Barrett Tillman Books In Order

Harold Coyle’s Strategic Solutions, Inc Books In Order

  1. Pandora’s Legion (2007)
  2. Prometheus’s Child (2007)
  3. Vulcan’s Fire (2008)

Novels

  1. Warriors (1990)
  2. The Sixth Battle (1992)
  3. Dauntless (1992)
  4. Hellcats (1996)

Non fiction

  1. The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two (1976)
  2. Hellcat (1979)
  3. Corsair (1979)
  4. Mig Master (1980)
  5. Wildcat (1983)
  6. On Yankee Station (1987)
  7. Avenger at War (1990)
  8. Sun Downers (1993)
  9. Pushing the Envelope (1994)
  10. The Marianas Turkey Shoot (1994)
  11. Wildcats to Tomcats (1995)
  12. Pacific Carrier Air War (1996)
  13. Vought F-4 U Corsair (1996)
  14. U.S. Navy Fighter Squadrons in World War II (1997)
  15. Helldiver Units in World War 2 (1997)
  16. US Navy Fighters of World War II (1998)
  17. SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 (1998)
  18. Carrier Air War (1999)
  19. TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2 (1999)
  20. TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy (2000)
  21. The Complete Guide to AR-15 Accuracy (2000)
  22. Wildcat Aces of World War 2 (2000)
  23. U.S. Navy Air Combat 1939-1946 (2001)
  24. US Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers of WWII (2001)
  25. Above and Beyond (2002)
  26. The Blue Devils (2003)
  27. Alpha Bravo Delta Guide to the U.S. Airforce (2003)
  28. Brassey’s D-Day Encyclopedia (2004)
  29. Clash of the Carriers (2005)
  30. Heroes (2006)
  31. LeMay (2007)
  32. What We Need (2007)
  33. Whirlwind (2010)
  34. VF-11/111 ‘Sundowners’ 1942-95 (2010)
  35. Enterprise (2012)
  36. US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II (2014)
  37. The D-Day Encyclopedia (2014)
  38. Forgotten Fifteenth (2014)
  39. On Wave and Wing (2017)
  40. Dragon’s Jaw (2019)
  41. When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945 (2022)

Harold Coyle’s Strategic Solutions, Inc Book Covers

Novels Book Covers

Non fiction Book Covers

Barrett Tillman Books Overview

Pandora’s Legion

In this explosive new series from New York Times bestseller Harold Coyle and noted military author Barrett Tillman, a new type of war is being fought by private paramilitary companies at the beck and call of the highest bidder. With the military and intelligence agencies spread thin, the US is constantly calling upon the services of these organizations and Strategic Solutions Inc. is among the best.
Members of Al Qaida have set in place a vicious biological attack. Men and women infected with the highly communicable and deadly Marburg virus have been sent to major cities and sensitive locations throughout the world in hopes of creating a deadly, global epidemic.
The dedicated men and women of SSI, led by former Rear Admiral Michael Derringer, are consummate professionals, nearly all ex police or military, and are the among the best in the world at what they do. But the mastermind behind the living bio weapons, Dr. Saeed Sharif, is more deadly than anyone could have possibly imagined. Spread throughout the globe and thwarting attacks on their home facilities the staff at SSI soon find themselves engaged in a frontline game of ground warfare. And to make matters worse, two infected Marburg carriers are heading straight for the United States. Using every resource it has, SSI launches an all out search for the walking plague carriers before thousands more become infected and die.
Posing a frightening scenario that could become all too real in the near future, and filled with the details of the military world that have made Coyle’s books bestsellers, Pandora s Legion hits the front lines of the new war against terrorism in this engrossing, high stakes novel.

Prometheus’s Child

In this explosive series from New York Times bestseller Harold Coyle and noted military author Barrett Tillman, a new type of war is being fought by private paramilitary companies at the beck and call of the highest bidder. With the military and intelligence agencies spread thin, the United States is constantly calling upon the services of these organizations and Strategic Solutions Inc. is among the best. What begins as a relatively simply military training mission in Chad turns into a high stakes game of nuclear brinkmanship as the men and women of Security Solutions, Inc. stumble across a plot to extract and ship yellowcake the base fuel for a nuclear weapon to any number of countries hostile to the US. The in country force tracks the operation to a supposedly abandoned remote mine in the desert. They strike, but a convoy carrying the yellowcake shipment escapes their trap. With time running out, the SSI teams must pull together like they never have before to find a ship in international waters and recover its deadly cargo by any means necessary.

Vulcan’s Fire

In this explosive series from New York Times bestseller Harold Coyle and noted military author Barrett Tillman, a new type of war is being fought by private paramilitary companies at the beck and call of the highest bidder. With its military and intelligence agencies spread thin, the United States constantly calls upon the services of these organizations and Strategic Solutions, Inc. is among the best. After a few bloody and unprofitable contracts, SSI is faced with a financial crisis. Forced to take contracts from less than reputable clients, the upper management and field agents find themselves in a labor dispute. When the Israeli government offers SSI an opportunity to help Druze militias in southern Lebanon fend off encroachment by Hezbollah, they know it’s a fragile situation. If the truth were known, the international outcry against Israel would be deafening. Forced to work with a government whose ultimate motives are unclear, SSI takes the job and descends into a shadowy no man’s land of tangled alliances and hostilities. Meanwhile, Hezbollah elements are planning their most audacious strike yet, assembling teams to detonate suitcase nukes in contested areas of Lebanon, hoping to destabilize the entire country. Caught between two elements of an age old conflict, the battles the SSI fights may be a diversion…

The Sixth Battle

Commander of a task force off the South African coast, Vietnam veteran Rear Admiral Chuck Gideon faces his greatest challenge as South Africa falls prey to Union of Eurasian Republic sponsored invaders.

Dauntless

Rogers and his comrades pilot untested dive bombers from the deck of the U.S.S. Yorktown, battling the Japanese in the conflicts at Midway and Guadalcanal.

Hellcats

1944: American naval supremacy has carried the war in the Pacific to Japan’s doorstep. A new generation of ships and aircraft is on the front line of the war. In the vanguard is the Grumman F6F Hellcat. Tillman follows the wartime fortunes of Lt. Cmdr. Phil Rogers and the men who fought for survival against a fanatical foe.

The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two

Popularly known as the Douglas Dauntless, the U.S. Navy’s SBD dive bomber was well named. Though considered obsolete at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dauntless turned the tide of war in the Pacific with the destruction of four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway, making its mark in aviation history for sinking more enemy carriers than any other aircraft. Still in service at war’s end, the Dauntless was the only U.S. carrier aircraft in operation from Pearl Harbor to V J Day. The Dauntless was the only American Navy aircraft to fly in al five of the naval engagements fought exclusively by aircraft carriers and was credited with sinking the first Japanese fleet submarine and dropping the first bombs on Japanese occupied soil during the war. The SBD was also active in the Atlantic, sinking Vichy French shipping at Casablanca and German vessels in Scandinavian waters. In between his authoritative accounts of these missions, Barrett Tillman tells the rousing story of the men who took the ‘slow but deadly’ Dauntless into combat, loving her for her ruggedness and dependability while wishing for more speed and firepower. Among the people he describes is the pilot who nearly single handedly knocked out a Japanese carrier and died in the process, and SBD squadron that flew unexpectedly into the Pearl Harbor attack. Filled with fascinating photographs, this book was widely acclaimed in 1976 when first published and is now available for the first time in paperback.

Hellcat

Largely responsible for crushing Japanese airpower wherever the American fast carrier force sailed, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was considered the most important Allied aircraft in the Pacific during 1943 and 1944. Designed for speed, range, and climb to compete with Japan’s exceptional Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it succeeded not only in engaging the ‘Zeke’ on equal terms but also in dictating the rules of combat. Fighters in every sense of the word, the Hellcats were credited with destroying more than five thousand Japanese aircraft, gaining outright air supremacy over the invasion beaches, and helping ensure Allied amphibious victories in the Central Pacific. Aviation historian Barrett Tillman presents the full story of the fighter plane the men who built and tested it, the squadrons that flew it, and the heroes it created. Heavily illustrated with photographs from the pilots’ own collections, this spirited, carefully documented operational history is an absolute must for anyone interested in aviation history. It is now available for the first time in paperback.

Corsair

This is the remarkable story of an airplane that became a legend with a sleek silhouette and bent wings, it doubled as a day and night fighter, could fly off carriers or from land, and served both as a dive bomber and reconnaissance plane. Filled with facts and figures, this fast paced history begins with the nerve wracking test flights of the 1940s and concludes with the F4Us that were active thirty eight years later. Placed skillfully in between are the stories that gave birth to the legend: the exploits of the aces, including the Medal of Honor recipient who shot down twenty five enemy planes, and the details of the combat missions of Charles A. Lindbergh. During thirty months of combat in World War II with the U.S. Navy and Marines, the Corsair shot down more than two thousand Japanese planes. In Korea the U bird, as it was called, was credited with ten aerial victories. A trip down memory lane for anyone who has followed the career of this Cadillac of the props, this new paperback edition of a book first published in hardcover in 1979 offers fine historical aviation reading that presents a riveting picture of the men and machine that helped win two wars.

Mig Master

To be equally enjoyed by professional aviators and aviation buffs with limited technical knowledge, this biography brings to life the legendary aircraft that scored the highest kill ratio of any U.S. fighter aircraft in the Vietnam War. The book is filled with authentic re creations of Crusader MiG fights and vivid descriptions of the people and events that are part of the F 8 story, including John Glenn’s 1957 record breaking flight across the United States in three hours and twenty three minutes. As the Navy’s first supersonic aircraft, the Crusader holds an honored spot in carrier flying, and the author shows why it is called one of the most capable, versatile, and long lived aircraft in naval aviation history. Barrett Tillman effectively combines an exciting account of the F 8’s operational history with a detailed and authoritative explanation of its design, construction, and modifications. Tillman recalls the years of frustration and experimentation spent in refining the aircraft and its gunnery system, and then takes the reader through key actions in Vietnam where seasoned pilots handled their ‘rambunctious steeds’ with scarcely a glance in the cockpit. Extensive appendixes provide further details.

Wildcat

Arguably the most important piston engined single seat fighter design ever to see service with the US Navy and Marine Corps, the aesthetically inelegant F4F Wildcat achieved much acclaim during its bloody frontline career. Thrown into combat at Coral Sea, Midway and Guadalcanal, the handful of Wildcat units of the Navy and Marine Corps took on large numbers of fighters and bombers and came out victorious. On the European front, the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm also put the fighter to effective use from escort carriers, protecting Atlantic convoys from Luftwaffe attacks.

On Yankee Station

Foreword by Stephen Coonts. Combining vivid personal narrative with historical and operational analyses, this book takes a candid look at U.S. naval airpower in the Vietnam War. Coauthors John Nichols, a fighter pilot in the war, and Barrett Tillman, an award winning aviation historian, make full use of their extensive knowledge of the subject to detail the ways in which airpower was employed in the years prior to the fall of Saigon. Confronting the conventional belief that airpower failed in Vietnam, they show that when applied correctly, airpower was effective, but because it was often misunderstood and misapplied, the end results were catastrophic. Their book offers a compelling view of what it was like to fly from Yankee Station between 1964 and 1973 and important lessons for future conflicts. At the same time, it adds important facts to the permanent war record. Following an analysis of the state of carrier aviation in 1964 and a definition of the rules of engagement, it describes the tactics used in strike warfare, the airborne and surface threats, electronic countermeasures, and search and rescue. It also examines the influence of political decisions on the conduct of the war and the changing nature of the Communist opposition. Appendixes provide useful statistical data on carrier deployments, combat sorties, and aircraft losses. This paperback edition of a book first published in 1987 includes a new foreword by Stephen Coonts.

Pushing the Envelope

First published in 1994, this stirring autobiography of a fighter and test pilot takes readers full throttle through Marion Carl’s imposing list of ‘firsts.’ Beginning with his World War II career, he became the Marine Corps first ace, was among the first Marines to fly a helicopter, and was the first Marine to land a jet aboard an aircraft carrier. His combat duty included the momentous battles at Midway and Guadalcanal. Not one to rest on his laurels, however, he participated in photoreconnaissance operations over China in 1955 and flew missions in Vietnam. In peacetime he gained fame for ‘Pushing the Envelope‘ as a test pilot, adding the world s altitude record to his wartime feats and becoming the first U.S. military aviator to wear a full pressure suit. Such achievements led to Carl s being the first living Marine admitted to the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor, as well as the first Marine to be named to the Navy Carrier Aviation Test Pilots Hall of Honor. As forthright and compelling as the man it chronicles, this very readable memoir was written with the help of noted aviation historian Barrett Tillman.

Wildcats to Tomcats

Through five decades, including World War II. Korea & Vietnam, Zeke Cormier, Wally Schirra and Phil Wood have served naval aviation and their nation whether on active duty or in retirement. Their overlapping careers involved them in U Boat hunting, aerial combat, the Blue Angels, experimental flight, weapons testing, space flight and command at sea. This book describes their riveting experiences and tremendous contributions. Between the three they have flown over 14,000 hours, including over 500 combat missions, and made over 1800 carrier landings. Written with the help of Barrett Tillman, their adventures are related with candor, a great deal of good humor, and bear a message, born of collective experience, for today’s naval leadership. from book’s dustjacket

Vought F-4 U Corsair

The WarbirdTech series is the first new, innovative look at military aircraft to arrive in the marketplace in the last fifteen years. Individual volumes in this series provide a first ever ‘layman’s technical’ analysis and review of the world’s most exciting combat aircraft. Included are photos, drawings and excerpts from previously ‘secret’ and ‘restricted’ technical manuals produced by the government and the aircraft manufacturers. Included are vintage photos of aircraft during prototype and manufacturing stages, exploded views, cutaways and phantom drawings form tech manuals, disassembled aircraft, rare variants and experimental models etc. Special emphasis is placed on the unique and ground breaking design and performance aspects of each aircraft. This series is for the enthusiast who has read all the combat stories, seen all the camouflage and markings books and now wants to learn the fascinating technical details behind the design and performance of combat aircraft.

U.S. Navy Fighter Squadrons in World War II

Only Barrett Tillman, dean of Naval aviation historians, could have created a readable reference book of this nature. This first ever chronology of VF squadrons describes their history, deployments, battle highlights, commanders, aces, losses, and aircraft. Twenty five lush appendices supply further information including shoot down claims, biographies of 12 famous aces, and a list of 371 Naval fighter aces, aces in a day, and top scoring squadrons.

Helldiver Units in World War 2

The most numerous Allied dive bomber of World War 2, the Curtiss Helldiver endured a prolonged gestation period to mature into one of the most effective aircraft of its type to see service in the Pacific theatre of war. Some 7200 aircraft were built between 1942 and 1945, the type making its service debut over Rabaul on 11 November 1943 in the hands of VB 17, this unit flying SB2C 1Cs from the deck of USS Bunker Hill. Although hated by the myriad crews sent into combat strapped to a Helldiver, the bomber was responsible for the destruction of more Japanese targets than any other dive bomber.

SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2

Unquestionably the most successful dive bomber ever to see frontline service with any air arm, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the scourge of the Japanese Imperial Fleet in the crucial years of the Pacific War of World War II 1939 1945. The revolutionary all metal stressed skin design of the SBD exhibited airframe strength that made it an ideal dive bomber, its broad wing, with horizontal centre section and sharply tapered outer panels with dihedral, boasting perforated split flaps that doubled as dive brakes during the steep bombing attacks

Carrier Air War

Carrier Air War in Original WWII Color: US Navy Air Combat 1939 1946 Hardcover

TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2

As its name suggests, the Avenger meted out severe retribution on the Japanese in the Pacific, participating in every major engagement through to VJ Day. As a key weapon of World War II 1939 1945, the Avenger was so highly valued by the US Navy that its demand for the aircraft soon outstripped Grumman’s production capacity, so General Motors GM was contracted to build the near identical TBM from September 1942 onwards. Over 1000 Avengers also saw action with the Fleet Air Arm in both the Atlantic and the Pacific through to VJ Day, and two squadrons of RNZAF TBDs fought alongside American Avengers on Bougainville in 1944.

TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy

The first monoplane aircraft ordered by the US Navy for carrier operations, the Douglas TBD Devastator was designed to fulfil a requirement for a new torpedo bomber. Just 129 were built, and when it entered service it was the most modern aircraft of its type anywhere in the world. Its only real taste of action came on 4 June 1942 in the pivotal Battle of Midway, when 35 were shot down in a clash with Japanese A6M Zero fighters. The aircraft was replaced by the Grumman Avenger weeks later.

The Complete Guide to AR-15 Accuracy

17 chapters on accurizing the AR 15, written by the principals of Accuracy Speaks. Chapters include…
The New Shooter, Converting the AR 15, Goal Setting, Cleaning and Maintenance, Barreling, Triggers, Sights and Scopes, Loads, Troubleshooting Common Problems, etc.

U.S. Navy Air Combat 1939-1946

This photohistory uses a collection of remarkable colour photos from the period, along with quotes and anecdotes from pilots and crewmembers, to relate the story of U.S. Naval aviation during World War II. Included in the collection are legendary warbirds like F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, and F4U fighters.

US Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers of WWII

With their stout airframes, innovative airbrake designs and near vertical dive capabilities, U.S. Navy torpedo and dive bombers rendered Japanese deck gunners nearly defenseless and played a crucial role in the course of the war in the Pacific. This photohistory uses remarkable color photography from the period, along with quotes and anecdotes from pilots and crewmembers, to relate the stories behind Navy dive bombers over the Pacific. Included in the collection are the legendary SBD ‘Slow But Deadly’ Dauntless, SBC Helldiver, TBD Devastator and TBF and TBM Avengers. In addition to the aircraft, photographs depict American servicemen testing and training, while first person accounts tell of missions against Japanese vessels.

Above and Beyond

From 1918 to 1972 over one hundred American aviators pilots and crew from all military services received the United States’ highest military decoration for ‘distinguishing themselves by conspicuous gallantry and courage at risk of their own lives, Above and Beyond the call of duty.’ Through a combination of interviews with the surviving fliers and in depth research, Barrett Tillman presents the incredibly valiant and inspiring stories behind the medals and in many cases sets the ‘official record’ straight. These accounts, which redefine heroism, feature some of the most famous airmen in history Frank Luke Jr., Jimmy Doolittle, Joe Foss, David McCampbell, Leo Thorsness, and Patrick Brady, to name a few and lesser known fliers who finally get the recognition they deserve. In World War I, Lieutenants Edwin Russell Bleckley and Harold Ernest Goettler flew in the first sustained aerial resupply operation in history. To accurately drop supplies to the 77th Infantry’s ‘lost battalion,’ they flew so low that German troops perched on French cliffs were firing down on them. Second Lieutenant David Richard Kingsley, returning in a battered B 17F from a bombing run over Ploesti, Romania, in 1944, gave his parachute to a badly wounded man just before the plane went down. Over North Korea in 1951, helicopter pilot Lieutenant John Kelvin Koelsch, while rescuing a downed pilot, was shot down and captured. He refused to talk and provided only name, rank, and serial number, a procedure that would become the American code of conduct for future POWs. Major Patrick Henry Brady took such heavy fire during one day in Vietnam that he went through three Huey helicopters while evacuating fifty two men from certain death. Half of the medal winners died earning it; most of the survivors consider themselves lucky just to be alive. Their selfless acts of true heroism deserve to be remembered.

Alpha Bravo Delta Guide to the U.S. Airforce

A complete overview of the U.S. Air Force from the origins and complete histories to the battles and weaponry. Here are comprehensive accounts and descriptions of the battles, weaponry, and personnel, from the enlisted man to the top ranking officers featuring fascinating detail on the bloodiest battles, the greatest successes and most devastating setbacks, and much more.

Brassey’s D-Day Encyclopedia

This unique encyclopedia provides detailed entries for everything you ever wanted to know about D Day, the invasion of Normandy. Organized alpha betically, the entries give detailed descriptions of weapons, equipment, divisions, air and naval units, geography, terminology, personalities, and more. Every Allied division that crossed the English Channel on June 6, 1944 has its own listing as do the major Axis divisions that fought them. Brief biographies of major military and political leaders on both sides provide a handy ‘who’s who’ of the campaign. The book also includes entries for related popular culture: GI slang, the best movies about D Day, and major writers such as Stephen Ambrose and Cornelius Ryan. Cross references make the book easy to use. With hundreds of entries, Brassey s D Day Encyclopedia is an indispensable reference tool for history buffs and interesting browsing for readers who want to know more about World War II.

Clash of the Carriers

‘Teen Hazing Turns Vicious,’ ‘Gang Beats Man Senseless,’ ‘Teenagers Indicted for Murder,’ ‘School Shooter Sought Revenge for Put downs,’ ‘Youth Arrested in Murder Plot Aimed at Parents.’ The headlines don’t seem remarkable: juvenile violence has always been with us. What is new is that these stories aren’t about boys, they’re about girls. Just ten years ago, almost ten boys were arrested for assault for every girl. Now the ratio is four to one, and it’s dropping rapidly. What’s going on with American girls? See Jane Hit is the first big picture answer to this crucial question, a groundbreaking examination of this hidden epidemic by one of America’s most respected authorities on juvenile violent aggression.

In See Jane Hit, Dr. James Garbarino shows that the rise in girls’ violence is the product of many interrelated cultural developments, several of which are largely positive. Girls have learned to express themselves physically in organized sports thirty years ago, the number of boys playing organized sports was more than ten times greater than the number of girls; now we’re almost at 1:1. In a number of other ways, too, the cultural foot binding that has kept girls from embracing their own physical power has been removed, which is largely to be celebrated. But nothing happens in isolation, and there’s rarely such a momentous societal shift with absolutely no downside. One problem is that girls aren’t being trained to handle their own physical aggression the way boys are: our methods of child rearing culture include all sorts of mechanisms for socializing boys to express their violence in socially acceptable ways, but with girls we lag very far behind. At the same time, the culture has become more toxic for boys and girls alike, and girls’ sexuality is linked with violence in new and disturbing ways.

Ultimately, this brilliant, far reaching examination of physical aggression and the ‘new’ American girl shows us there is much we can do differently. See Jane Hit is not just a powerful wake up call; it’s a clear eyed, compassionate prescription for real world solutions.

Heroes

The honored few…
From the bloody fields of the Civil War to the global conflicts of the modern age, here are the stories of 100 Army Medal of Honor winners.

Since its Revolution era formation as the Continental Army, the United States Army has earned a hard won reputation for duty, courage, and brotherhood. But there are those whose exploits in combat have set them apart from their fellow soldiers, earning them the most cherished and honored citation there is the Congressional Medal of Honor.

From the killing fields of the Civil War, through World Wars I and II, to the jungles of Vietnam and America’s fight against terrorism around the world, this comprehensive book features detailed information on 100 Army Corps Medal of Honor winners including many lesser known recipients whose courage and sacrifice in the service of their country remain the foundations of the United States Army. Their achievements are chronicled in this complete and compelling memorial of those who have earned the right to be called ‘The Bravest of the Brave.’

LeMay

LeMay was a terrifying, complex, and brilliant general. In World War II, he ordered the firebombing of Tokyo and was in charge when Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths a fact he liked to celebrate by smoking Cuban cigars. But LeMay was also the man who single handedly transformed the American air force from a ramshackle team of poorly trained and badly equipped pilots into one of the fiercest and most efficient weapons of the war. Over the last decades, most U.S. military missions were carried out entirely through the employment of the Air Force; this is LeMay‘s legacy. Packed with breathtaking battles in the air and inspiring leadership tactics on the ground, LeMay will keep readers on their edge of their seats.

What We Need

In early 2006 the Army chief of staff reported about $440 billion in expenditures. A dollar bill is a smidgen over six inches long. If 440 billion greenbacks are placed end to end, they would extend 220 billion feet, or 41,600,000 miles. That is 1,664 times around the equator. If the greenbacks had Andy Jacksons picture instead of George Washingtons, that line still would run well over 2,000,000 miles. That is about four trips to the moon and back. So, then…
.. On $440 billion, how is it possible that soldiers still lack sufficient body armor, training facilities and ammunition, and high tech bandages? On $440 billion, how is it possible that there is not enough money for vehicle maintenance and repair? On $440 billion, how is it possible that GIs still write home asking folks to send socks and sheets and batteries? What We Need addresses The Great American Dichotomy: we allocate vast sums for our military, yet inevitably we spend most of that treasure on technical marvels that we do not use. And if we do not use them, we are entitled to ask how much we need them.

Whirlwind

Whirlwind is the first book to tell the complete, awe inspiring story of the Allied air war against Japan the most important strategic bombing campaign inhistory. From the audacious Doolittle raid in 1942 to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, award winning historian Barrett Tillman recounts the saga from the perspectives of American and British aircrews who flew unprecedented missions overthousands of miles of ocean, as well as of the generalsand admirals who commanded them. Whether describing the experiences of bomber crews based in China or the Marianas, fighter pilotson Iwo Jima, or carrier aviators at sea, Tillman provides vivid details of the lives of the fliers and their support personnel. Whirlwind takes readers into the cockpits and gun turrets of the mighty B 29 Superfortress, the largest bomber built up to that time. Tillman dramatically re creates the sweep of wartime emotions that crews endured on fifteen hour missions, grappling with the extreme tedium of cramped spaces and with adrenaline spikes in flak studded skies, knowing that a bailout would put them at the mercy of a merciless enemy or an unforgiving sea.A major character is the controversial and brilliant General Curtis LeMay, who rewrote strategic bombing tactics. His command’s fire bombing missions incinerated fully half of Tokyo and many other cities, crippling Japan s industry while still failing to force surrender. Whirlwind examines the immense logistics and construction efforts necessary to support Superfortresses in Asia and the Mariana Islands, as well as the tireless efforts of engineers to build huge air bases from scratch. It also describes the unheralded missions that American bomber crews flew from the Aleutian Islands to Japan s northernmost Kuril Islands. Never has the Japanese side of the story been so thoroughly examined. If Washington, D.C., represented a second front in Army Navy rivalry, the situation in Tokyo approached a full contact sport. Tillman s description of Japan s willfully inadequate approach to civil defense is eye opening. Similarly, he examines the mind set in Tokyo s war cabinet, which ignored the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, requiring the emperor s personal intervention to avert a ghastly Allied invasion. Tillman shows how, despite the Allies ultimate success, mistakes and shortsighted policies made victory more costly in lives and effort. He faults the lack of a unified command for allowing the Army Air Forces and the Navy to pursue parochial goals at the expense of the larger mission, and he questions the premature commitment of the enormously sophisticated B 29 to the most primitive theater in India and China. Whirlwind is one of the last histories of World War II written with the contribution of men who fought in it. With unexcelled macro and microperspectives, Whirlwind is destined to become a standard reference on the war, on multiservice operations, and on the human capacity for individual heroism and national folly.

VF-11/111 ‘Sundowners’ 1942-95

Fighting Squadron 11 was established at San Diego in August 1943, beginning a half century record that spanned aerial combat in three wars from the piston to the jet age. First deployed to Guadalcanal, the ‘Sundowners’ flew Grumman Wildcats and completed its tour as the Navy’s third ranking F4F squadron in terms of aerial victories. Upon returning home, the ‘Sundowners’ transitioned to Hellcats in preparation for a second combat deployment. In 1944 45 the squadron flew from USS Hornet CV 12, participating in the fast carrier strikes against the Philippines, Formosa and the Asian mainland. It finished the war as the Navy’s 11th ranking fighter squadron with 158 credited victories. Redesignated VF 111 in 1948, the ‘Sundowners’ converted to F9F Panthers and scored history’s first jet versus jet victory over Korea in 1950. After the armistice, the squadron flew FJ 3 Furies and F11F Tigers, before receiving the world class F8U Crusader in 1961. During the long Vietnam War, the ‘Sundowners’ logged six deployments, scoring MiG kills in both F 8s and F 4 Phantom IIs. From 1978 to disestablishment in 1995, the ‘Sundowners’ flew F 14 Tomcats from USS Kitty Hawk CV 63 and Carl Vinson CVN 70, completing a record of 37 deployments from 17 flattops in its 52 year career. From World War 2 until after the Cold War, the ‘Sundowners’ established an unsurpassed record ‘at the tip of the spear’ in naval aviation history.

Enterprise

Pearl Harbor…
Midway…
Guadalcanal…
The Marianas…
Leyte Gulf…
Iwo Jima…
Okinawa. These are just seven of the twenty battles that the USS Enterprise took part in during World War II. No other American ship came close to matching her record. Enterprise is the epic, heroic story of this legendary aircraft carrier nicknamed the fightingest ship in the U.S. Navy and of the men who fought and died on her. America’s most decorated warship, Enterprise was constantly engaged against the Japanese Empire from December 1941 until May 1945. Her career was eventful, vital, and short. She was commissioned in 1938, and her bombers sank a submarine just three days after the Pearl Harbor attack, claiming the first seagoing Japanese vessel lost in the war. It was the auspicious beginning of an odyssey that Tillman captures brilliantly, from escorting sister carrier Hornet as it launched the Doolittle Raiders against Tokyo in 1942, to playing leading roles in the pivotal battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, to undergoing the shattering nightmare of kamikaze strikes just three months before the end of the war. Barrett Tillman has been called the man who owns naval aviation history. He s mined official records and oral histories as well as his own interviews with the last surviving veterans who served on Enterprise to give us not only a stunning portrait of the ship s unique contribution to winning the Pacific war, but also unforgettable portraits of the men who flew from her deck and worked behind the scenes to make success possible. Enterprise is credited with sinking or wrecking 71 Japanese ships and destroying 911 enemy aircraft. She sank two of the four Japanese carriers lost at Midway and contributed to sinking the third. Additionally, 41 men who served in Enterprise had ships named after them. As with Whirlwind, Tillman s book on the air war against Japan, Enterprise focuses on the lower ranks the men who did the actual fighting. He puts us in the shoes of the teenage sailors and their captains and executive officers who ran the ship day to day. He puts us in the cockpits of dive bombers and other planes as they careen off Enterprise s flight deck to attack enemy ships and defend her against Japanese attackers. We witness their numerous triumphs and many tragedies along the way. However, Tillman does not neglect the top brass he takes us into the ward rooms and headquarters where larger than life flag officers such as Chester Nimitz and William Halsey set the broad strategy for each campaign. But the main character in the book is the ship itself. The Big E’ was at once a warship and a human institution, vitally unique to her time and place. In this last minute grab at a quickly fading history, Barrett Tillman preserves the Enterprise story even as her fliers and sailors are departing the scene.

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