Quoth the Raven [Hardcover]

Jim Roper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2002

Quoth the Raven is a no-nonsense memoir of wild missions flown in spotter planes over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1970 and in the secret war in Barrel Roll (northern Laos).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 357 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (October 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592862160
• ISBN-13: 978-1592862160
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,249,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read about what really went on in Laos, February 25, 2003

By 

DON FULTON (VACAVILLE, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quoth the Raven (Hardcover)

Jim Roper has done a wonderful job of getting out some of the incredible stories of missions flown by our pilots in the secret war in Laos. Having flown those missions myself as a Covey FAC, 1968-69, I can vouch for the authenticity of his book. I for one highly recommend his book.
A fellow Covey FAC and former Raven, Larry Ratts, sent me the paperback copy and I,m now ordering the hardcover version for my library.
Thanks Jim for writing the book and Larry for the gift of the book
Don Fulton / Covey 538

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brave Men--Secret War, October 11, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Quoth the Raven (Hardcover)

This effort by Jim Roper is one of those rare books that tells a story of such compelling interest that one is captivated from the first word. The battle the US waged against the Communists in Laos is still one of America's "Forgotten Wars" and what Jim does is give the war definition and reveals its human demension. The flying narrative is absolutely riveting--having personally flown with both Walt and Pterodactyl FACS in 0-1E Bird Dogs along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, I was instantly transported back in time some 35 years to those terror filled moments among hours of tedium...this book is FOR REAL!!! Jim does not sugar coat anything, relating the horrors of fellow FACS dying in a number of shoot downs and accidents with grim reality. His struggles with higher ups removed both physically and mentally from the harsh truths faced by the FACS at the point of the spear make for both entertaining and ultimately frustrating reading--as the reader shares the author's angst with stupidity and lack of zeal to successfully accomplish the mission by his superiors. He gives a great look at how these mostly unknown and underappreciated warriors battled austere conditions, with humor and alcohol as their primary weapons while on the ground, and bravery and determination while in the air. This book is a great read and also an excellent primer on the plight of Laos during the US presence in South East Asia.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For Military Aviation Enthusiasts, February 25, 2005

By 

Steven N. Babcock (Beavercreek, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quoth the Raven (Paperback)

This is a fantastic book about an Air Force pilot's tour of duty as a Forward Air Controller in Vietnam and Laos. It's one of the best personal accounts I've read about the air war in Southeast Asia. The author's writing style puts you right in the cockpit of the propeller driven O-1 and O-2 aircraft on dangerous missions over the Ho Chi Minh trail and against PAVN and Pathet Lao troops in other parts of Laos. It's amazing that these small aircraft were flown at low level in the vicinity of small arms and anti aircraft guns. If you've ever flown a small Cessna or Piper you can appreciate a lot of the author's descriptions of what it was like to fly these aircraft. I also enjoyed the author's descriptions of what the pilots did on their off-duty time. They worked hard and played hard also. The title of the book might be a little misleading as less than half of it deals with his time as a Raven but overall it's a great book and I had a wonderful time reading it.