By a quirk of incredibly bad timing, Naval Institute Press declared Marion's memoir out of print the same week he was killed in June 1998. The sudden nature of his death created an instant demand for the book, but NIP had neglected to inform the Carl family or me (his coauthor) that the book would be unavailable. We are, however, seeking another publisher and hope to have the story of this incredible aviator and exceptional man available again.

Barrett Tillman

I personally have been fascinated by the history of the war in the Pacific. In particular, it is the carrier battles that have held my interest and fascination. Barrett Tillman provides an excellent account of the history of one of the most important naval fighters of all time. The F4F held the line against the superior Japanese A6M Zero until more advanced and capable fighters (the F4U and F6F) could be introduced to push the Japanese back across the Pacific Ocean. This book gives the details of the Wildcat's development and battle history, from Midway until the end of the war where it was serving on the escort carriers. This book is highly recommended!

This offering by Barrett Tilllman is one of the more readable accounts of WWII naval aviation. Tillman goes into enough depth to give the reader an appreciation for the technology and engineering involved in the F4U Corsair, but rightly devotes most of the book to the stories of the aviators who flew the "Ensign Eliminator" in combat. Anecdotes related to the author by veteran Corsair drivers, added to Tillman's own knowledge and experience in flying WWII aircraft lend authenticity to the work. Very well researched, this book is a valuable resource for the student of WWII or aviation,but its style also recomends it to the casual reader.

Though not the book I would recommend to my girlfriend, I read it in one session from front to cover. Is it because I was born too late to fly this plane myself? The nice thing for me about this book is that I got the feeling that it took me back in time and let me experience wat it was like -or at least what I thought it would be like-. There are enough photographs to prevent you from drowning in text and evere aspect of the plane gets covered, with the exception of what it was to maintain a Corsair airworthy for its groundcrews.
This book was published in the States by the United States Naval Institute and in Britain by PSL (Patrick Stepens Limited)

Born in 1943, I spent my youth building balsa Corsairs (and Mustangs, Hellcats, Warhawks, Spitfires and Hurricanes) covered with silkspan, and reading of their exploits in WWII and Korea. There must be millions of us Fifty- and Sixty-somethings in America still feeling we were born too late to have a chance to fly the great fighters of WWII. For us, Tillman is a timely author. We buy and read his well-told histories with feelings of respect for the designers, builders, test pilots, pilots and crews who made that great age of the piston-powered warbirds possible.

Avoiding the dreary repetitiveness of some such books, which seem bound to chronicle every squadron's every mission, Tillman's Corsair is an exceptionally good example of its breed. It combines valuable historical detail with first-hand accounts of the plane and its pilots in action.

Barrett Tillman is a well-known aviation writer an enthusiast. He has written over thirty books about the W.W. II United States Navy and USN carrier aviation. "Warriors" was his first venture into fiction. This novel is just plain trash: unbelievable concept, subtle anti-Semitism, and an unabashed worship of Saudi Arabia. The writing is mediocre and not up to the high standards of Tillman's historical books.

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UNBELIEVABLE CONCEPT:
The basic plot premise of the novel is that the Saudi Arabian king hires a former United States Navy (USN) fighter jock to build a Top Gun fighter school for the Saudis who will then unite the Arab World to destroy Israel. The only thing that the Arab world has been able to unite behind so far is Israel's destruction. This is believable. However, the idea that the more radical Arab states would submit to being led by "more moderate" Saudi Arabia is very farfetched.

DOGFIGHTERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE:

The USN fighter jock makes three assumptions:

1. "Only airpower can defeat airpower"
2. "Pilot quality is the decisive factor in combat between aircraft."
3. The F-20 Tigershark, a cheap and simple fighter, will have better mission turn-around rates than more complicated multi-mission aircraft.

In the book, a Top Gun school is set up for the Saudis to make them into world-class aviators, which is done by recruiting fighter aces from around the world to be their teachers. These foreign pilots train Saudi aviators to be fighter jocks and the best pilots among each class return to teach other Saudis. Meanwhile, a maintenance corps required to keep F-20 fighter planes up and flying is set up.

Tillman's idea is an interesting one, but it's also a rather far-fetched concept. This book was published in 1990 and during the 1991 Desert Storm conflict, Saudi Aviators proved to be less than impressive flyers. This isn't to say that there aren't some world-class pilots among the Saudi armed forces, but as a group, Saudi flyers didn't perform well. Despite flying some of the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world, Saudis still have great difficulty maintaining their weapons and are still dependant on Western technicians to maintain them.

Saudi Arabia also still has an abysmal literacy rate despite great efforts to educate the Saudi population. It is true that many Saudi Arabians are very bright and well educated, but this tends to be only among the highly privileged who can afford to study abroad. It's hard to imagine that one fighter jock could turn so many societal shortcomings around and build the necessary resources to train adequate numbers of pilots and technicians to destroy the Israel Air Force.

Perhaps another questionable assertion that Tillman makes is that, in future warfare electronic warfare, opposing electronic weapons will cancel each other out (Page 272) making radars near useless. History, to date, has taught us anything but this lesson.

SUBTLE Anti-Semitism:
Tillman writes about Israel with a subtle animosity although he apparently has respect for the Israeli military. The US administration is very upset with Israel. Tillman is able to justify this by having Israel successfully invade Jordan under the pretext of destroying terrorists. Tillman's US government is prepared to appease terrorists and give in to moral relativism. Even when Saudi Arabia and Israel go to war, the US government doesn't treat Bennett and other foreign aviators as mercenaries or worse (Page 96), which they most definitely would be if they were fighting for foreign powers.

Not only that, Tillman drops a piece of information frequently used by anti-Semites, Bennett's brother was stationed on the USS Liberty, a US spy ship that wandered too close to the war zone during the 1967 Six Day War and was mistakenly fired upon by Israeli combatants (Page 58). In Tillman's defense, he does mention the Stark and Vincennes episodes. However, Tillman conveniently transforms his dropping of the Liberty into an excuse that it would be in the best interests of the USA arm Saudi Arabia. In another quote, Tillman blames the Israelis for the lack of peace in the Middle East (Page 234).

Tillman also repeats the sorts of assertions that the anti-Semitic Arab media continues to make to this day (Page 132-133) without putting such information into perspective or revealing it for being false:

'''But you know the Jewish influence in America.' Aziz's voice had a brittle edge. 'It is endless, there is no bottom to it.'
Musad was about to reply that he could not blame any nation or group that acted from self-interest. It was the way of the world. Aftah looked up from his notes. 'Yes, that is so. The Israelis can do almost anything they wish where the U.S. is concerned. They can spy on the Americans; they can lobby against American interests in the U.S. Congress. They have even killed Americans with impunity.'
He looked over the top of his bifocals. 'They cannot produce oil for the Americans. But we can.'"

That entire quote is chocked full of anti-Semitic mistruths.

SAUDI PROPAGANDA:
Tillman must have gone to a Saudi embassy for his research and historical background. It is blatantly pro-Saudi and brushes over any questionable information regarding Saudi history and legitimacy. He frequently quotes the Koran even using quotes from the Koran to describe the Saudi Arabs as perfect warriors (Page 109) from whence comes the title of the book.

The great majority of novel advocates that Saudi Arabia and the USA should be closer allies. I wonder how Tillman would have felt about this novel after the 9-11 disaster perpetrated mostly by Saudi Arabian citizens. We'll never know since Tillman passed away in the year 2000, may he rest in peace.

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I recommend AGAINST reading this book.

It is very poorly done. While there are many good ideas, the bad ones far outweigh the good ones. I recommend reading Lon Nordeen, Eric Hammel, Michael Oren, or a host of other authors.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

One of the best books of dogfight I ever read

This book by Barrett Tillman shows a deep and incisive understanding of air power. It discusses in an easy to read format, basic but very important principles regarding the development, growth and application of airpower. This was done from the perspective of an experienced combat aviator - and makes it a must read for those interested in air combat and air strategy.

I am certain that this book must have been interesting reading for the countries in the Middle East, and specially Saudi Arabia and Israel. I would even dare say that the basic insights it contains makes it a must-read for air-force academies all over the world.

This paperback contained war stories from three noted authors.The first story was by Stephen Coonts. It tells of an ex Marine sniper and a female military pilot who team up to kill the
terrorists who were responsible for killing her parents. In a story authored by Dean Ing a private investigator,a bounty hunter
and an FBI agent team up and discover a terrorist plot that could
lead to thousands of deaths.The final story by Barrett Tillman
tells the story of a group of retired fighter pilots who battle
enemy jets over the skies of California. Combat #2 was not as good a book as Combat #1. I hope that Combat #3 is an improvement
over Combat #2.

This was a really good buy. I have read all of Coonts books along with Clancy (except his Net Force), Brown, & Coyle. This is a great book for when you want to get down and dirty with the action within a short period. Each short is creatively done and reflects different views on combat and its effects on people and machines.

This is also a great way to learn about up and coming authors in this particular field.

This is a very novel concept to writing a book. In Combat#1 you
have Larry Bond,Dale Brown,and David Hagberg as the authors of three short novels.These are three of the most read authors all
together in one book.The first story written by Larry Bond is
cakked Lashup. In this story the Unites States has to deal with
China shooting down their satellites. A very good story.The next
story is written by Dale Brown. This story tells about the role
of a review board.It also has some good sequences. The third story is written by David Hagberg which features his favorite
action character Kirk McGarvey. This story involves the rescue of a Chinese dissident. This series of books is truly quality
reading. You have some of the best authors in the world featured in the Combat series. Buy this book. You will not be dissapointed.

Barrett Tillman has written another great avaition book. He is a very capable and reliable author. This book really makes the carrier war come alive for me - the great build-up of US power that was eventually to swamp the Japanese empire in the Pacific. I am always left wanting more - so that must be a good sign!

An excellent reference work - well worth the price. This author knows his stuff and makes it come alive ! The Hellcat Aces is fascinating history and a great book for air enthusiasts or modelers !

If you don't know about the Osprey "Aces" series, it is a set of paperback books describing in great (and sometimes arduous) detail just about every sortie and every aviator who ever shot down another in the title aircraft. Lots of little B&W photos in the margins, these books aren't for everyone. In fact, when I picked up my first few, they went unread for many months.

Then, when I tired of the picture books with nothing to say and the "history" mags with their usually-uninspired writing and lack of good stories, and after I had read the same specs and summaries over and over... I re-discovered Osprey! Osprey is the motherlode... where you finally get to when your thirst for the details of the WW-II airwar can no longer be sated by the coffee-table glossies (exception: anything from the late Jeff Ethell) and the $5.00 mags from Borders.

And the Wildcat is a great place to start. This was the first type to see sustained action after Pearl Harbor, mostly in the Pacific, where it performed for literally all of the war.

Tillman has done some excellent research to find often first-hand information on every Wildcat ace and near ace of WW-II. He uses a chronological approach within the major Wildcat deployments: first USN/MC Pacific, then USN Europe and finally British Fleet Air Arm (FAA), with due relevance given each.

Beginning on Dec 7, 1941, we see the newly-deployed Wildcat get its sea legs, through Wake Is., Midway, Guadalcanal... We see all of the major campaigns, (good and bad but mostly focusing on the positive) culminating in VJ day and the poor guy who lost it strafing a Japanese carrier deck 3 hrs before the surrender; then we see how the Wildcats were used in the ETO - knocking out some ships up in Norway, or U-boats in the north Atlantic; and finally the Brits and their "Martlet", from pre-Pearl Harbor to their General Motors-made Martlet Mk VIs near the end of the war(again), when the Wildcat is relegated to the important but ignominious task of "forward observing" for Iwo and Japan-pounding naval artillery... and still knocking bogies out of the sky to and fro the combat area.

However with these Ospreys, the only vantage point is from a single type of aircraft - which you might find peculiar... some would say artificial. You certainly don't get the big picture of the war unless you read the other Ospreys of the major fighting types: Corsair and Hellcat for the Pacific; Mustang, Lightning and Thunderbolt for Europe. But this single aircraft look gives you one important perspective: that of the war as seen by these pilots and their support crew.

And taken with its brethren, you can get the big picture... of the air war anyway, and all the great reading you could want from this series - and I found Tillman's Wildcat issue is right up there with a story as important and interesting as the plane itself. Definately worth 4 stars.

Tillman does his usual superb job. He knows more about naval aviation history than anyone. I bought the book as a reference, but anyone will find it easily readable as well as complete. Superb illustrations as well.

Tillman's telling of the Marianas Turkey Shoot is a great starting point for those not familiar with the WWII Marianas Campaign. There are ample photographs of the various planes involve in the greatest aerial battle of WW II. Though, the book is a little bear in text and details - mainly relying upon oral accounts from pilots involve in the Marianas Turkey Shoot - it is serves as a starting point for those who wish to read and familiarize themselves with one of the greatest battles of WW II.

Amazon.com has several books, which cover the Marianas Turkey Shoot as well as the Battle of Saipan, and the entire Marianas Campaign. Among these highly recommended books are: Saipan: The Beginning of the End by Carl W. Hoffman and Oba: The Last Samurai, Saipan 1944-1945 by Don Jones.

Having been 'soaked' in boring aviation reference (i.e. Jane's) for years, it was great to discover this book. You won't find to much dry technical specs, or second hand descriptions of flight from authors who've never been close to a cockpit. "Wildcats to Tomcats" is authored by three who have been there, and have had every title worth having in Naval Aviation. Wally Shirra, Zeke Cormier, and Phil Wood are three of the finest aviators ever to take flight...and all three share their experiences in this amazing book. Every aspect of their glorious and dynamic lives they share! And they don't attempt to paint a rosy picture of the U.S. Navy. All three describe their feats with absolute honesty, no gripes held back. If you're buying only one aviation book this year, this is the one! If you're in love with anything "FLY NAVY", let these TOPGUNS tell it to you. GET THIS BOOK!

I have purchased three other Tillman books & they all follow similar format. Tiny bit of detail regarding history & development, a lot of what pilot shot down how many enemy planes on what day. Gives a good flavor for the heroism & valour, the courage of these vets, but it does get dry & redundant after awhile. Few photos, all black & white.

In summary, a good book, nice to have on the bookshelf, but not one you'll be re-reading over and over...unless, of course you are tired of counting sheep...

As a major war history buff, this book was NOT by any stretch of the imagination an authoritative book detailing the exploits of the Hellcat.

The main problem with this book is that the Hellcat was involved in so many engagements in the Pacific and elsewheres during World War II that it is simply not possible to write a decent book about it in only 265 pages. And Tillman/McCampbell did not write a good book about it here.

As a result, the book is basically just a summary, filled with lists and lists of Hellcat fighter jocks, the planes they shot down in certain engagements.... and that was pretty much it!

It got to be sort of like reading the Book of Numbers from the Bible.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to slog on, in the hopes that I would find some pearl of wisdom, some brilliant insight, that I had not encountered in another book about WWII.

But there were none.

I give the book two stars only because the book might be interesting to somebody who has not read a lot about WW II aircraft already.

It seems that everyplace I turn, Barrett Tillman is there. He contributes to The Hook magazine, The Blue Press, and is a fellow member of the Association of Naval Aviation, Flying Beaver squadron.

This book is all about my favorite fighter aircraft of all time, Grumman's F6F "Hellcat." Of all the Japanese aircraft shot down in air-to-air combat during the Second World War, this airplane and its pilots accounted for nearly 8 out of 10 of them.

Yet, it was a "generic" fighter, the big brother to the tubby, feisty little F4F "Wildcat" with which the U.S. Navy started the war, but which was outclassed by the A6M2 "Zero" of Mitsubishi, which could outclimb, outmaneuver and, worse--fly further on a tank of gas. So, they could strike our ships while they were still out of our range.

Leroy Grumman and his "Iron Works" at Bethpage, Long Island, came up with the antidote. The "Hellcat" went from drawing board to test flight in only a year, making her first flight on June 26, 1942, almost exactly a year after the Navy had first requested the aircraft to replace the obsolescent "Wildcat". The first flight of a production F6F-3 was on October 3rd.

The airplane had no bad habits. It was easy to fly, and had good visibility of the flight deck on final, unlike the long-nosed F4U Vought Sikorsky (later, Chance Vought) "Corsair," which was dubbed the "Ensign Eliminator."

Tillman, whose father was a naval aviator in the Second World War, has demonstrated a devotion to naval aviation, and has written a number of books about the aircraft of that war and the men who flew them.

His books bring back memories. You can almost hear the unmuffled roar of the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R2800, all 2,000 horsepower belching flame from the exhaust stacks as the airplane strains against her brakes and chocks preparing for takeoff from the carrier deck.

No one writes it better than Barrett Tillman, and he is a fellow Oregonian, to boot!

Joseph Pierre,
Author: Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books