PDF Topgun An American Story Dan Pedersen Books

Product details Hardcover 320 pages Publisher Hachette Books (March 5, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 0316416266

Topgun An American Story Dan Pedersen Books Reviews

• Captain Pederson, USN Ret, has written an excellent memoir of his experiences in Topgun and the 9 original brothers. This book made me think back to my 20 year career in the USN (Chief Petty Officer USN Ret) I had been employed at the GE Armament Division in Burlington, Vermont, as a mechanical inspector. This plant was fully engaged in the Nam effort and we were 'pumping' out 7.62 MM Miniguns and 20 MM Vulcans at a rapid speed. The war effort began to dwindle and I lost my job in Dec 1970...actually Friday the 13th. On to another chapter in my life which included enlisting in the USN... Mar of 1971 as an Aviation Maintenance Administrationman...Data Analyst or statistician for aircraft data...And, yes I do miss the USN and my shipmates every single day...
  
  Navy Aviators are the cream of the crop and don't get any better than they are. The numbers that are presented in the prologue had been long forgotten by me. In the Gulf of Tonkin, for example, it is stated that 532 aircraft were lost and the USN had 644 aviators Missing in Action or Prisoners of War. Just staggering numbers when one thinks of those statistics.
  
  The reader is able to see Topgun through Captain Pederson's vision.. From its inception in the fall of 1968, the degree of dedication, leadership skills, passion, and adaptability are portrayed. In his words 'In combat second best is dead last'.
  
  This is a glimpse into Topgun which has never been seen before. Truly an outstanding book which will thrill anyone interested in aviation...particularly Naval Aviation. Do Naval Aviators have swagger? You betcha and deservedly so...
  
  One more personal note....when I was assigned to VA-45 at Cecil Field, FL in the early 1970's, I went through a 3 day course so I could back seat in the TA-4J's. When that back seat was free and it was near lunch time, I was able to fly with the pilot for missions...One of the highlights of my career.. I was in the USN during the Topgun era so this memoir really brought back a flood of my memories. Loved this book...
  
  I shall save this one on my for future reference. BZ to Captain Pederson, USN Ret, for writing this and thank for your service, Sir. This is truly a most interesting read with information and facts never presented previously.
  
  Most highly recommended for that 'new' glimpse' into the beginning of Topgun and its later days.. Fly Navy!!
• If you've seen the movie, well NOW read the REAL STORY behind the founding and SUCCESS of the U.S. Navies response to the abysmal performance of it's Aviation Wings in Air to Air Combat in Vietnam. The Founding Commander of Top Gun, Dan Pederson tells that FACTUAL story as well as reflects on his life and career in the Navy as a pilot. His Career experience told in detail is a FAR GREATER INCENTIVE for serving in any branch of the U.S. Military than ANY Recruiting Movie EVER made!!! I HIGHLY recommend this book as a MUST READ!!! That America produced such men of Incredible Valor, Character, Virtue, Principle, Morality, Intelligence, Talent and Dedication reflects STRONGLY on America. To Retired Navy Captain Dan Pederson I give a Sincere Thanks and Sharp Military Salute to you for your Leadership, Dedication and Service to your country!!! You are the Quintessential Role Model of American Warrior and Patriot!! Semper Fi --- Always Faithful
  Semper Fortis --- Always Strong
  Semper Paratus --- Always Ready
• My bias - Marine F4-B RIO, 316 combat missions over Laos, Cambodia, North and South Vietnam with VMFA-115 and -122 Steel Tiger, Pigment and Playboy escort, BarCAP, MiGCAP, and Lovebug were my day to day terms, for those of you who know what all that stuff was about. All my training before going to Vietnam centered on close air support and shooting down Russian bombers. Fighter vs. fighter was seldom formally addressed. But slipping out into Whiskey 291 meant finding dissimilar aircraft and confronting the strengths and weaknesses of the F4 Phantom. Even as Navy Fighter Weapons was developing, we began to get the word about how that incredible aircraft could take on and beat nimbler MiGs - that word came from the people developing the Top Gun curriculum and even then, third-hand, maybe fourth-hand, we learned. When I returned from Vietnam to VMFA-531, we had a large number of graduates from Top Gun and our educations really - to use a phrase - took off. I knew very little about the people who put it all together (and, hopefully, still do) until I read this book. For students of military aviation, this is a must read, and for us very old aircrew who learned from the Top Gun agenda, this will bring back some grins. I would like to have heard a bit more about what's going on nowadays but, as a "lapsed" historian, I was delighted to hear from one of the key people in the history of Top Gun. Highly recommended.
• Rather happy I bought this book about TopGun's origins. Although the book is about Pedersen's career and thoughts on air combat, if you want a thrilling story about the Vietnam War and air combat, start here. Rather amazed how quickly TopGun got started, and with an abandoned trailer nonetheless.
• Dan Pedersen was one of my instructors in the F4 training squadron when he and the small cadre of combat experienced Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers formed a detachment to try to develop better combat capability of the Phantom aircrews. That detachment developed the tactics and skills that later became the stand-alone unit known as Topgun. That program resulted in a huge increase in our air combat success in Vietnam and is the standard for fighter tactics today. This is a great read not only for the aviation aspect but also a touching story of love lost and regained.
• Meh. I got a quarter of the way thru the book and got tired of reading about a handjob to naval aviation. Yeah, yeah you guys were wonderful. Thanks for letting us know *again* you noble skynights. Y'all are special, way above us mortals. Knock yerself out.
• Like AMOST everyone else, I thought that this book was both wonderfully written, historically accurate, and had some special “messages”. The best chapter, in my opinion, was the last; an analysis of what’s wrong with our procurement system and where it’s leading us. I strongly encourage anyone who has an interest in the future of naval aviation, the history of ACM, and Topgun...to read this.