Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War [Hardcover]

Ed Rasimus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

Palace Cobra picks up where Ed Rasimus's critically acclaimed When Thunder Rolled left off. Now he's flying the F-4 Phantom and the attitude is still there.
In the waning days of the Vietnam War, Rasimus and his fellow pilots were determined that they were not going be the last to die in a conflict their country had abandoned. They were young fighter pilots fresh from training and experienced aviators who came back to the war again and again, not for patriotism, but for the adrenaline rush of combat. From the bathhouses and barrooms to the prison camps of North Vietnam, this is a gripping combat memoir by a veteran fighter pilot who experienced it all.
The wry cynicism of a combat aviator will give readers insights into the Vietnam experience that haven't been available before, and the heart-stopping action will keep readers turning the pages all night.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is brilliant writing that could be done only by an intelligent pilot who was there in the thick of combat and has since spent considerable time reflecting on the meaning of war, patriotism, and comradeship. A superb story and another triumph by Ed Rasimus."
---Walter J. Boyne, author of Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why
 
"The American taxpayer got double value from Ed Rasimus. He volunteered for combat in 1968 and again in 1972 (the subject of this wonderful book). Now, in retirement, he joins Saint-Ex and Ernie Gann as a masterful spinner of books about flying and survival."
---Daniel Ford, author of Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and the American
Volunteer Group
 
"Ed Rasimus is the real thing, a fighter jock who saw his war from the cockpits of both primary fighting aircraft that flew the hairy missions over Hanoi, the Thunderchief and the Phantom. Ed is one of those unique air warriors who are both hero and author---and he's damned good at both endeavors."
---Tom "Bear" Wilson, author of Termite Hill
 
"Put on your G suit and helmet as Ed Rasimus once again takes you into white-knuckle, SAM-dodging combat. . . . Rasimus takes you behind the scenes into the myriad of details of a combat fighter pilot's Vietnam air-war tour of duty, on and off base. Further, he sums up those air warrior days as those when patriotism was a virtue and courage expected."
---Mark Berent, author of the Rolling Thunder series
 
"This book by American fighter pilot Ed Rasimus is not another 'And there I was' story. To those of us who were there, it sweeps back vivid memories, bringing the past into sharp focus and evoking a deep sense of brotherhood for those with whom we worked and fought. For the history buffs, this is as real as it gets without your having been there. For the citizen who has the slightest bit of interest in that faraway place and time, read, think, and be proud and grateful that your nation produces men like these."
---Robin Olds, Brigadier General (Ret.), USAF

From the Back Cover

Picking up where his acclaimed When Thunder Rolled left off, Palace Cobra is the story of Ed Rasimus's return to Vietnam to fight a war that many Americans tried to forget…
 
 "RASIMUS IS THE REAL THING."?Tom "Bear" Wilson, author of Termite Hill

When F-105 pilot Ed Rasimus completed his 100 missions over Vietnam, he returned stateside to a normal life: sitting at a desk and teaching student pilots. Two years later, he volunteered to go for a second tour of duty. Determined not to die in a losing cause, and relentlessly searching for that next adrenaline rush, Rasimus and the other F-4 Phantom pilots continued the ferocious air war in the North--dodging SAMs and gunning for MiGs--and routinely cheated death.
 
"BRILLIANT WRITING THAT COULD ONLY BE DONE BY AN INTELLIGENT PILOT WHO WAS THERE."--Walter Boyne, author of Operation Iraqi Freedom

When America finally got serious about ending the war, Rasimus and the other pilots put it all on the line, pounding Hanoi with everything they had, and flying above POW camps to let the troops know they were not alone. Gripping, earnest, and unforgettable, Rasimus's combat memoir is, in the end, a heartfelt tribute to those who never made it back.
 
"READ, THINK, AND BE PROUD AND GRATEFUL THAT YOUR NATION PRODUCES MEN LIKE THESE."--Robin Olds, Brigadier General (Ret.), USAF

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312353561
• ISBN-13: 978-0312353568
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #705,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEYOND "WHEN THUNDER ROLLED", THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE AIR WAR, UP NORTH!, April 15, 2006

By 

RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War (Hardcover)

Five "Sierra Hotel" Stars! My first Vietnam air war book and it's AWESOME! "Palace Cobra"'s just chock full of information and surprises in the strategic and tactical conduct of the later stages of the Vietnam air war. This book completes the final piece of the Vietnam air war with F-4 Phantom fighter jets coming to the fore, 'bookending' the author's other book, "When Thunder Rolled" which focused on early phase of the war with F105's. It tells what was happening in that 'other hellish component of the war', in the air, up north!

"Mass" is an important component of the Principles of War and the opening chapter describes how the air war achieved Mass, with wave after wave of fuel tankers and their designated jets refueling simultaneously, then massing, and launching in attack groups towards North Vietnam and certain danger. Cobras unleashed from the palace, as it were. But the truth is "Palace Cobra" was really an Air Force personnel management program which basically 'recycled' the battle weary to the bottom of the list, with the 'newbies' who were just joining the fight, ensuring fresh, enthusiastic pilots were always available.

This is often edge-of-your-seat reading. The map of Vietnam is very detailed with regard to cities in South Vietnam, but North Vietnam has only ONE location: Hanoi. 'Linebacker' operations are fascinating and very dangerous: before the bombers could hit the targets, there were surface-to-air missile (SAM) hunter-killer teams; then laser illuminator planes in constant danger while painting the bombing targets; then chaffers, dropping radar-confusing foil pieces: forced to fly straight in order to open lanes for bombers; and finally Mig-fighters, fending off...Migs' in a dangerous choreography of death-dealing and death-avoidance. As Rasimus describes it, the air war up north was not really able to utilize the Principle of War of "Surprise" and that alone guaranteed their repeated air attacks would resemble something like flying through the 10th level of Hell.

But it's also very detailed and technical: giving the inner workings of the preparation and training for the air war in and out of CONUS. Backseaters. POW camps, with bombing runs and Mig/F4 dog fights unknowlingly taking place directly above them. Shot up jets landing with one functional engine, literally flying sideways to safety. Even a little R&R in Thailand ending with a rendevous with a mysterious lady. His dichotomy of 'warriors versus careerists', upon reconsideration, is spot on. One thing is for sure, near the end of the war, the pilots knew the US wasn't in it to win, but that didn't dissuade them from giving 110% at all times. The Linebacker I and II players that didn't make it back are in a tribute listing at the end and the glossary is really helpful for us neophytes. A thoroughly detailed "must-read" that belongs on the shelf of any comprehensive military war book collection!! Thanks, Ed. Five HUGE Stars!!

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phantoms Over Hanoi, May 16, 2006

By 

Lawrence R. Mayes (Rapid City, SD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War (Hardcover)

If you choose to only read one book about the air war in Vietnam, this is the one to pick. Author Rasimus has penned a superb treatise on the complexities of air combat, while at the same time carefully and coherently exposing the many flaws in strategy and tactics which led to our ultimate failure to overcome the North Vietnamese. What makes Ed Rasimus so unique among the hundreds of aviators who have written about their experiences is that he flew over 100 missions in from Korat, Thailand, in F-105s in 1966 during the worst days of Rolling Thunder, when his wing lost over 100 planes in the first 6 months, and then returned to Korat for a tour in F-4 Phantoms in 1972. The Phantom tour encompassed Linebacker I and II and, because of his prior tour and experience over North Vietnam, he soon found himself going back "down town" during some of the most intense raids of the war. The reader will be entranced by the harsh realities of high speed air combat in large smoking Phantoms as they battle SAMs, AAA, Migs and confusing and dynamic circumstances, sometimes enhanced by bad planning and inadequate coordination among aircrews and leaders. The author makes the Phantom come alive, with accurate descriptions of the plane and how it fit into the bigger air combat picture. He gives the unique perspective of how the air war had changed in his 6 years between tours, and, disturbingly, how it often hadn't changed-his angst with how the strategic situation had stagnated and his slow but certain realization that the war was not going to be won give the reader pause to consider; what kind of men would serve so bravely when the negative outcome was certain?? Ed Rasimus gives the answers and in the process tells a compelling story of professionalism and sacrifice. This book is an absolute "must read" by all those interested in air combat and the Vietnam air war.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what it was like!, April 8, 2006

By 

Foxone "Guillermo" (Okinawa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War (Hardcover)

In Palace Cobra, Ed Rasimus takes you back to the days of sweaty cockpits and cold beers, raw fear and the jagged edge of courage. You want to know what Vietnam was like for fighter pilots? Read this book and it's earlier companion, When Thunder Rolled. Thunder was about the F-105 part of the war, the early years. Palace Cobra picks up when the F-4s Phantoms took over the bulk of the combat sorties and concludes in the all out push of the days of Christmas when the U.S. Air Force brought North Vietnam to its knees. Ed was there. Ed lived it. The power of his prose lets you feel the kick of the afterburner, smell the JP-4, wrestle with sweat in your eyes in a 5 G turn and catch the thump of 500 pounders dropping off your wings. Ed captures the frenzy of combat, the heart racing terror and thrill of Migs and SAMS, battle damage and comraderie.

F-4s introduced something new for fighter pilots, a two man crew. Ed captures that also, the adjustments, the pros and the stumbling blocks.

Few other writers have ever approached this level of intensity and touched the raw personality of the air war. You don't want to miss this book.