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Richard Whittle

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Born

The United States

Genre

Nonfiction, History

Member Since

August 2014

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Richard Whittle, author of Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution (Henry Holt and Company, September 2014), and The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey, (Simon & Schuster, 2010), is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington and 2013-2014 Alfred V. Verville Fellow at the National Air and Space Museum. He writes occasionally for Air & Space Smithsonian magazine, the web site Breaking Defense, and other publications. Rick covered the Pentagon and other Washington beats for The Dallas Morning News for 22 years and previously covered defense and foreign policy for Congressional Quarterly. He has also been an editor at National Public Radio. His articles have bee ...more

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Richard Whittle Read everything you can -- books, magazine articles, newspapers (as long as we still have them), blogs, or anything else where one person is trying to…moreRead everything you can -- books, magazine articles, newspapers (as long as we still have them), blogs, or anything else where one person is trying to communicate information, ideas or feelings. Think about why you like the writing that appeals to you most. When you write, imagine you're writing a letter to someone you know and care about. Try to grab that person's attention and hold it as you communicate the information, ideas or feelings you want them to grasp in the liveliest way you can. (less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Richard Whittle When I finished writing my book The Dream Machine in 2009, I went to New York to visit my literary agent, who asked what I wanted to do next. I said I…moreWhen I finished writing my book The Dream Machine in 2009, I went to New York to visit my literary agent, who asked what I wanted to do next. I said I wasn't sure but I thought drones looked interesting. At the time, I knew very little about them. I thought at first I'd write a comprehensive book on "unmanned aerial vehicles," as many experts prefer to call them, but then I read an article in Air & Space Smithsonian magazine about ten aircraft that changed the world. One of the ten -- and the only drone -- was the Predator, and after I read that article, I knew the story I wanted to write: the story of the Predator and the origins of the drone revolution.(less)

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Richard Whittle’s books

Average rating: 4.07 · 814 ratings · 105 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey 4.04 avg rating — 450 ratings — published 2010 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution 4.11 avg rating — 359 ratings — published 2014 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Algorithms, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency: Implications for the Future of the Workplace by Gavin Brown, Richard Whittle (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Playpits Park by Richard Whittle (2013-07-13) by Richard Whittle (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	[The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey] [By: Whittle, Richard] [May, 2011] by Richard Whittle (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Crowfoot Jeet Kune Do : Tools of Destruction by John Daniels, Richard Whittle (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Richard Whittle (?)

“That was why stories on outrageous schedule delays and cost overruns were a staple for reporters on the Pentagon beat. Development schedules and cost estimates for major military hardware—especially aircraft—were almost always ridiculously optimistic. The incentive on both sides, for the military and for the contractors, was to shoot for the moon and worry later about how much they were going to miss it by.”
― Richard Whittle, The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey

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“Those who say it cannot be done should not get in the way of those doing it.”
― Richard Whittle, Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution

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“Breaking into a service bureaucracy’s schedule to borrow or buy even a few laser balls was a tall order, but after some high-level phone calls the Navy agreed to sell the Air Force four Forty-Four balls—at a premium of roughly 40 percent.”
― Richard Whittle, Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution

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