|
Review from "MiG Sweep," the official publication of the River Rats, the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association BY AL BACHE BOYD: THE FIGHTER PILOT WHO CHANGED THE ART OF WAR Two months ago I received a copy of this book from the Internet Marketing Manager of AOL Time Warner Book Group who requested that I review it. Frankly, the title put me off a bit because it is such a bold statement - one that, even though many years ago I had heard of some of John Boyd's accomplishments, I thought them a bit hard to believe then and was even more skeptical today. Nevertheless I finally started AND am I ever happy that I did. Part 1 reviews the "haunted" beginning of John Boyd's upbringing, his F-86 tour during the Korean War, his contributions to the development of the Air Force's Fighter Weapons School, his challenging performance as "Forty-Second Boyd" and writer of the "Aerial Attack Study", which became the first official tactics manual for use by fighter pilots. Despite the somewhat excessive use of stereo-typical "fighter pilot" lingo, I was sufficiently impressed and intrigued by the author's ability to keep me interested, so I read on. Bob Coram relates a tale about an obviously talented aviator that challenges the experiences of those of us that also served as Air Force officers, during any period of time. You'll simply have to read about Boyd's outrageous conduct to understand how, despite his tremendous contributions to combat aviation, Boyd darn near did not make Colonel. Part 2 starts off by explaining how and why Boyd developed his "Energy-Maneuverability Theory" and the role it played in the design of the F-15 and F-16. Coram skillfully takes the reader through the many bureaucratic battles Boyd fought to have his theory put into practice and, as an engineer, the next level of aircraft design. In doing so there are many references to the "adequacy" of the F-4 AND F-105 and why the favorable Mig-kill ratio enjoyed during the Korean War was reversed in Southeast Asia. But, in my opinion, the best part of the entire book is Part 3, which covers Boyd's continuing quest for successful strategies to employ in combat, aerial or ground and business. It covers in interesting detail the "great wheel of conspiracy" of DOD and the Air Force hierarchy to thwart Boyd's contributions to the fighter world in general, as well as business competition, by his "Destruction and Creation" theory. I cannot really do justice to the suspense created by the author throughout this extraordinary biography. I now recognize John Boyd as one of the best military theorists of any time, let alone one in which I also served. I hope you read "Boyd", published by Little, Brown and Company, and now available in the Country Store. Enjoy! Return to Defense and the National Interest |