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Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces
Timed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War, this exciting true tale of courage in combat follows the memories of dozens of veterans to reconstruct the jet-to-jet combat that raged over the skies of the Korean penninsula for three years. Reprint.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 31, 2017
There is some good content here, but not sure what this book is trying to do.
The title makes you think this about US jet fighter aces, but you won't find discussions of guys like Joseph McConnell, James Jabara or Pete Fernandez. The first third of the book is some good content on the use of the F-51 (P-51), mainly in ground attack role. The last 80 pages are the insightful and interesting story of Colonel Harold Fischer - mainly about his time in captivity. In a book like this, it's useful to have some narrative context - for instance, why the USAF was using the F-51 in the first months of the war, and why preventing certain river crossings were so critical. There is some of that in this book, but it also strays into longer essays into the US grand strategy in the war.
So you're left with some interesting parts that don't quite fit together - is this the story of the early ground support in the first part of the war? Harold Fischer's story? A discussion of Korean grand strategy? They're interesting parts, but don't fit together, and they don't line up with the title.
The title makes you think this about US jet fighter aces, but you won't find discussions of guys like Joseph McConnell, James Jabara or Pete Fernandez. The first third of the book is some good content on the use of the F-51 (P-51), mainly in ground attack role. The last 80 pages are the insightful and interesting story of Colonel Harold Fischer - mainly about his time in captivity. In a book like this, it's useful to have some narrative context - for instance, why the USAF was using the F-51 in the first months of the war, and why preventing certain river crossings were so critical. There is some of that in this book, but it also strays into longer essays into the US grand strategy in the war.
So you're left with some interesting parts that don't quite fit together - is this the story of the early ground support in the first part of the war? Harold Fischer's story? A discussion of Korean grand strategy? They're interesting parts, but don't fit together, and they don't line up with the title.
April 17, 2026
Really enjoyed this one. Although not a big reader of Korean war history this one was informative. I found myself enjoying the longest chapter on Colonel Fisher's time as a POW the most intriguing. His trials and tribulations as he was shot down, captured, escaped, recaptured and eventually repatriated was the most interesting. Also discovered this author has a similar book which I will be seeking out.
December 29, 2023
Very interesting and i like the memoir format a lot
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews