Customer Reviews

On Yankee Station: The Naval Air War over Vietnam

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This book on the naval air war over Vietnam should be required reading not only for all military pilots, but for every military and civilian official who is involved in planning strategy, tactics, or military weapon procurement.
But don't get the idea it's a boring book; besides giving the reader a clear view of what happened in the air over Vietnam, the author makes his points in a very readable fashion, not by preaching but by simply pointing out what we did, and why we could have done so much better -- in the conduct of the war, in providing better (often SIMPLER) equipment, and in better training.
It's definitely worth obtaining from an out-of-print dealer or from your library. Even if you have no connection with the military, this will expand your understanding of that period in US history.

This work is a clear-headed, no holds barred look at the Vietnam air war from the naval perspective. Don't let its even tone fool you. It cuts to the bone and damns by simple observation, with no need for editorializing by the authors. It points up the facts, fictions, failures and achievements of the naval air war against North Vietnam in a quick, easy style, with superb organization and excellent supporting material in the appendices. Any student of the Vietnam air war who misses this title is not a serious person. It is required reading on the subject, and should be complemented by Marshal Michel's "Clashes" for the USAF side of the story.

In my search to learn more about the era and the war I almost joined, I've read a lot of book about the war in Vietnam, including many specifically about the air war, and the pilots who fought it. "On Yankee Station" stands out from the pack. It's not the usual "There I was at 20,000 feet.." memoir; this is a critical look at the global strategy and the local tactics of the Vietnam war told by someone who had a unique view from the cockpit. It's also a blistering critique of the men who sent them to Vietnam, and manuy of those who commanded them- men that the authors see as dangeous amateurs, incompetant in the art of war, who needlessly wasted lives with arbitary rules. Well worth reading.

This book avoids a lot of the moralizing and arm waving about the Vietnam Air War and the tactical and strategic failures that occurred. The most impressive thing is the laundry list of key elements of air superiority. It is clear, concise, unambiguous, without the usual stridency that I've seen in several other books. Get a copy of this book, it should be required reading for all aviation buffs and people interested in national security.

When John Nichols and Barrett Tillman produced this book from Naval Institute Press, their hope was that it would serve to prevent in the future some of the more egregious errors committed in the air war over North Vietnam. Our hope was realized when, at the end of Desert Storm, we heard from a Hornet squadron that they had taken several copies of OYS to combat as a "reality check" on tactics and rules of engagement. The squadron CO said that they brought all their jets back without a hole in any of them--we'd done our job! Waning interest in Vietnam generally has led to reduced sales, and Naval Institute informs us that it probably will declare the title out of print. Therefore, we want to let readers know that they should obtain copies while still available. Barrett Tillman and John B. Nichols

This remains one of the best books about the Vietnam War and the Air War in particular. I read this book again and again. All Naval Aviators (including us Marines) should have this book in their library. Find a copy before it becomes impossible to do so. I don't think I have read a more honest, focused and reasoned book about the war. Good combat descriptions, artfully done. Excellent comments about morale. And brutally accurate accounts relating to wartime leaders, and specific consequences of their folly.

I was LCDR meteorologist on USS Coral Sea during the same period as CDR Nichols. Through his book, I am able to understand many of the discrepancies in aerial warfare that I saw and did not understand at the time. I saved several to many pilots lives with my "not too optomistic" forecast during the "cratchin conditions" in the winters in Tonkin Gulf in 66 and 67. If I can locate CDR Nichols, I will personally shake his hand. I visited Vietnam, and Hanoi in 1995, and found absolutely no hostility, and found very little battle damage. After all, I briefed many Alfa strikes to Hanoi and I wanted to see what we had done, My daughter now lives in Hanoi and her husband is building a luxery hotel for western tourist and Japanese tourist. She lives on a Hanoi cul-de-sac and all the neighbors are very friendly and they share food, baby sitting and shopping sprees. Isn't it funny how the times change? I love it... Wildbill

I'm a F-8 enthusiast and I grew up after the Vietnam War, but I learned more about it from this book than I ever learned from anything in college or on film. This book was such a great read that I couldn't put it down, and when I went to work, I couldn't wait to get home so I could continue reading it. I finished it quickly and I have to say there were several stories in it that were described and pictured very vividly in my mind that stuck with me long after finishing this book.

Also, learning about the tactics and rules of engagement used by the US Navy in the Vietnam War and how the F-8's were specifically used and employed is priceless. The F-8 Crusader's history in this war is not as well known or as well covered in the media as the F-4 Phantom, and I'm so glad that CDR Nichols took the time to write this book before he passed away so it would never be lost. Thank you sir!

By the way, this book is in desperate need of a new edition. I bought the version currently being offered on Amazon which has the blue cover and it is a digital reprint from the collections of the University of Michigan Library. This book was originally published in 1987 and it is this version which has been completely digitized and is newly reprinted on demand when you order it. Therefore what you get is something that is new, but looks like it was made in the 80's.

Also, there are about 20 b&w photos in the middle of the book which are a little dark and fuzzy because of the digitization of this original edition and need to be cleaned up. With that being said, the content of the book is definitely worth owning and reading and I highly recommend it. I'm just glad that there is some version avaliable of this, but a new edition from the current holders of its publishing rights would be much appreciated.

Very good book! Should be read after you read "Clashes" so you can have an idea of Navy and Air force effort during the Vietnam War

In life when you have the means but lack the will to win(epitomized by your own government's actions) , you have a recipe for disaster,that's the message the author convey s in this excellent account of air war in Vietnam seen from the Carriers in the golf of Tonkin.