Basher Five-Two

by Scott O'Grady, Michael French

U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady was shot down in his F-16 over Bosnia while helping to keep the peace. The plane exploded, and Captain O'Grady fell 5 miles to the ground below. In exciting detail, Captain O'Grady tells how he evaded capture and how, with little water and no food, he was able to survive on his own in enemy territory. This is a thrilling look at an American hero--a hero not because the captain survived, but because of the skill, faith, and courage he displayed and the duty he fulfilled as a member of the armed forces.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, War, Middle Grade, Military Fiction, Historical

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 1997

Reviews

[Catherine M. Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this happening and being terrified for this naval aviator. I loved reading the book because it was recounted by O’Grady himself. It was an easy and enjoyable read and included how he survived for 6 days by eating such things as grass and ants. Poignantly, he described the angst he experienced, imagining how worried his parents and sister were after it was determined that his plane had been shot down. The story was factual and poignant at the same time.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of a military pilot who was shot down into enemy territory. It tells how he survived for 6 days with very little food and water, how he avoided the enemy capturing him, how his faith helped him get through it, how his family did not give up hope, and how he was finally rescued. It is a heroic story full of adventure and interesting lessons on survival. My 14 year old son and I both really enjoyed it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was part of my daughter's Notgrass history curriculum for school. Given that it had some military jargon in it that I was familiar with, she and I chose to read it together as a read-aloud. Overall, this was a fantastic family friendly book which gave you a brief glimpse into the life of a brave American serviceman, who was shot down over enemy territory, used the survival skills he'd learned in training, and successfully evaded being captured by the enemy. You also see the efforts made by multiple services to secure the safe recovery of one of their own and the special bond that was forged due to the experience. For a book that was only 133 pages long, it packed an emotional punch for anyone who has served in the military or anyone who has respect for those who willingly serve this great country.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring! Great family read aloud.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently saw the movie "Behind Enemy Lines," somewhat based on the story of Scott O'Grady, who was shot down over Bosnia and evaded capture until he was rescued. I say "somewhat based" because in looking up the facts of the movie, I discovered Scott O'Grady sued over this movie because he said it was obviously his story, but inaccurate and portrayed him in a way he did not want to be portrayed. I was curious, so read his autobiography to learn the facts. It was interesting to learn that he particularly objected to all the cussing in the movie. Scott O'Grady does not use profanity and is a devout Christian. It was fascinating to read about flight, the capability of the plane he flew, the equipment each pilot carries for survival situations, and his trained expertise in survival and planning. I was also impressed with the effort the military put forth to locate and save one individual. When he went missing, he was not written off as expendable. The military continued to send surveillance flights over Bosnian territory trying to locate him or pick up a signal from his radio equipment. It was nearly a week before they identified that he was still alive, yet they kept searching in the interim. Commendable, "no man left behind."

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book About an Incredibly Brave Survivor

Note: I do not recommend the Kindle version as there are many typos, especially the word “I’d” appears in the text as “Fd.” The pictures are also not as clear as in the print edition. Get the print edition for sure!

This is a must read for all American children. It has fascinating details about F-16s and am incredible man who was willing to give everything for our country but even more important shows a man who fought hard to survive and remembered God in his time of intense difficulty after his plane was shot down by a missile in Bosnia. I read this as a kid and remembered that it had an impact on me but didn’t remember the details. My kids, especially my boys, 11 and 9, really enjoyed reading this with me as a read aloud. It was a great way to introduce stories of the amazing military men and women who are truly willing to give their lives for our freedom.

[forthefamilyssake Hailey White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of my 10 year old daughters History/Literature curriculum (Veritas Press 1815 to Present). I'm reading through the books with her for discussion.

Admittedly I wasn't looking forward to reading this. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I appreciated the explanations of military and aviation lingo in layman's terms. Now you could ask me about F-16's and military survival skills and I might be able to have a decent conversation!

Lastly, I appreciated the book length (a smaller chapter book around 100 pages), which allowed me to read it in one sitting rather quickly. And, the book "stuck to the facts" which was nice. It seems like many books this style are flowered with unnecessary information.

Good read!

[Melanie Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, this book wasn't my cup of tea, but my eleven year old son liked it. Scott O'Grady tells the story of being shot down over Bosnia in 1995 in a straightforward way, never romanticizing the situation. He says several times that he was no hero, just a survivor, and credits the literal dozens of marines who risked their lives to save him. This is a great non fiction read about a little known part of history. Middle school boys will find it an easy, engaging read.

[M.L. Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick read, but was absolutely amazing. Love the real-life account of this story, and his description of the burning, falling plane made me catch my breath like I was there in that cockpit with him. Held my attention the whole way through.

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written true story. It is important to read books like these because they remind us how good we have it and how free us Americans really are.

“God bless the USA”.

[Jacob Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basher Five-Two is an inspiring and exciting autobiography written by an F-16 fighter pilot Scott O’Grady. He talks about his time spent in Bosnia, after being shot down during a normal flight procedure. He had to evade enemy forces while trying to make contact with any allies to try to be rescued. While being on the run, he has to find ways to survive and make due with what he has. Being stranded in enemy territory with no way to contact his allies or obtain food, he has to survive with what little materials he has. Over the course of multiple days, he moves throughout the land while trying to find places to hide and things to eat and drink. All of this is happening while he still has to try to make contact with people who can rescue him.
The book is not a very long read and does well to keep from dragging on. It keeps you hooked the entire time and is very detailed and informative. The details in the book are very good at making you almost feel like you can see what is happening. It gives you a point of view through the eyes of someone going through a situation that very few people experience. The book gives you many details to help you understand what is going on and to experience their thoughts and feelings. A part of the book that was very enjoyable was that it was not incredibly long. It could be very easy to make it a much longer read but leave more details that might not be as entertaining to the reader. The text is simple and to the point, and keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. The story is also organized well and easy to keep track of what is happening. It has relatively short chapters that keep building. Overall, the book is very exciting and keeps the reader engaged until the very end.

[Liam]

I loved how this book was actually a real story of scott o'grady. I think I would read this again. I think this book was a little hard to read. I do not like books that go into a lot of detail. I got this book from my uncle who was also in the air force so It was cool how they both could teach me things about the air force. The moral of the story is never give up no matter what. The actual story is about captain scott o'grady who was flying over france when he was shot down by a missile and landed on a small island and had to stay undercover until he could contact others around him so he went like 3 weeks just wandering around in a forest waiting for anyone to help him. He had a radio and some survival items like a flashlight, a filter bag, a tarp and a flare plus a radio. But other than that there was nothing so later after like 2 weeks (more or less) he got a response from the radio after he send out a signal after a few more days he got some more responses again and this time he was able to communicate with the people on the other end of the line and they were able to find a place for both scott o’grady and the air force (a squadron) to meet at a specific point in a clearing so that same day he ran to the clearing and the squadron was waiting for him the they took him home. One way this story majorly changed me was how determined captain scott o’grady was to get home. I respect that.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1995, Scott O'Grady was a U.S. Air Force pilot patrolling the no-fly zone over Bosnia when his plane was hit by a Serbian missile. He managed to eject and land unharmed in enemy territory. For nearly a week he stayed hidden during the day and made slow advances at night, all the while evading the enemy and hoping to make radio contact with the U.S. military. When a pilot finally heard his call, a large NATO team of fighters and helicopters went in and rescued him. During the publicity storm that followed, he was humble and made it clear who the real heroes were.

Eastern Europe is not a part of the world that Americans know much about. In fact many people don't realize the US played any role in the civil war that occurred in that region in the 1990s. Even though kids won't know about the war, it's a perfect book to give them a glimpse of military service and the oath our servicemen make to their country. Kids with a strong interest in military service will really enjoy this true story. There is some military talk describing the mechanics of the F-16 fighter which was the least interesting part for me, but may be just what some kids crave.

[Aimee Fuhrman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story! Basher Five-Two follows the true events of Captain Scott O'Grady's ordeal being shot down over Bosnian airspace during a peace keeping mission and the ensuing days leading up to and following his historic rescue. The story is all the more powerful because it is told in the first person by this military hero himself, allowing the reader to see and feel exactly what the survivor endured, including all of the feelings of desperation, courage, and enduring faith--both in God and in his fellow comrades.
I especially appreciate that this book is written for youth. Very few military narratives of the late 20th century are available for children. If read aloud, children as young as second or third grade can appreciate this story, but the writing is aimed at the middle grades (my ten-year-old son loved it). That being said, the story is incredible and an interesting read for teens and adults as well. I highly recommend it.

[Allyson Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir of an Air Force pilot shot down in hostile territory is aimed at a YA market, but has enough technical detail and interior reflection to appeal also to adults. Michael French, the co-author with Scott O’Grady, the rescued pilot, has done a fine job of taking the pilot’s experience and shaping it into a story. Includes photos of the pilot’s childhood (not so interesting) and of the plane he flew (interesting) and the crew that plucked him out of hostile territory in Bosnia ( very interesting).

The last ten pages or so cover the publicity explosion that Scott O’Grady faced after his rescue. The first phone call he received after his rescue was from then-President Bill Clinton, eager for positive news he could be part of. This says more about our peculiar media-driven society than perhaps O’Grady intended.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was assigned reading for my 6th-8th grade co-op class. I get to lead the discussion, and am glad for the opportunity to re-read this well-written story of one man's survival and rescue from hostile territory. O'Grady focuses on who the real heroes are - and it isn't necessarily who you think from the cover of the book. :)

[Annie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to my kids (ages 9-13) to to along with our homeschool study of US government, when we focused on the military. Short, intense read with a unique glance into an air force pilot's life, as well as his ordeal behind enemy lines, and amazing rescue. My husband and father-in-law enjoyed listening in when they could.

[Jennifer Chappell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved him as a person and his story was pretty amazing, but the writing was very tactical heavy and lacking mission details I would've liked to know from hindsight evaluation. Great story, OK writing.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing faith and courage

This story of a soldier in a desperate situation showed how knowledge, love, courage, and faith can help us survive. His humility is a great example to follow.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little older than the target audience for this book, but I was interested in his story. I'm impressed with his survival skills and I agree with him, that God brought him through that ordeal.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this real life story.

[Jeannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

✅

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great (and vey humble) telling of his experiences.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids loved this! I enjoyed it, too!

[John Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vey interesting book would reccomend

[Jileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Quite inspiring! I remember when his plane was shot down. He is quick to call himself a survivor and not a hero. Humble and god-fearing man.

[Marcia VanWolvelaere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for reluctant readers-- especially boys. My students love it.

[Dana Tuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved this book. Perfectly written for the boys. Good story and interesting.

[Debbie Channell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least enthusiastic reader read and enjoyed this- and then wanted me to read it, too.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fast read but it is a true story that I wish everyone would read.