Topgun Days

Dogfighting, Cheating Death, and Hollywood Glory as One of America's Best Fighter Jocks

By: Dave "Bio" Baranek

Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur

Dave Baranek (callsign "Bio") was one of 451 young men to receive his Wings of Gold in 1980 as a naval flight officer. Four years later, seasoned by intense training and deployments in the tense confrontations of the Cold War, he became the only one of that initial group to rise to become an instructor at the navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. As a Topgun instructor, Bio was responsible for teaching the navy's and Marine Corps' best fighter pilots how to be even better. He schooled them in the classroom and then went head-to-head with them in the skies.

Then, in August 1985, Bio was assigned to combine his day-to-day flight duties with participation in a Pentagon-blessed project to film action footage for a major Hollywood movie focusing on the lives, loves, heartbreaks, and triumphs of young fighter pilots: Top Gun. Bio soon found himself riding in limousines to attend gala premieres, and being singled out by giggling teenagers and awed schoolboys who recognized the name "Topgun" on his T-shirts. The audiobook ends with his reflections on his career as a skilled naval aviator and his enduring love of flight.

©2010 David Baranek (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Fantastic

I wasn't sure about the book when I bought it but it couldn't hurt to give a fair shot. I found that this is a fantastic book that doesn't just take you into what it was like to work on the movie but it takes you into what it's like to go to and instruct at Top Gun.

The inside story

Very interesting to hear what life is a naval aviator and top gun. Instructor is really like. I also really enjoyed the technical details about each of the jets flown.

Thank you for your service!

Great listen

My only issues was the narrators lack of understanding of military jargon. He says "oceana" wrong the entire book, and just has a general lack of knowledge as to what some of the provided acronyms mean, which definitly broke the continuity of the story for me on more than a few occasions. Still a great story.

Up close and personal Topgun!!

I would recommend any Topgun fan listen to Topgun Days. Dave “Bio” Baranek thoroughly covers his time at Topgun and provides amazing insight to the Topgun movie production. Lots of little nuggets of behind the scenes movie knowledge. Baranek also clearly walks the reader through the true Topgun experience!!

Great Book- Easy listening

Not so technical and detailed with a lot of characters to keep track of like some books are! The kind of style I enjoy when I can’t put my mind too deep into something! A little more humour in the book and inflection in the narrator’s voice would be nice - but he did a great job. Writer did not come across as arrogant! Easy to understand and pleasant to listen to…

Inspiring

Great story and honor to peek into the lives of America's best. My grandson (six yrs.old) saw the movie and loves jets now . He already knows a lot of names and specs. This has caused me to buy more books,models, and videos for him. This has also been a bonding experience for us. Hopefully your story will create a new wave of "Topguns" and the world's best. Thank you for your service ! SALUTE !

Very interesting and enjoyable

Very interesting story and generally well told. occasionally repeating information and the way times are narrated wind me up.

Excellent inside look

This was on my wish list when I noticed Audible was promoting the story. It was particularly interesting to me as an aviation enthusiast. The author is a former student and instructor who gives the reader a good inside look at the program. For we civilian pilots and enthusiasts, it's probably pretty good high level look at the program. The narrative is not very technical, so even if the reader is drawn because of being a fan of the movie, it will still give a behind the scenes insight.

Top Gun or Topgun

I admit it, I’ve watch Top Gun the movie over and over. I love it. So when I had to a chance to read how it was put together I jumped at it. I had no reviews to help me (I really depend on reviews) so I felt a need to write a this review.

Bio (his call sign and it is in the credits I checked) our author tells us about how he learned to be a REO. A reo is the weapons officer in the back seat. Bio tells us about having to eject on a failed landing attempt. Bio relates how they study and study and study to fly those jets with such safety and menace.

Top Gun the school according to Bio didn’t have a trophy given to the winner of the class. Tony Scott took some liberties with that one.

I think the preparation for the flights, the preparation for the teaching of the classes our author lets us know that being in a fighter jet is for in shape young men and women that are well trained and dedicated.

When I listen to a book some go by real fast, and that usually means to me it was riveting. This book flew supersonic by me and of course, I did stream the movie this weekend to check the credits and see exactly what Bio was talking about.

If you liked the movie this book is for you.

Very good book

The book was very good, but I thought that the narrator could start rambling at times.