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(104 ratings)
49% positive over last 12 months
49% positive over last 12 months
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and Return policy Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War Hardcover – 21 November 2002
by
Robert Coram
(Author)
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A larger-than-life fighter pilot and genius of aviation, engineering and military strategy, Boyd dared to challenge the intractable military bureaucracy and its outmoded practices. The single-minded determination developed in his youth carried him on to renown for his skill as a fighter pilot, for his passion as an instructor, his legendary appetite and lack of respect for his superiors. But this was just the start as he went on to transform the way military planes were designed, fighting the air force's entrenched ideas every step of the way. Boyd's breakthrough designs were crucial to the creation of the F-15 and 16, and he dedicated years to an innovative theory of conflict that eventually made him the most influential military theoretician since Sun Tzu. A magnet for bright young men dissatisfied with the impractically old-fashioned methods of the military, his circle of "acolytes" extended his influence through their headline-grabbing Reform Movement. By the time of Boyd's death his name had reached the furthest corners of the military establishment. Coram paints a colourful portrait of this extremely unconventional man who locked horns with the most conventional of bureaucracies - and won.
- Print length496 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication date21 November 2002
- ISBN-100316881465
- ISBN-13978-0316881463
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Product description
About the Author
Corram has written 3 books of non-fiction as well as 7 novels. His articles have appeared in the New Yorker & other major mags & he has been nominated twice for a Pulitzer He is a qualified commercial pilot and is one of the few civilians to have flown both the F-100 and the F-15.
Product details
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 496 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316881465
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316881463
- Best Sellers Rank: 78,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 65 in PC Games
- 617 in Military History
- Customer reviews:
Customer reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
612 global ratings
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Top reviews from other countries

John B
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overrated
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2018Verified Purchase
Tedious book about an overrated American pilot who invented a manoeuvre that worked for one aircraft. Most of the book concerns his problems with superior officers, a typical "One man against the World" story that we've seen in dozens of similar books and films.
14 people found this helpful
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JOHN
5.0 out of 5 stars
HISTORICAL & THOUGHT PROVOKING
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2021Verified Purchase
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK. IT IS WELL WRITTEN ABOUT A SUBJECT THAT I KNEW A LITTLE ABOUT BUT THIS WAS COVERED THE VARIOUS SUBJECTS IN GREAT AND WELL DETAILED DEPTH. IT IS THOUGHT PROVOKING AND HAS A VERY HUMAN TOUCH. SHOULD BE COMPULSORY READING FOR MILITARY SCHOLARS AS WELL AS POLITIICANS INVOLVED IN DEFENCE MATTERS.

Garrett
5.0 out of 5 stars
An engaging biography on an unorthodox, driven, conceptual revolutionary - and a totemic fighter pilot. Must Read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 2016Verified Purchase
I strongly recommend this book - a very engaging biography on a complex and enigmatic man. From Col John Boyd's drive to master his profession, and calling, as a fighter pilot and his subsequent personal journey to develop a revolutionary theory on the application of force, it is a fascinating, engaging read.
Coram's narrative can slip into hyperbole to make a point, particularly when describing Boyd's confrontations with 'the orthodoxy', be they his peers, superiors or a monolithic service [Navy, Army, Marines or Air Force]. However, this style does encourage you to identify with Col Boyd and understand why his unconventional approach allied with his sheer determination was so necessary to question dogma and unchallanged assumptions. You live Col Boyd's struggle to develop a mathmatical formula [the EM theory] to allow a comparative assessment of a fighter aircraft and how this was extrapolated to become a theory of manoeuvre applicable through the strategic, operational and tactical levels of warfare. There is a price for this innovation and it was his family; it is clear Col Boyd was a singularly driven man.
Any military professional must read this book as it provides an ideal means to understand the development of the Manoeuvrist Approach in the modern Western context. I have a few criticisims; source referencing could be better and there really should be wider selection of photographs. Finally, alot of detail is invested in the the EM theory, the F-X and LWF that a explanatory diagrams would of added value in illustrating core points, but these do not detract from an engaging biography.
Coram's narrative can slip into hyperbole to make a point, particularly when describing Boyd's confrontations with 'the orthodoxy', be they his peers, superiors or a monolithic service [Navy, Army, Marines or Air Force]. However, this style does encourage you to identify with Col Boyd and understand why his unconventional approach allied with his sheer determination was so necessary to question dogma and unchallanged assumptions. You live Col Boyd's struggle to develop a mathmatical formula [the EM theory] to allow a comparative assessment of a fighter aircraft and how this was extrapolated to become a theory of manoeuvre applicable through the strategic, operational and tactical levels of warfare. There is a price for this innovation and it was his family; it is clear Col Boyd was a singularly driven man.
Any military professional must read this book as it provides an ideal means to understand the development of the Manoeuvrist Approach in the modern Western context. I have a few criticisims; source referencing could be better and there really should be wider selection of photographs. Finally, alot of detail is invested in the the EM theory, the F-X and LWF that a explanatory diagrams would of added value in illustrating core points, but these do not detract from an engaging biography.
2 people found this helpful
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M. P. Featherstone
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read book for anyone interested in modern air combat
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2020Verified Purchase
Highly recommended - telling the background of an excellent pilot and remarkable tactician overcoming political infighting and obstinance.

Jon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book ever
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2021Verified Purchase
A truly extraordinary story about an exceptional man. A maverick of the first degree fighting the establishment. Well worth a read. Brilliant