Customer Reviews

Pak Six: A True Story

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One day while surfing the net for the sequel to Jack Broughton's "Thud Ridge" I stumbled upon Geno Basel's "Pak Six" site. The cover art and reviews were captivating and I quickly ordered a copy. The day it came in the mail I sat down to read it and quickly abandoned everything I was doing to read it. It is truly one of the most underrated works about war in general and Vietnam in particular, ever written, and with respect to Colonel Broughton, found it superior to "Thud Ridge."

Geno has written a book that has genuine EMOTION. The man is not merely an author, he is a poet. One cannot help but be caught up in what he describes with an effortless eloquence I find truly amazing (his sequel "The River Rat" is even better). Most importantly, Basel's novel is one that is transcendent, i.e., even people with zero interest in (or zero knowledge of) flying, war stories, etc., will instantly be hooked by the words printed on the page. My wife, for example, is not from an aviation or military background, yet she had tears in her eyes many times--some sad some joyful--while reading this story. It is this ability to reach out beyond the "regular readership" without alienating it that sets Geno's book apart.

Buy a copy for yourself and then buy one for a friend. It is well worth the effort! Bravo, Gene!

The war in the air over North Vietnam, "Up North," as we called it, had it's own peculiar flavor, mostly bitter, balanced with a grim satisfaction in doing the difficult, dangerous, and all-too-often useless well and an active sense of humor. Pak Six captures that flavor better than any other book, in or out of print. Only Tom Wolfe's "Jousting with SAM and Charlie," in Mauve Gloves and Madmen, Clutter and Vine, is in the same league.

G.I. Basel flew F-105s, "Thuds" as they were called, in the Rolling Thunder campaign, going into the heart of the most intense and sophisticated anti-aircraft defense system ever, experiencing the good, the bad and the ugly to survive being shot down on his 88th "counter." G.I. tells it like it was, from early concerns that the war would be over before we could get into it, to disillusionment over the way in which it was waged -- the targets worth hitting were off limits -- and final thoughts on what it was all worth.

This isn't fiction, though to those who weren't there it may seem like it in places; it's a straightforward, no BS narrative that will keep you riveted until you're finished. I wasn't a Thud driver, but I was in Southeast Asia at about the same time flying up north in Jolly Greens (long range rescue helicopters), and this book passes the authenticity check with flying colors.

Pak Six was the first book I ever read about the trials and tribulations of our air warriors over the skies of Vietnam. A superbly writen book of the real facts these pilots faced in what must have been a totally frustrating ordeal. They wanted to do their job.. only they were not permitted to do that by every level of overmanagement, restrictive rules of engagement and a command system of "Bomber Generals" that did not understand their tactics nor did they have any use for them, which succeeded tying their hands behind their backs. A must read for anyone who wants to know what it was like up there. You will gasp, laugh and perhaps even shed a tear. One of the best books ever written on the Air War in Vietnam

Captain Basel tells the story of flying and fighing in Vietnam. Not a book about his personal glories . Just the facts about how he and the other pilots were forced to fight without ever being allowed to win. I first read this book after reading an excerpt about his raid on the Canal Di Rapides bridge and I knew I had to read this book. He writes of many aspects of his tour and several humorous detours and some of just plain sadness when a friend dies and makes you realize that we simply wasted their efforts in Vietnam. Gives you a glimpse of what they could have accomplished had they not been shackled with the stupid rules that McNamara and Johnson created for them. You will not be able t put this book down. Also read Thud RIdge and Going Downtown by Col. Jack Broughton for addition enlightment.

The typos and odd layout of this book reinforce its authenticity as a combat pilot's unadorned effort to retell his experiences and offer some insight into the mind of a fast mover - from tactics to politics. Its straightforward delivery makes for an accessible and gripping account of the arduous work of flying the Thud downtown. Avoiding false heroism and false virtue, this slim volume has much to say about combat over North Vietnam, the men engaged, and their effort to focus on their mission despite the loss of comrades, poor military leadership, and no political direction or support. A valuable contribution to any library about combat avaition in Southeast Asia.

Forget Tom Cruise and "Top Gun"! - This book gives the real inside story of what it is like to fly and fight in jet combat! It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck! My father flew and roomed with GI Basel - and personally confirmed that this is the true story of what happened over North Vietnam 35 years ago!

As others have pointed out, Pak Six is a short book compared to most combat memoirs, and has an unusual layout, but it nonetheless is one of the most intense and powerful air combat memoirs I've read in a long time; the raw emotional impact the book conveys was stunning.

Basel definitely has a way with words; even his descriptions of more mundane events are told in a way that captivates the reader. His accounts of air combat in the F-105 flying against the most devastating air defences ever assembled, fighting his way through SAMs, AAA and MiGs are some of the best I've read, and truly do make the reader feel they are right there in the cockpit.

Well worth the read.

This is a small book in volume, but a really big thing if you can read between the lines. The author will never win the pulitzer prize (sorry G.I.) but reading it you will feel, live and suffer the things the author lived long ago.

Read it, understand it and feel it.....it's really worth the time you spend on it! (And DO NOT MISS THE SEQUEL: THE RIVER RAT by G.I. Basel!!!!!)

The only negative I have on this book is the horrible typesetting and editing; its horsey type and amateurish layout looks like it was ditto-copied from a bad PC manuscript, and the book is riddled with spelling errors and malapropisms. This one could definitely use a reprint and graphic upgrade.

On the other hand, the story is excellent, giving the reader lots of action, and a good insight into the frustrations, fears and challenges the Vietnam pilots must've felt.

A quick, brisk read, laced liberally with the "you are there" details that grognards crave.

I read this book originally because the author is a personal friend of mine, became a friend before I knew he was an author. After procuring a copy from him I started the book about 2100 and lost a little sleep because of the spellbinding nature of the book and the narrative itself, I wasn't able to put the book down until completed. Be ready to read it all when you start. He has a sequel, "River Rat" which is a story of what happened afterwards.