Phantom Leader [Audio Cassette]

Mark Berent (Author)

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Adventures (1968)
• ASIN: B002757BGW
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,020,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lt Col Mark E. Berent, USAF (Ret), was born in Minneapolis, graduated from Cretin High School in St. Paul, and Arizona State University with a BSME.

Berent began his Air Force career as an enlisted man then pilot training at Columbus and Laredo. He served three combat tours, completing 452 combat sorties, first in the F-100 at Bien Hoa then the F-4 at Ubon. He spent two years in Cambodia flying things with propellers and, through a fluke, ran the air war for a few weeks.

He has logged over 4300 hours of flying time, 1084 of those in combat missions in the F-100, F-4, C-47 and U-10 over South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. He has flown 30 different aircraft.

His decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star, Air Medal with twenty-four oak leaf clusters, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Cambodian Divisional Medal, and numerous Vietnam Campaign ribbons. He also earned US Special Forces and Cambodian jump wings.

Since retirement, he established international operations for the sale of spares for combat aircraft; flew foreign aircraft such as the Swedish Viggen and RAF Jaguar and Hawk; wrote numerous articles for the Air Force Magazine; and was a pilot/reporter for the Asian Defense Journal. He wrote five Vietnam airwar novels (Rolling Thunder, see www.markberent.com). Recently flew his T-6 in airshows.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As real as it gets, September 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Phantom Leader (Paperback)

PHANTOM LEADER is the third in Berent's five book saga of fighting men in Vietnam. Berent's series gets better as this author gains experience and insight into the lives of his characters. This book is probably the first one in the series I would consider a "must read". The reason is the story of Major Algeron "Flak" Apple who is shot down in his F-4 fighter early in the book and is captured by the North Vietnamese. His story gives the reader a shocking look at life as a prisoner of war inside the Hao Lo prison, known more commonly as the "Hanoi Hilton". His story continues through the final two volumes. Berent agonizing portrayal of Apple's life of misery and torture inside the prison is dramatic and moving. The story also contains the continuing story of Court Bannister, an Air Force pilot that I believe Berent uses to tell his own story. Wolf Lochert also continues his battle as a US Army Special Forces Lt. Colonel. Berent writes with a similar style to Tom Clancy. This book is really five seperate stories that all intersect at one time or another. Berent's books are much easier to read and have more action than technical detail. The reader does, however, recieve enough explanation of military terms and acronyms to understand the sometimes complex language used by military persons. This books is a surperb action novel, but what makes it great is the amazing and horrifying look inside a prison camp of North Vietnam.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phantom Leader, September 22, 2010

By 

PH - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Phantom Leader (Mass Market Paperback)

Been waiting 20 years to get this book. It was never avaiable here in New Zealand.
All i can say is "wow" it was well worth the wait.
Mark Berent is truley a genious in his writting.

Best book i have read in 25 years.