Overview

Palace Cobra picks up where Ed Rasimus's critically acclaimed When Thunder Rolled left off. Now he's flying the F-4 Phantom and the attitude is still there. In the waning days of the Vietnam War, Rasimus and his fellow pilots were determined that they were not going be the last to die in a conflict their country had abandoned. They were young fighter pilots fresh from training and experienced aviators who came back to the war again and again, not for patriotism, but for the adrenaline rush of combat. From the bathhouses and barrooms to the prison camps of North Vietnam, this is a gripping combat memoir by a veteran fighter pilot who experienced it all. The wry cynicism of a combat aviator will give readers insights into the Vietnam experience that haven't been available before, and the heart-stopping action will keep readers turning the pages all night.

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9781250038685

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Reviews

Rasimus's story reads as though it happened yesterday, with all the fear, bravado, and frustration the result may be the best comparison of F-4 and F-105 performance and tactics ever written. -- The Washington Post Book World This is brilliant writing that could be done only by an intelligent pilot who was there in the thick of combat and has since spent considerable time reflecting on the meaning of war, patriotism, and comradeship. A superb story and another triumph by Ed Rasimus. <br>---Walter J. Boyne, author of Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why <br> The American taxpayer got double value from Ed Rasimus. He volunteered for combat in 1968 and again in 1972 (the subject of this wonderful book). Now, in retirement, he joins Saint-Ex and Ernie Gann as a masterful spinner of books about flying and survival. <br>---Daniel Ford, author of Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and the American <br> Volunteer Group <br> Ed Rasimus is the real thing, a fighter jock who saw his war from the cockpits of both primary fighting aircraft that flew the hairy missions over Hanoi, the Thunderchief and the Phantom. Ed is one of those unique air warriors who are both hero and author---and he's damned good at both endeavors. <br>---Tom Bear Wilson, author of Termite Hill <br> Put on your G suit and helmet as Ed Rasimus once again takes you into white-knuckle, SAM-dodging combat. . . . Rasimus takes you behind the scenes into the myriad of details of a combat fighter pilot's Vietnam air-war tour of duty, on and off base. Further, he sums up those air warrior days as those when patriotism was a virtue and courage expected. <br>---Mark Berent, author of the Rolling Thunder series <br> This book by American fighter pilot Ed Rasimus is not another 'And there I was' story. To those of us who were there, it sweeps back vivid memories, bringing the past into sharp focus and evoking a deep sense of brotherhood for those with whomL

Author Information

Ed Rasimus is a graduate of Chicago's Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in political science, as well as a master's in political science from Auburn University and a master's in international relations from Troy State. As a pilot in the Vietnam War, Ed volunteered for two tours of combat duty (1966, 1972) and flew more than 250 combat missions in the fastest, most awesome jets of the period: the F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom. In the process he earned the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross five times, as well as the Air Medal with nineteen oak leaf clusters and an array of battle ribbons and awards. Since leaving the Air Force, he's worked for a major aerospace contractor on the development of the next generation of tactical aircraft as well as written extensively for computer magazines, with a weekly column in several publications and hundreds of software reviews. Rasimus taught political science in Colorado for several years and has spoken on the Vietnam air war at the U.S. Air Force Academy, the National Museum of the USAF, as well as colleges and libraries across the country. He lives in North Texas, where he continues to write and is currently researching a history of the incorporation of women into the tactical flying and fighting profession.

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