Rolling Thunder is an historical novel about the decisive role politics played during the Vietnam war. Its characters range from men in the field to the Pentagon and the White House. Fighter pilots and Special Forces warriors try to do their best but are hampered by President Johnson, Secretary of Defense McNamara, and their staff members who despise the military. Only one aging USAF general, who … general, who fought in Korea and WWII, is on their side. His clashes with his Commander in Chief, Lyndon Johnson, are epic in proportion and startling in content.
In Rolling Thunder, the time is late 1965 and 1966 in war zone places such as Saigon, Hanoi, Bien Hoa, Da Nang, and Tahkli. While back in Washington, LBJ sits over lunch and personally picks bombing targets in an attempt to fight a limited war. In Vietnam the war knows no limits
There, as the hostilities escalate, the fates of three men intertwine: USAF Captain Court Bannister, overshadowed by a famous movie star father who fought in WWII as a B-17 gunner, driven to confront missiles, MiGs, and nerve-grinding bombing raids in order to prove his worth to his comrades — and to himself… Air Force First Lieutenant Toby Parker, fresh from the States, who hooks up with an intelligence unit for a lark, and quickly finds his innocence buried away by the lessons of war… and Special Forces Colonel Wolf Lochert, who ventures deep into the jungle to rescue a downed pilot — only to discover a face of the enemy for which he is unprepared.
Airline stewardesses come under attack when they are forced to spend the night on a fighter base in Vietnam after their airliner develops a problem.
Through their eyes, and those of many others — pilots, soldiers, lovers, enemy agents, commanders, politicians, profiteers — Rolling Thunder shows us Vietnam as few other books have, or can. Berent captures all the intensity and drama of that searing war, and more, penetrates to the heart and soul of those who fought it. Rolling Thunder rings with authenticity.
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A pretty good story about a part of the Johnson era air war in Vietnam illustrating the frustrations, stupidity and loss the pilots and soldiers endured. Somewhat predictable story line along the lines of Topgun including a group of characters that will probably show up again in later books of the author.
I’m happy to give this book 5 stars. Berent tells a rip-snorting story of the air war over Vietnam.
The characters are great–Hollywood prodigal Court Bannister, soul sick rich boy Toby Parker, and devout killer Wolf Lochert. Much like W.E.B. Griffin, Berent seems to like priveleged, wealthy characters who don’t have to serve, but do anyway and …
Mark Berent’s “Rolling Thunder” is the first of five books in the Wings of War series detailing the political fiasco that was the Vietnam war. Following the lives of three extraordinary young men serving in ‘Nam, the books are filled with vivid accounts of the horrors of serving in a war zone. Horrors made even worse by an inept president who …
OK, before I jump into this book I’ve got to give you a little background. First I will date myself and secondly I will show you how lacking my education was while growing up. Born just after Vietnam I don’t have any personal memories or ties to this period of American History. A few years later memories I do have are much more about being a kid …