Customer Reviews

Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War

5 star:		(18)
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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!!

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.

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.

This book is an excellent story told by Ed Rasimus about his second tour in air combat in Vietnam. If you have not read his first book, When Thunder Rolled, you better get it! Not because you need to read it before this book (although it gives you some history leading up to this book), but because it is also a great read.

Mr. Rasimus tells the story of his tour as an F-4 pilot during the last part of the war in Vietnam. He tells it from a personal point of view and really gets the reader involved in what he was going through at the time. If you are looking for a in depth book about the F-4 Phantom, this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a in depth book about a pilot's experiences during Vietnam, this is a must have!

Overall, I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed!

A really well written account of what it was like to fly and fight the air war over Vietnam in the waning days of the campaign against North Vietnam. (Operations Linebacker and Linebacker II) It is particularly interesting when compared to the authors first book "When Thunder Rolled", which told the story of the tough mission of flying F-105s into the teeth of the toughest air defenses in history. Palace Cobra shows how our tactics and technology got better, but our stategy did not improve until late 1972. Both books should be a "must read" for those who are interested in the experiences of a fighter pilot over Vietnam.

After writing the superlative "When Thunder Rolled" about his early F-105 tour in Vietnam, Ed Rasimus, one of the most literary of all pilot-authors, turns his attention to his second tour flying F-4's. The result is "Palace Cobra" and it is another masterwork of first-person combat narrative plucked from the skies of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although I prefer "When Thunder Rolled" (mainly due to my affection for the F-105, an affection Rasimus shares), this still needs to be high on the reading list of anyone interested in the air war in Southeast Asia.

"Palace Cobra" is good at differentiating changes that occurred in the six or so years between his two combat tours. The war became more managed, and Rasimus makes the case passionately for the warrior class to be in charge of combat operations rather than the careerist administrators that so often were. In the conclusion he summarizes the lessons that were learned (at least partially) by the military in the wake of the Vietnam debacle, and thoroughly discredits Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara's idiotic "gradualization" and managerial policies that eventually allowed the ultimate North Vietnamese subjugation of the nominally less corrupt south. This book is somewhat more personality-driven than "When Thunder Rolled" and talks more about off-duty exploits as well. Some of this information is interesting, and all of it is very unvarnished. To be candid, I would have preferred fewer unseemly details of the Thai nightlife, and more of tactical operations, but that's nitpicking a heartfelt and honest book.

Rasimus is a very intelligent man, and frequently presents relevant quotations as introductions or summaries of important concepts. The quotes vary from well known to obscure, but they all are perfect enhancements to his own words and artistically set the tone for what follows. My favorite two are likewise representative of the obscure and the well known:

"The aircraft G-limits are only there in case there is another flight by that particular airplane. If subsequent flights do not appear likely, there are no G-limits." -Frank Chubba, fighter pilot

"War is an ugly thing, but it is not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by better men than himself." -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

There is no wonder why Ed Rasimus chose that quote to begin the book's final chapter.

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.

Once again the author goes into combat above North Vietnam. This time in an F-4 Phantom. Although the plot is similar to his earlier book, "When Thunder Rolled", this one's different enough not to feel like a warmed-over rehash. The only thing the same is his fantastic ability to "tell it like it is". Chronologicaly, the events described came after his other book but you need not have read it to enjoy this. Along with Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" this has to be one of my favorites. You come away from it with a much better understanding of the complexities of the war from a strategic as well as tactical view. The mundane day-to-day stuff balanced with the terror they must have felt flying over the most heavily defended airspace known to man. The aircrews involved did a great job in spite of the adversities and this book tells one brave pilot's story superbly!

ED RASIMUS WAS IN A GOOD POSITION TO DOCUMENT THE CHANGES IN ATTITUDE,TACTICS AND OPPOSITION LEVELS ENCOUNTERED IN 1966 AND THOSE IN 1972.IT IS A COLORFULL ,HONEST WITH NO PUNCHES PULLED BOOK.HE TAKES YOU ALONG IN THE COCKPIT WHERE YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE AND FEEL WHAT HE WENT THROUGH.WELL WRITTEN AND THOUROUGHLY ENJOYABLE BOOK !

Excellent fighter pilot's first person account of his second combat tour in South East Asia, flying bombing missions (mostly Wild Weasel, attacking Surface-to-Air Missile sites) in North Vietnam. Read Ed Rasimus' first book, "When Thunder Rolled," first.

Rasimus returns to Vietnam for a second tour after transitioning to F-4's. We are indebted to Rasimus for his courage and his intellect. The book is superb.

The book covers the air war from the height of air war against North Vietnam and the massive B-52 raids to the dog days near the end of the war when the REMF's came to get their tickets punched. Rasimus captures it all, from the sweaty, terror filled minutes of endless Sam killing missions deep over North Vietnam to the days near the end of the war when US planes did not venture into North Vietnam. The friendly skies of South Vietnam brought out those who had avoided the air war in various Pentagon burrows to get their 201 files filled with combat flying. Rasimus sorts out the good guys like Robin Olds from the slackers with a sharp knife.

What differentiates this book from many other fine books is Rasimus' intellect and writing skills . Highly recommended.