Customer Reviews

Like Rolling Thunder: The Air War in Vietnam, 1964-1975 (Vietnam: America in the War Years)

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Author Frankum has done a very credible job of explaining the development of the air war during the protracted Vietnam War. He has quite appropriately limited his text to the application of airpower into six mission areas, each distinct yet related to the others. He follows a generally chronological progression in the narrative which leads the reader on a natural course. For anyone who is not familiar with the escalation of US involvement in Southeast Asia, this book will provide one of the better overviews of both the strategic and tactical arenas, from humble beginning of small training and advisory cadres, building to massive air forces and missions covering the entire spectrum of airpower. This book is not so much entertaining as it is informative, but in this application it is one of the better books of this sort. While the author makes no attempt to give a comprehensive view of the broader diplomatic and international impacts and implications of America's war in Vietnam, he provides sufficient insight to allow the reader to generally understand how other events evolve relative to air power. The text contains very good maps, giving the reader more than the usual detail as to the locations of air operations. He includes excellent additives in the form of explanations of acronyms and abbreviations, brief descriptions of virtually all aircraft involved in the war and a particularly complete Bibliographical Essay, from which the historically determined reader will find really good complimentary readings. Some minor editorial lapses will distract the expert readers, particularly the misidentifying of aircraft and their capabilities; however, the overall quality of supportive data is excellent and gives sufficient detail to validate the text. The relative neophyte to this chapter of American warfare will find this book very useful and it is recommended to those so inclined.

I have a special bias for this book. I am the one flying this airplane that is on the cover of the book!
If you are a history buff with a special interest in aviation, this is a very important book for your library.
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