Ghostriders 1968-1975
"Mors De Caelis" Combat History of the AC-130 Spectre Gunship, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia (Ghostriders, 1)
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Ghostriders 1968-1975
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Narrated by:
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Pete Bradbury
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By:
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William Walters
About this listen
If necessity is the mother of invention, the AC-130 gunship was definitely her offspring.
Ghostriders: Mors De Caelis is a comprehensive history of AC-130 gunship combat operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The story begins with the first AC-130 in 1968 and ends in 1975 at the end of the war in Vietnam. It tells the life and death stories of Spectre crews, who faced extreme danger while hunting trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and providing fire support for US and allied ground forces. Though the AC-130 was credited with 10,000 trucks destroyed, this phenomenal achievement came with a hefty price. Fifty-two Spectre crewmen and six AC-130s were lost during combat operations in Laos and Vietnam.
Written in third-person omniscient point of view by an experienced combat veteran and Spectre historian, all aspects of the story are derived from official declassified records and personal interviews. The level of detail and context figuratively puts the listener in the aircraft as an observer, flying alongside a Spectre crew in combat. Above all, this is the story of Spectre - accurate, detailed, compelling, and unique.
©2022 William Walters (P)2022 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
The 'Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club' was the tongue-in-cheek nickname of the US Seventh Fleet that was stationed off the coast of Vietnam and this book tells the full story of the US Naval air campaign in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Tired drivel
- By Kevin Warren on 01-11-22
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The Cactus Air Force
- Air War Over Guadalcanal
- By: Eric Hammel, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrated by: Adam Henderson
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 143
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 124
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
In The Cactus Air Force, Pacific War expert Thomas McKelvey Cleaver worked closely with Eric to build on his collection of diary entries, interviews and first-hand accounts to create a vivid narrative of the struggle in the air over the island of Guadalcanal between August 20 and November 15, 1942.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Book!
- By Eric Peterson on 09-16-22
By: Eric Hammel, and others
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The Vietnam Air War
- From the Cockpit
- By: Colonel Dennis M. "Mike" Ridnouer
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 146
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 129
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Story5 out of 5 stars 126
The Vietnam War is one of the most misunderstood military conflicts in 20th-century America. Showcasing 72 true stories told by American servicemen who fought from the skies, this unique and historically significant collection is a stunning record of the air war in Southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Overall worthy and perspective broadening
- By Clayton Cartier on 11-03-20
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The Final Mission of Extortion 17
- Special Ops, Helicopter Support, SEAL Team Six, and the Deadliest Day of the US War in Afghanistan
- By: Ed Darack
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 775
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 710
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 710
The downing of Extortion 17 spurred a number of conspiracy theories, such as the idea that the shootdown was revenge for bin Laden's death. In The Final Mission of Extortion 17, Ed Darack debunks this theory and others and uncovers the truth behind this mysterious tragedy. His account of the brave pilots, crew, and passengers of Extortion 17 and the events of that fateful day is interwoven into a rich, complex narrative that also discusses modern joint combat operations and the history of the Afghan war to that date.
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4 out of 5 stars
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What the "Lone Survivor" wasn't.
- By Douglas on 09-29-17
By: Ed Darack
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The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe
- The U.S. Army Air Forces Against Germany in World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 470
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 428
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 421
In this dramatic story of World War II, Jay A. Stout describes how the US built an air force of 2.3 million men after starting with 45,000 and defeated the world's best air force. In order to defeat Germany in World War II, the Allies needed to destroy the Third Reich's industry and invade its territory, but before they could effectively do either, they had to defeat the Luftwaffe, whose state-of-the-art aircraft and experienced pilots protected German industry and would batter any attempted invasion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A must read for WWII buffs
- By david on 07-27-17
By: Jay A. Stout
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Kangaroo Squadron
- American Courage in the Darkest Days of World War II
- By: Bruce Gamble
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 150
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 134
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
In early 1942, while the American military was still in disarray from the devastating attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, a single US Army squadron advanced to the far side of the world to face America's new enemy. Based in Australia with inadequate supplies and no ground support, the squadron's pilots and combat crew endured tropical diseases while confronting numerically superior Japanese forces. Yet the outfit, dubbed the Kangaroo Squadron, proved remarkably resilient and successful.
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 star History!
- By DON COOKE on 03-13-19
By: Bruce Gamble
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Forgotten Fifteenth
- The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitler's War Machine
- By: Barrett Tillman
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 440
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 391
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 386
November 1943 to May 1945. The US Army Air Forces waged an unprecedentedly dogged and violent campaign against Hitler's vital oil production and industrial plants on theThird Reich's southern flank. Flying from southern Italy, far from the limelight enjoyed by the Eighth Air Force in England, the Fifteenth Air Force engaged in high-risk missions spanning most of the European continent. The story of the Fifteenth Air Force deserves a prideful place in the annals of American gallantry.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well written ...; felt like I was a door gunner.
- By David C. Miller on 12-08-21
By: Barrett Tillman
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Flying from the Black Hole
- The B-52 Navigator-Bombardiers of Vietnam
- By: Robert O. Harder
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
Air Force navigators and bombardiers have long labored under the shadow of pilots - their contributions undervalued, misunderstood, or unknown to the general public. This was especially the case with the non-pilot officer aircrew in the Vietnam and Cold War-era B-52 Stratofortress. Of the six people who operated the bomber, three wore navigator wings - two of those men were also bombardiers, the other an electronic warfare officer. Without the navigator-bombardiers in particular, executing the nuclear war strike plan or flying Southeast Asian bombing sorties would have been impossible.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Today I learned something new.
- By Rob Wilson on 02-20-21
By: Robert O. Harder
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Air Apaches
- The True Story of the 345th Bomb Group and Its Low, Fast, and Deadly Missions in World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 896
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 805
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 802
The American 345th Bomb Group - the Air Apaches - was legendary in the war against Japan. The first fully trained and fully equipped group sent to the South Pacific, the 345th racked up a devastating score against the enemy. Armed to the teeth with machine guns and fragmentation bombs, and flying their B-25s at impossibly low altitudes - often below 50 feet - the pilots and air crews strafed and bombed enemy installations and shipping with a fury that helped cripple Japan.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Boring and unorganized unit history
- By R. Denton on 04-25-19
By: Jay A. Stout
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Whirlwind
- The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945
- By: Barrett Tillman
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 133
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
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Story4 out of 5 stars 84
Whirlwind is the only book to examine in depth the human drama behind the most important bombing campaign in history. While the air war against Nazi Germany has been covered in-depth by many books, Barrett Tillman, a renowned authority on military aircraft and the air war in the Pacific, is the first to tackle the air war against Japan. For decades, historians and politicians have debated whether or not Japan was on the verge of surrender in August 1945---before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Good, but ultimately disappointing
- By Michael on 10-16-10
By: Barrett Tillman
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Harrier Boys, Volume 1
- From the Cold War Through the Falklands, 1969-1990
- By: Robert Marston
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
In Harrier Boys, Volume One: Cold War Through the Falklands, 1969-1990, Robert Marston, who flew Harriers for many years, draws together accounts from others who worked with this unique jet through its history. The excitement, camaraderie, and pride of Harrier operators shine through in the personal stories of those whose lives were changed by their experience of this iconic aircraft, both on land and at sea.
By: Robert Marston
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Lords of the Sky
- Fighter Pilots and Air Combat, from the Red Baron to the F-16
- By: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 682
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 615
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 617
The New York Times best-selling author of Viper Pilot and retired USAF F-16 legend Dan Hampton offers the first comprehensive popular history of combat aviation - a unique, entertaining, and action-packed look at the aces of the air and their machines, from the Red Baron and his triplane in World War I to today's technologically expert flying warriors in supersonic jets.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great history, but ending goes off-topic
- By Lugal on 07-31-14
By: Dan Hampton
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Skybreak
- The 58th Fighter Squadron in Desert Storm
- By: Mike Guardia
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
August 1990: Iraqi forces under the command of Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny emirate of Kuwait. In response, the US military led a coalition of thirty-four nations in what became known as Operation Desert Storm—a violent air and ground campaign to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait. At the tip of the spear were the men of the US Air Force’s 58th Fighter Squadron. Based on hours of interviews and archival research by author Mike Guardia, this book reveals an intimate, no-holds-barred account of modern aerial combat…as told by the men who lived it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Desert Storm Fighter Action
- By David T. Gato on 07-23-24
By: Mike Guardia
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Dragon's Jaw
- An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam
- By: Stephen Coonts, Barrett Tillman
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
Every war has its "bridge" - Old North Bridge at Concord, Burnside's Bridge at Antietam, the railway bridge over Burma's River Kwai, the bridge over Germany's Rhine River at Remagen, and the bridges over Korea's Toko Ri. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon's Jaw. For seven long years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam's formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire and enemy MiG planes. Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured....
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3 out of 5 stars
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At some point the political commentary is exhausting
- By Tyler White on 06-07-19
By: Stephen Coonts, and others
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The Last Fighter Pilot
- The True Story of the Final Combat Mission of World War II
- By: Don Brown, Captain Jerry Yellin - foreword, Captain Jerry Yellin - contributor, and others
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 536
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 483
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 481
On the morning of August 15, 1945, Captain Jerry Yellin flew the last combat mission of World War II out of Iwo Jima. Today, Captain Yellin is a sharp, engaging, 93-year-old veteran whose story is brought to life by best-selling author Don Brown.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A history Air War in the South Pacific & Iwo Gima
- By Amazon Customer on 06-30-20
By: Don Brown, and others
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Tomcat Fury
- A Combat History of the F-14
- By: Mike Guardia
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 77
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 65
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 65
For more than three decades, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy’s premier carrier-based, multirole fighter jet. From its harrowing combat missions over Libya to its appearance on the silver screen in movies like Top Gun and Executive Decision, the F-14 has become an icon of American air power. Now, for the first time in a single volume, Tomcat Fury explores the illustrious combat history of the F-14, from the Gulf of Sidra to the Iran-Iraq War to the skies over Afghanistan in the Global War on Terror.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I read this when it came out, also good as an audio.
- By S. H. Moore on 08-18-20
By: Mike Guardia
What listeners say about Ghostriders 1968-1975
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gary W. Henwood
- 09-14-24
Very good concise history.
Great listen. Only negative I can come up with, and although minor, I wish the narrator would have said triple A instead of AAA.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shana Leigh
- 04-08-22
Outstanding
Outstanding book and great listen on audio. The history of how the most heavily armed close air support platform and the problems it caused the enemy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kevin Warren
- 06-14-22
Very interesting history
Very good review of the history of the ac130 gunship and the tactics employed during Viet Nam.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Megan
- 03-23-22
Awesome book! Well done Chief Walters!
This was a well written book that covers one of the best aircraft in the USAF's inventory.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-06-22
Book well worth the time.
This book explains the impact the ac130 had on the Ho chi min trail. if you are an aviation buff, worth the time.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 05-05-22
AWESOME!!
I absolutely love hearing the exploits of the aircraft I worked on, a big ole smile would smear across my face when I would hear a familiar tail number.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Oscar A. Garcia
- 08-15-22
Huge effect with small budget!
Miss my short time with these wonderful machines. Thanks you for the history lesson and paying respect to the past.
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