Punk's Fight [Paperback]

Ward Carroll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

Former fighter pilot Ward Carroll packs enough action and honesty to satisfy readers, critics, and Navy veterans alike.

On a mission over Central Afghanistan, Punk is hit-and taken captive. After he escapes, the challenge isn't over. Because now Punk must navigate through the war-torn country to face a world of resistance fighters, warlords, CIA undercover ops, and corrupt officers on both sides of the fray...

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Signet (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451211499
• ISBN-13: 978-0451211491
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,254,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another hit by Carroll- step aside, Coonts, March 14, 2004

By 

Chris O'Connor (Pensacola, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Punk's Fight (Paperback)

"Punk's Fight" the third installment in a series about an F-14 fighter pilot, is quite possibly the best. The whole series is consistent in that it describes life in an F-14 squadron like you were there... but this book takes it to another level.
It begins where "Punk's Wing" left off... during Operation Enduring Freedom, when the main characters were carrying out strike missions over Afghanistan... and the first section of the book carries on with this narrative. This part, the most similar to the previous novels, describes the personal conflicts within the air wing (an antagonist from the first novel returns), the practical jokes that aviators carry out on each other and the mixed feelings that fighting a "video game war" causes.
When Punk gets shot down, this all changes. What follows is Harold Coyle one better, an odyssey through war-torn Afghanistan, where Punk meets CIA agents, warlords, and special operations troops, all characters that leap off the pages and were probably based off real people that Carroll met.
The life of Punk is wrought from Carroll's experience- he was an F-14 RIO- but the gross majority of the book truly expresses his talent in that it is a product of research on his behalf and is still so realistic. He describes the sights, sounds, and (yes) smells of life in Afghanistan like he was there. And that is just a few reasons why this is one of the greatest thrillers written... and I have read quite a few.
Coonts has moved on to action-style thrillers... Carroll has more than replaced him as the definitive author of aviation thrillers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Punk's Fight, December 2, 2004

By 

Mitchell Corbin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Punk's Fight (Paperback)

The last book in the "Punk" series, Punk's Fight takes place during the early days of warfare in Afghanistan. This book takes a larger stretch from reality than the previous two, as numerous deus ex machina events, such as both the Skipper and CAG perishing after a bad cat shot, Punk and Spud shooting down their own aircraft due to a fusing difficulty with a bomb, and Punk spending days on end integrated into a Special Forces team on the ground in Afghanistan drive the plot. Spud has now had to eject 4 times, and has been serving in the Navy continiously from the Vietnam War(according to Punk's War) to the present day. If I were him, I would first stop flying with Punk, and then retire, as I would now have at least 30 years in.
Despite any types of plot stretches, the book is still great, because of the basic honesty in its depiction of its main character, Punk, all of the supporting characters, and its presentation of the Navy and its lifestyle. This is the thread of truth that runs through all of these books, and keeps them believable and completely engaging, despite anything else. Despite the dubious circumstances of his recieving it, one of the best moments in the book was Punk's letter from "the boys in the ready room" while he was on the ground in Afghanistan.
Overall, this is an amazing book well worth checking out, and one which always seems completely realistic, despite any stretches in the plot.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Punk, a real hero, July 8, 2004

By 

E. Tavares "Turk" (Lexington Park, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Punk's Fight (Paperback)

Mr. Carroll has the unique ability to merge today's headlines with believable fiction to create a compelling story. This book takes Punk into every aviator's worst nightmare: on the ground in the middle of a shooting war. As he struggles to keep up with the Special Ops Grunts, he realizes that the true heroes in modern war are not the "Glam-Rock" aviators with their Ray-Ban shades and cocky, presumed invincibility. He is humbled (as we all should be) by the selfless dedication and bravery of the troops on the ground. Bravo!