Customer Reviews

The Warthog and the Close Air Support Debate

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Finally--somebody told the real story of the Warthog. I've flown over 3000-plus hours in the A-10, written scholarly articles about the "Hog" and close air support (CAS), instructed and commanded in the A-10. I had read all the previous books on the subject, and thought I pretty much knew it all. I was wrong.

This book not only provides THE gold-standard history of the A-10; it treads previously unplowed ground by using that story to explain the Air Force's constant love-hate struggle with the "CAS" mission itself. If you are simply a model buff, or airplane "eye candy" buff, this book is not for you. However, if you want to read the definitive scholarly work that reveals the complete story of the A-10's origins and operational history, as well as comprehend the broader doctrinal, and inter-service fault lines which the close air support mission--and the Warthog--straddles, this is your book.

It is the first book I've seen that accurately and completely conveys that story. Campbell's book rigorously mines Air Force, Army, contractor, Department of Defense, and legislative records to tell the real story of how this airplane came about (a "shotgun wedding" if there ever was one), and how it has prevailed over time like a cat with nine lives. In so doing, he brilliantly uses the story of the A-10 to articulate the true essence of CAS, and the Air Force's genetically-coded dilemas in dealing with it.

I believe Campbell's work fills a critical historical void. Simply put, if you want to understand the "psyche" of CAS in the Air Force, and the A-10's role in that saga, read this book. It should become a must-read at every military staff college, and for every official charged with equipping our military to provide close air support in the future.

Campbell's review of the A-10 Warthog's history is an excellent academic examination of the political and bureaucratic processes involved in the development of both military doctrine and the weaponry to support the doctrine. This is not a history of the A-10 in combat, and anyone searching for war stories will be disappointed. This is the definitive work on the development of a modern Close Air Support (CAS) weapon for the Air Force and the CAS doctrine. The reader seeking an understanding of the political infighting, inter-service rivalries, the procurement process and the difficulties of weapons development associated with the military-industrial complex will be deeply satisfied.

Every Marine aviator and infantry officer should read this book. While focused on the A-10,it describes how the United States has become the world's leader in close air support. No one before Dr. Campbell has ever done such a complete history on this subject.

I understand those who are skeptical to stamp collectors of loose aviation facts, but there has to be a middle ground. Except from some few tens of pages about the early history of the CAS role early in the page, on turned into a long, tedious recount about the Army's struggle with the Air Force, to get a well suited aircraft for the CAS role. There is almost nothing about the choices and thought processes behind the development of this (or these) aircrafts. Not with the development of the tactics. And not with any change in the psychology and attitude with regards to flying this "ugly", subsonic aircraft.
Despite enticing chapter titles, it's just a procurement story. And most of all the political side of it.

I was a bit dispointed by this book, i'm a big aviation BUFF and read a lot of books and knew for the most part the devloppement of close air support and the A10. here you've got an intersetsing summary but not that much details on the A10 (ex : all the CAS techniques involved in USING this plane !)
One last point for aviation experts is the uge list of references used in the process (more than 1/3 of the book!) i was really dispointed by that (but in fact it can act as a reference for further research on AMAZON !)