Life on the Line: Stories of Vietnam Air Combat

by Philip D. Chinnery

Book Overview

A special commemorative photo edition of a stirring tribute to the American airmen who fought in Vietnam brings this little-discussed and often secret arena of the war into proper perspective, drawing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312025998
• ISBN13: 9780312025991
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

FULL THROTTLE

A friend who flew out of Udorn AFB in Thailand as a KC-135 navigator gave me this book, as he knew I might know some of the characters in it. I did, and some of the stories I tell in OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM correspond and back up some of these exploits. My tour was in UH-1D helicopters out of Vinh Long in the Delta. The Seven Mountains area is aptly described, as well as the old French minefield at Chi Lang that blew up a Knight aircraft as he depicted. Phillip Chinnery hung out with some of the VHPA aviators a few years back to garner up these stories, and they are well presented. It is unfortunate that a lot of the guys who flew these birds can't write well enought to record these amazing times. Another good book to have on your RVN shelf.

A fascinating collection of airwar experience

Personal testimonies of fighters are always very interesting, each tale gives a touch of human dimension in wars coolly and distantly narrated by freelancers or reporters. In this book there is a vivid picture of the burden to wage aerial war in Vietnam, a scar still painful in memories of those who fought it. Their stories are well worth a careful reading since they reveal the psychological attitude of the airmen and their lifestyle under the strain of action. This portrait is accurate and gripping, giving many details of how tactics, training and hardware worked under real condition (contrary to the flawless operations of a peacetime simulation). Clearly some stories are edifying experience of servicemen that went beyond the call of duty, but largely most of them resound of day to day life and of behaviour of common soldiers towards the harshness of fight. Compelling.