The Warbirds [Hardcover]

Richard Herman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1989

When Libya attempts to shoot down a transport plane on a mercy mission, American F4 Phantoms destroy a Libyan MiG. This is the trigger for an international crisis that seems likely to set the world on course for war. The Air Force's chief-of-staff General Cunningham prepares his men for battle.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though the initial chapters are devoid of tension, and much of the plotting is inept, once this military thriller gets under way, first novelist Herman leaves no doubt that he knows fighter-flying. Egypt-based U.S. fighters destroy a Libyan MIG that fires at a U.S. cargo plane, and the MIG's dead pilot is identified as Soviet. The Egyptians are upset for reasons never made clear to the reader, but as a result of the incident, the 45th Wing relocates in England. While there, ace flyer Jack Locke faces court-martial for a harmless indiscretion about which the author offers only murky clues, and leader "Muddy" Waters is harassed by Washington brass about the Egyptian debacle. But events unfold in the Persian Gulf, with Iranians threatening Arab oil fields, and a taut adventure finally springs to life. Grueling sorties and heroism rule the narrative as the ace and the leader redeem themselves. The Warbirds stalls and stumbles on the runway, but its depiction of modern air war is up to the best of them. 100,000 copy first printing; $100,000 ad/promo; paperback rights to Avon; Literary Guild and Military Book Club selections; author tour.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

There's plenty of ACT (air combat tactics/dogfighting) action in this new adventure yarn in the Top Gun tradition. The plot tracks the fortunes of brash young pilot Jack Locke and his friends and commanders as they train using the F-4E Phantom fighter-bomber in Egypt and England. When the Iranian Communist Party (Tudeh) tries to exploit the death of the Ayatollah Khomeini and calls for Russian assistance, Locke's wing, commanded by ex-pilot General "Muddy" Waters is rapidly deployed to Saudi Arabia to help stabilize the situation. A predictably explosive climax ends this novel of contemporary air war in the Persian Gulf. The book will appeal more to readers who relish the jargon and authentic detail of Air Force life than to those who read for story. Purchase accordingly. Literary Guild and Military Book Club selections.
- William C. McCully, Park Ridge P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (November 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340510781
• ISBN-13: 978-0340510780
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,707,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A leader in the genre, July 7, 2003

By 

Thomas Veil "thomasveil" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warbirds (Mass Market Paperback)

The Warbirds, which I recently revisited, holds up pretty well over time. Parts of it are obviously dated - the use of F-4s in a frontline combat role, and of course the Soviet Union and the proximity of the events in the book to the Iran-Iraq war. But, if you're reading this review, these probably aren't things to worry about.

The Warbirds is at its best as the story of a combat unit in the post-Vietnam military struggling to prepare for war, as a portrait of a unit under wartime conditions, and as a study of leadership. As a whole, it remains an excellent novel.

The novel begins with the 45th Air Wing posted to Egypt, where the first segment of the book begins. As storm clouds gather in the Persian Gulf, and following a clash with Libyan plans, the unit is reposted to RAF Stonewood for training purposes, under its talented new leader "Muddy" Waters. The last third of the book covers its posting to the Persian Gulf to oppose an Iranian campaign to overrun the oilfields.

Richard Herman has a real talent in populating his novels with distinctive and memorable characters. The Warbirds establishes the core group of the early Herman novels, in particular: Anthony "Muddy" Waters, Jack Locke, James "Thunder" Bryant, Doc Landis, Rupert Stansell and Ambler Furry. Herman defines his characters by their actions. The resulting is a set of interesting and likable individuals.

Perhaps by virtue of his own Air Force experience, Herman's depiction of the service is frank. Particular emphasis is paid to the necessity of adaptation under training and combat conditions. Bureaucracy takes its toll on the characters, and the hero, Muddy Waters, is forced to repeatedly defend both his men and his command from rivals in the Air Force.

The last third of the book contains some very well rendered depictions of combat. The 45th is steadily attritted by combat against an Iranian army, and, in the final section of the book, forced to fight for its life against an amphibious attack. The losses it suffers are made vivid by the author's willingness to sacrifice likable characters (something lacking in other genre authors).

Good characterization, tense action and (amateur editorial review above to the contrary) solid plotting make The Warbirds an early classic of the military genre and a great first novel for Richard Herman. By all means read this and then Force of Eagles, which is its immediate sequel.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, December 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Warbirds (Mass Market Paperback)

Definetly one of the best thrillers I've come across in a long time. "The Warbirds" doesn't neccessarily have all kinds of high-tech weapons and aircraft you see in other fine thrillers, but instead Herman focuses on the development of the characters themselves, and includes one action-filled scene after another, with vivid flying sequences involving everything from tense training emergencies to all-out war. The fact that Herman flew F-4s in combat lends a large degree of credibility to his descriptions of aircraft, weapons, and the people who fly them. A top-notch thriller from start to finish!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best!!!!!!!!!!!, August 12, 2004

By 

J. R Simpson (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warbirds (Mass Market Paperback)

This has to be one of the best books ever. From the moment I started reading it, I could not put it down. I have read it atleast 3 times over the past 15 years. Loaned it to a friend and he got mad at me because he lost a lot of sleep. He finished it the first night. The second book Force of Eagles is just about as good as this one.