Shannon is involved. Tom leads an F-4 wing in SE Asia and becomes a much-abused POW whose survival is uncertain. Harry remains active in industry, fighting corporate battles with the Shannon's brilliant, erratic partner. There's also the elder Shannon's long-term love interest, a French femme fatale who exploits his male weaknesses for a cause of her own.
The trilogy concludes in Hypersonic Thunder (1973-2006) featuring another generation of Shannons and colleagues plus emergence of stealth technology and the rise of radical Islam. It ends with a plausible look at a private-venture Rutan-like spaceship.
Unfortunately, I read the second book first and was confused as to Tom's service affiliation. It's not explained after it occurs in the first book, but a retrospective paragraph would have avoided the consternation: "Waitaminute...he was a marine back here on page...where was it?" Actually, it would've been perfectly OK to make them both Army pilots, witness the real-life Pattillo twins Buck and Bill who not only flew combat together, but both made general.
A minor point, but the cover of Hypersonic Thunder MUST rate as one of the worst in the history of publishing. Apparently it tries to depict some kind of ultra go-fast machine, but the black shape on a dark-blue cover just appears as an amorphous blob with some kind of white highlight. The designer should be fired for incompetence and whoever approved it should be fired just on general principle.
Short version: the Thunder series showcases the author's history and nonfiction credentials in an aviation tour de force.

When it comes to aviation history, especially the people who made it all happen, Col. Walter J. Boyne never disappoints. Whether you're reading one of his feature magazine articles, non-fiction monographs, or novels you'll be uplifted and enlightened by his unadorned prose and adroit approach to storytelling.

"Hypersonic Thunder" forms the capstone of a three-book series that began with the earliest development of jet propulsion during the late-1930s. It is set against a fairly recent historical backdrop--the miraculous, mind-boggling leaps in aviation and space technology we have witnessed over the past four decades. Terms like "high-tech," "cutting-edge," and "state-of-the-art" have become part of our vocabulary. Jumbo jets, space shuttles, stealth aircraft, `smart' weapons, unmanned-air-vehicles, GPS, satellite TV, and other wonders are now commonplace.

In "Hypersonic," Walt Boyne straps you in and propels you through the story behind these breath-taking developments. It will hold your attention without pause whether you're a hard-core aviation aficionado or simply a recreational reader looking for something new and different. Through the senses, hearts, and minds of Boyne's imagined characters you will see historical events as if you were there. The fictional Shannons are not larger-than-life superheroes but believable characters who contend with the ordinary trials of life. Tom, an ex-Air Force pilot, carries the burden of having spent six agonizing years as a POW in North Vietnam; Vance, the aging patriarch and father of Tom, is at the evening of his life and no longer controls the family's aerospace company; Harry, Tom's twin brother, is distracted from business by a wife with serious drinking problems; Nancy, Tom's wife, who literally ran the company during his absence, finds herself in an increasingly problematic and awkward role; and Bob Rodriguez, the brilliant head of the company's efforts in research and development, finds himself torn between his work habits, the wife he neglects, and a growing enmity with Tom and Harry.

I recommend "Hypersonic Thunder" to readers of all stripes. Boyne supplies enough technical detail and pilot-speak to keep the aviation crowd happy, but not so much that it impedes the pace of the story. In fact, the pace will surprise you, moving very fast with no intermission. Now that Walt Boyne has brought us up to the present, I can only wonder where his imaginative talents might take us next. I look forward to it, wherever that may be.

HYPERSONIC THUNDER by Col. Walter Boyne, USAF (Ret) is the final book in his "Thunder" series. And what a finale it is. He covers 34 years of aviation history starting with the release of POWs from the Hanoi Hilton in February 1973 to the envisioned first flight of the Shannon-built Hypersonic Cruiser in May, 2007. The book is aptly titled since development of a hypersonic vehicle is a constant theme and Boyne makes the case for private enterprise to do just that. Though there are many underlying themes, the most poignant is that aviation costs lives and wives.

All three of Boyne's books are an intriguing blend of true international commercial and military aviation historical pressure points as linked by the fictional Shannon family. (Note the Shannon and Boyne are two major rivers in Ireland.) To help the reader keep track, he uses dates and locales for each significant episode. And, as always, he weaves in factual accounts that inform the reader what went on behind closed doors. Boyne's deep research is obvious as he narrates event after event such as: the political pressure that lead to the crash of the Russian Tu-144; development snags of GPS, the F-117, B-1, B-2, V-22, the F-22, and just about any airplane, civilian or military, you can name. He covers the AWACS; Gulf war; Twin Towers, and many, many more. From the Airbus through defense industry mergers, airline deregulation (by 1987 only 37 of the 128 new low-cost airlines were still operating) to UAVs (never call them drones) to the Rutan brothers, Steve Fosset, Ken Dyson (Have Blue test pilot), famed aviation historian Dick Hallion (Dr. Hypersonic), and too many others to name. Be sure to Google Yossef "Seffy" Bodansky to see where he fits in the book. Oh, and by the way, did you know Kelly Johnson of the famous Lockheed Skunk Works was totally opposed to the F-117? Said it would never fly well. (Is it coincidence this remark is on page 117?)

Two characters, USAF Generals Steve O'Malley and V.R. Shannon (whose wife was killed in the downing of Pan Am Flight 103) forcefully foreshadow Muslim world-wide attacks. Shannon gives a strictly unofficial talk to staff members at the Air University at Maxwell AFB about the Muslim threat. He advocates massive retaliation if certain restrictions are not followed. Google up USAF Major General Orvil A. Anderson (founding commandant of the Air War College) who was forcible retired for advocating preemptive war with the Soviet Union. In the early sixties the retired general would give his talks off the AU campus at the local Holiday Inn.

Another advocate of further Muslim terror is Korean war ace Bob Rodriguez who is particularly fascinating in that he is a rendition of Pete Fernandez, a real Korean war ace who is credited with 14½ MiGs. It is worth Googling him up to see how his mysterious post-war life compares to that of the fictional Rodriguez. About Muslims, Rodriguez makes the following statement: "... and life is so miserable for the masses that a bright, healthy young man can chose to die as a suicide bomber and think it is a smart career move." You will have to read the book to see what Winston Churchill had to say on that same subject.

I must mention a gentleman named Warren Bowers, purportedly a writer, who hovers in the background. Haven't quite figured out how he fits in. Perhaps you can.

By Mark Berent, retired USAF fighter pilot
See his five books on the Vietnam air and ground war in Amazon and Kindle at ROLLING THUNDER.

With his encyclopedic knowledge of the history of aviation as well as his exceptional life experiences, Col. Walter J. Boyne is in a unique position to provide oversight and understanding of a profession and a craft that is only a little over 100 years old, yet is capable of moving people about the planet in comfort and ease and beyond Earth's gravity with regularity.

Because of of his up close and personal view of the world of aviation, he is able to chronicle in fictional fashion the development of some of the most amazing inventions known to man and make it all understanable as well as readable and enjoyable.

This trilogy, I am sure, was a labor of love for the author and it is reflected in the final product. If aviation has been a part of your life, a casual interest or an abiding passion, these books are a must read.

Well done, sir!

While picking up the morning newspaper, I watched an airliner streaking directly overhead leaving a contrail from the southeast to the northwest. It probably covered about 45 miles in the 5 minutes I watched, marveling even today at such speed that was unimaginable 100 years ago. What kind of men were inspired to build such machines? Purchase a copy of Walter Boyne`s HYPERSONIC THUNDER and you`ll find out. The prolific Walt Boyne has written scores of excellent books and hundreds of journal articles. Boyne, a retired USAF Colonel with 5000 hours of flying experience, was inducted into the 2007 class of the National Aviation Hall of Fame and is a former director of the National Air and Space Museum. For a great article on Boyne`s favorite aircraft, read "The Dawn of Discipline-a B-47 Pilot Remembers," by the author in the July 2009 "AIR & SPACE Smithsonian magazine. Boyne is a consultant in many aviation related television productions. On top of all of that, Walt is a great guy!
This is the third and final historical novel covering 68 years in the development of jet propulsion as seen through the lives of the fictional Shannon family. The novel is incredibly entertaining as well as educational. The book begins with the release of the 120 American POWs from the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" in February of 1973 (Gen. Robbie Risner`s THE PASSING OF THE NIGHT offers much insight into those years) and ends in May 2007 with the testing of the Mach 8.0 Hypersonic Cruiser.
Boyne provides tremendous insight into the origins of stealth technology and the development of the intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance UAV`s so prominent in today`s combat arena. One gets the feeling that the author is presenting more actual history than fiction, and equally covers both military and commercial application of jet aircraft in the aviation industry. Not to be slighted is the fascinating and dramatic relationships of the Shannon and Rodriquez families, with interesting characters Steve O`Malley and Dennis Jenkins in the mix.
Begin with the first two books, ROARING THUNDER and SUPERSONIC THUNDER. You can start by putting yourself in the cockpit of Ernst Heinkel`s He178, sitting on top of von Ohain`s unproven, primitive jet engine in 1939. Ah,heck, if you love aviation topics, go back and read a bunch of Walter Boyne`s many books. They`re all great!

Through his fictional trilogy that began with rumblings of aviation's transition to the modern era, then progressed to the maturation of supersonic fighters in the second installment, and now concludes with the development of cutting-edge scramjets in this volume, Walter Boyne has succeeded in making the technology of flight not only accessible but utterly fascinating and loads of fun. Hypersonic Thunder is for both the technophobe who fears being intimidated by the wizardry that underlies futuristic platforms and the committed aerospace enthusiast who devours technicalities of new designs that promise to push the limits of the proverbial envelope. It is Colonel Boyne's mastery of the subject matter combined with the skill and charm of a wise old raconteur that make it possible for such diverse audiences to appreciate the book.

Through the device of an imaginary family immersed in the aeronautical world, the reader gets a behind-the-scenes tour of every aspect of the industry. Despite the very human foibles of the characters, some of whom are actual historical figures, the constancy of the protagonists' love of flight shines through to enable the succession of dramatic breakthroughs. In the end, the reader is doubly rewarded for this is entertainment and education blended into a high-octane formula ready to enter afterburner.

Colonel Boyne brings a unique perspective in that he has the insight that comes from flying 5,000 hours in such aircraft as Air Force bombers and the breadth of knowledge that comes with having presided over the National Air and Space Museum. In more than 50 aviation books he has brought his extraordinary talents to bear, elucidating some aspect of aviation history in each, and this book manages to keep his record unbroken. Hypersonic Thunder is a thrilling ride for anyone wanting a high-Mach adventure!

I thought I was going to enjoy this book, but was disappointed. I try to alternate between fiction and non-fiction to keep my feet in reality somewhat. Unfortunately there are good and weak writers in all genres, and when you walk up to a book and choose it by the jacket content, you are rolling the proverbial dice.

The factual content may be accurate, but the writing style of the author was comparable to something that Fabio would grace the cover of. Very sophomoric stylistically, with incredulous dialog that I dare anyone to imagine themselves saying out loud. The oversimplification of the ideologic content also turned me off, but I guess in the military world a "black and white" view of everything is endorsed. My world tends to have more shades of gray in it.

I just could not get past those deficiencies and even finish the book. After a couple of weeks of repeatedly picking this thing up, I gave up and let the library have it back. I am sure it is collecting more dust there.