XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla [Perfect Paperback]

Jeannette Remak (Author), Joseph Ventolo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998

The incredible Valkyrie was envisioned as a long-range, high-altitude, triple-sonic bomber, capable of Mach 3 at 74,000 feet. Conceived during the Cold War, just two prototypes were ever completed. One crashed during flight testing, the other survives as a centerpiece exhibit at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. This is the inside story of the development, testing, and cancellation of the revolutionary XB-70 Valkyrie.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: MBI Publishing Co. (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760305552
• ISBN-13: 978-0760305553
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,797,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only history of the program, June 13, 2001

By 

Claudio Bompadre - See all my reviews

This review is from: XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla (Perfect Paperback)

The XB70 has been a great mistery for a long time. Its secrecy was largely due to the great leap in aeronautical science when the technological race between US and former CCCP was at its peak. Designed successor to B52, the XB70 has a troubled story from the start, its fortunes were forever sealed by McNamara's will to terminate the program. The book is about the history of political tribulations at all levels (USAF comands and interservice rivalry plus adverse lobbying in the Kennedy Administration and in the Congress, the last being not enough supportive). A respectable critical survey on program managment is given, providing a chronological description of machinations that overshadowed even the final experimental program.

Many details are covered but always from the historical point of view. The volume does not provide many technical facts and it still lacks a description of the airplane engine and systems, besides a precise perfomance summary is missing. The most important facet is the conversation record of the crash (XB70 ship AV002 and NF104 n°813). If the reader is looking for some Washington politics insight or behind the scene work, the narrative style is remarkable, but if he is looking for technicalities he has to wait for a new release or new bunch of declassified data.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For XB-70 Fans ..., February 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla (Perfect Paperback)

... A great book. Sometimes the authors' partisanship gets to be a bit over the top, but the book is full of interesting details, drawings, photos, and stories from cover to cover. Many of the XB-70 photos I had never seen before.

Chapter 6 which details the lose of the second test aircraft in a mindless photo-op is worth the price of the book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars XB-70 Valkyrie:The Ride to Valhalla, November 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla (Perfect Paperback)

This is a history, not a picture book. While photographic collections are important, they should be supplemented with meaningful history. That is what this book does. It gives previously unreported historical details, along with supporting photography. Other books can supply the additional photographic details. This book has heart. The authors have made sure that the real story is told, not just the official version. Wouldn't it have been nice if they'd been allowed to print everything they know?