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Jake Grafton #1
Flight of the Intruder
Grazing the Vietnam treetops at night at just under the speed of sound, A-6 Intruder pilot Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton knows exactly how precarious life is. Landing on a heaving aircraft carrier, dodging missiles locked on his fighter, flying through clouds of flak--he knows each flight could be his last. Yet he straps himself into a cockpit every day.
Then a bullet kills his bombardier while they're hitting another 'suspected' truck depot. Jake wonders what his friend died for--and why? Hitting pointless targets selected by men piloting desks just doesn't make sense. Maybe it's time to do something worthwhile. Something that will make a difference...
Jake and his new bombardier, ice-cold Tiger Cole, are going to pick their own target and hit the enemy where it hurts. But to get there and back in one piece is going to take a lot of nerve, even more skill, and an incredible amount of raw courage. Before it's over, they're going to fly into hell.
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First published September 1, 1986
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About the author
Stephen Coonts
180 books754 followersStephen Coonts (born July 19, 1946) is an American thriller and suspense novelist.
Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. He entered the Navy the following year and flew an A-6 Intruder medium attack plane during the Vietnam War, where he served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned a number of Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68). His navigator-bombardier was LTjg Stanley W. Bryant who later became a Rear Admiral and deputy commander-in-chief of the US naval forces in Europe.
After being honorably discharged from duty as a lieutenant in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time.
He published short stories in a number of publications before writing Flight of the Intruder in 1986 (made into a movie in 1991). Intruder, based in part on his experiences as a bomber pilot, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover and launched his career as a novelist. From there he continued writing adventure-mysteries using the character from his first book, Jake Grafton. He has written several other series and stand-alone novels since then, but is most notable for the Grafton books.
Today Coonts continues to write, having had seventeen New York Times bestsellers (out of 20 books), and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son.
Taken from Wikipedia
Learn more about Stephen Coonts on the Macmillan website.
Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. He entered the Navy the following year and flew an A-6 Intruder medium attack plane during the Vietnam War, where he served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned a number of Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68). His navigator-bombardier was LTjg Stanley W. Bryant who later became a Rear Admiral and deputy commander-in-chief of the US naval forces in Europe.
After being honorably discharged from duty as a lieutenant in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time.
He published short stories in a number of publications before writing Flight of the Intruder in 1986 (made into a movie in 1991). Intruder, based in part on his experiences as a bomber pilot, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover and launched his career as a novelist. From there he continued writing adventure-mysteries using the character from his first book, Jake Grafton. He has written several other series and stand-alone novels since then, but is most notable for the Grafton books.
Today Coonts continues to write, having had seventeen New York Times bestsellers (out of 20 books), and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son.
Taken from Wikipedia
Learn more about Stephen Coonts on the Macmillan website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
October 12, 2019
Loved this book. Read it when it came out. I put it on the same level as Hunt for Red October. Great book.
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February 1, 2009
This was interesting to me because it was written by and based on the combat experiences of the author who did exactly what my father did in Vietnam. He was even in the same squadron and might have flown some of the exact same planes as my dad. Unfortunately, I can't get my dad to read it or see the movie, due to his as yet unresolved personal issues with his experience. As a result of his beliefs, he quit after flying nine combat missions.
What is so personally interesting to me is that the author displays in his character the exact same political conflict and the resulting inner turmoil as my father has described his to me. The way the character resolves this personal crisis would be to my father, I believe, cathartic and satisfying.
What is so personally interesting to me is that the author displays in his character the exact same political conflict and the resulting inner turmoil as my father has described his to me. The way the character resolves this personal crisis would be to my father, I believe, cathartic and satisfying.
January 28, 2020
The second novel ever published by Naval Institute Press-- Hunt for Red October was the first.
It was an instant success bringing readers inside the cockpit. From the opening scene where the mantra of "big sky, little bullet" goes tragically wrong through the climactic scene its a fast paced, realistic story of the military by someone who knew first hand.
Stephen Coonts was another author nice enough to give me a blurb for my first novel, many years ago. I've always appreciated it.
It was an instant success bringing readers inside the cockpit. From the opening scene where the mantra of "big sky, little bullet" goes tragically wrong through the climactic scene its a fast paced, realistic story of the military by someone who knew first hand.
Stephen Coonts was another author nice enough to give me a blurb for my first novel, many years ago. I've always appreciated it.
March 19, 2012
I don't know why, but I had expected more from Flight of the Intruder. I vaguely remembered the movie of this novel from the early 1990's and had the book sitting on my shelf, so I thought that I'd give it a read.
Overall, it's not THAT bad, but it's not really that good either. Flight of the Intruder falls smack dab in the middle-of-the-road category to me. The storyline is ok but fairly predictable. The characters really don't have a whole lot of depth and the dialog is really nothing to write home about. Also, for an action/adventure style of novel, the action scenes just didn't do much for me.
I wouldn't really recommend this book. However, there is a series of ten books following this character. Maybe it just struck me in the wrong way. I do own one other book in the series, Under Siege, so maybe I'll give it a try sometime and see if that changes my mind. In the meantime, I won't be holding my breath.
Overall, it's not THAT bad, but it's not really that good either. Flight of the Intruder falls smack dab in the middle-of-the-road category to me. The storyline is ok but fairly predictable. The characters really don't have a whole lot of depth and the dialog is really nothing to write home about. Also, for an action/adventure style of novel, the action scenes just didn't do much for me.
I wouldn't really recommend this book. However, there is a series of ten books following this character. Maybe it just struck me in the wrong way. I do own one other book in the series, Under Siege, so maybe I'll give it a try sometime and see if that changes my mind. In the meantime, I won't be holding my breath.
November 1, 2023
This book was published in 1986 and concerns events that happened in 1972. I first read this book in 1991 and enjoyed it very much; I gave it 4 stars. The story is about an American Navy pilot who flies an A6 Intruder bomber off a US carrier and bombs targets in North Vietnam.
I’d kind of forgotten the details of the novel, so I decided I might enjoy reading it again. Unfortunately, I was not quite as enamored with this story as I was in 1991. Now, I was in the Navy during the Vietnam War though I never left the state of California. So the novel is quite enjoyable just for its portrayal of life aboard an aircraft carrier. The book is very much in the style of a Tom Clancy techno-thriller.
However, as has been pointed out by other reviews here, the main characters lack depth to make us really care about them. And then the main plot, about an illegal bombing by the main characters, of the city of Hanoi just does not ring true. The main character, Jake Grafton, the pilot of the A6 is upset when his bomber/navigator is killed while on a routine bombing mission of some non-existing truck park. Jake is shaken when his friend is killed, but we only know the friend for the first chapter of the story, and it’s hard to feel Jake’s pain.
So Jake and his new bomber/navigator hatch a plan to bomb the city of Hanoi without authorization. Navy authorities discover the incident, and Jake and his new friend are Court Martialed, but get off on a technicality.
This did not bother me in 1991, but today I have a hard time believing that an American Naval pilot would risk his career and future with so blatant an action. Perhaps a similar incident did occur in the war, but the author does not make me believe it.
Styles and tastes change over time. Many of the ethical questions of 1972 are non-issues today and so the ethical dilemmas no longer have the same impact.
Today’s view of women has also changed. I cringed as I read of the brothels in the Philippines, and how the young women are referred to as LBFMs, or Little Brown Fucking Machines. I might have referred to the women that way if I had been in the Philippines in 1972, but today the term troubles me.
All in all, this 1986 Best Seller has not withstood the test of time.
I’d kind of forgotten the details of the novel, so I decided I might enjoy reading it again. Unfortunately, I was not quite as enamored with this story as I was in 1991. Now, I was in the Navy during the Vietnam War though I never left the state of California. So the novel is quite enjoyable just for its portrayal of life aboard an aircraft carrier. The book is very much in the style of a Tom Clancy techno-thriller.
However, as has been pointed out by other reviews here, the main characters lack depth to make us really care about them. And then the main plot, about an illegal bombing by the main characters, of the city of Hanoi just does not ring true. The main character, Jake Grafton, the pilot of the A6 is upset when his bomber/navigator is killed while on a routine bombing mission of some non-existing truck park. Jake is shaken when his friend is killed, but we only know the friend for the first chapter of the story, and it’s hard to feel Jake’s pain.
So Jake and his new bomber/navigator hatch a plan to bomb the city of Hanoi without authorization. Navy authorities discover the incident, and Jake and his new friend are Court Martialed, but get off on a technicality.
This did not bother me in 1991, but today I have a hard time believing that an American Naval pilot would risk his career and future with so blatant an action. Perhaps a similar incident did occur in the war, but the author does not make me believe it.
Styles and tastes change over time. Many of the ethical questions of 1972 are non-issues today and so the ethical dilemmas no longer have the same impact.
Today’s view of women has also changed. I cringed as I read of the brothels in the Philippines, and how the young women are referred to as LBFMs, or Little Brown Fucking Machines. I might have referred to the women that way if I had been in the Philippines in 1972, but today the term troubles me.
All in all, this 1986 Best Seller has not withstood the test of time.
June 30, 2011
Easily one of my favorite novels. I'm a naval aviation fan boy as it is, but this book was written by a man that actually lived what he wrote about, (much like Ian Flemming), and it shows. The material is so well sourced and written that it's easy to follow, and the explanations for the technical aspects of the aircraft, carrier life, and tactics are easy for anyone to follow. As a pilot, I enjoyed being able to recognize a lot of the technical aspects as well, but that was really just for me. The story is a great one about a man that has a job to do, in spite of the pointlessness of it all. He gets tired of not risking his life, but risking his life for nothing, and finally decides to do something about. It perfectly expresses what I'm sure a lot of other soldiers in Vietnam felt, but using creative liberty to take it a little farther than most responsible soldiers would. The movie does this book no justice. Avoid it at all costs. But definitely read the book.
October 31, 2023
Great airplane stuff. Bad novel stuff.
February 20, 2018
I have a strong feeling of ambivalence with this one. The scenes were both visceral and thrilling. It brings to the forefront the horror of war and how it does mess with your thoughts and reactions.
December 31, 2023
Flight Descriptions are Outstanding Marred by Character and Plot Cliches
In writing this novel set during the Vietnam War, there is little doubt that author Stephen Coonts flew A-6 Intruder jets from the deck of an aircraft carrier into harm’s way. The best part of this novel is Coonts’ description of what it was like to fly an aircraft that deployed, for its time, state-of-the-art electronics to attack targets at night as well as by day and had pilot aids to avoid anti-aircraft missiles, hostile aircraft, and other enemy defenses. The dangers of flying off a carrier are well-documented as well as the risks of flying in combat.
Written 11 years after the Vietnam War ended, when disillusionment with the price and consequences of the war America lost had set in, Coonts has his main character question the missions that had little battlefield consequence but claimed American lives.
The book was apparently made into a commercially successful movie in 1991. Undoubtedly it featured a lot of “gee whiz” aerial acrobatics and explosions which can’t be replicated on a printed page. Having found a successful formula, Coonts went on to write several more books featuring his protagonist, Jake Grafton.
This is a novel, so Coonts is within his rights to create a composite character, Lieutenant Jake Grafton, who experiences or witnesses just about every situation that the aviators faced over Vietnam. These ranged from death due to a single improbable rifle shot to the more common challenge of evading missiles and anti-aircraft fire on a bombing run. But some of these runs remind one of the phrase, “throwing in everything but the kitchen sink” as the aircraft streak unharmed through a wall of fire.
Others with military experience have questioned whether a highly trained naval aviator would have violated his orders and attacked enemy headquarters in the center of Hanoi. That, of course, is the event that is referenced in the book title.
By way of real-life comparison, and I have been unable to find the program, there was a documentary made of an aircraft carrier deployed in the Gulf as the post-Saddam war with Iraqi militants was winding down. Day after day, at great cost, the carrier launched its planes which were ready to assist any American ground forces that were under direct attack. The crew on deck began to bet when a pilot would violate orders and drop ordnance on a suspected enemy position. Pilots were extremely disciplined and despite what may have been a temptation, they never violated orders. Ultimately the carrier was ordered home with no ordnance having been dropped during the entire deployment.
Whenever the author takes his protagonist, Lt. Grafton, out of the cockpit, we are subjected to every character cliche that has ever appeared in a cheap war novel. Eschewing easy sex with airline stewardesses or young Asian women forced into prostitution, Grafton of course falls in love with Callie, a proper American sweetheart who works as a Chinese interpreter in the American embassy in Hong Kong. In fact, all the characters in this novel are flat and one-dimensional.
For those interested in the operational characteristics and capabilities of an A-6 aircraft, this book has something to offer. Otherwise it is disappointing.
In writing this novel set during the Vietnam War, there is little doubt that author Stephen Coonts flew A-6 Intruder jets from the deck of an aircraft carrier into harm’s way. The best part of this novel is Coonts’ description of what it was like to fly an aircraft that deployed, for its time, state-of-the-art electronics to attack targets at night as well as by day and had pilot aids to avoid anti-aircraft missiles, hostile aircraft, and other enemy defenses. The dangers of flying off a carrier are well-documented as well as the risks of flying in combat.
Written 11 years after the Vietnam War ended, when disillusionment with the price and consequences of the war America lost had set in, Coonts has his main character question the missions that had little battlefield consequence but claimed American lives.
The book was apparently made into a commercially successful movie in 1991. Undoubtedly it featured a lot of “gee whiz” aerial acrobatics and explosions which can’t be replicated on a printed page. Having found a successful formula, Coonts went on to write several more books featuring his protagonist, Jake Grafton.
This is a novel, so Coonts is within his rights to create a composite character, Lieutenant Jake Grafton, who experiences or witnesses just about every situation that the aviators faced over Vietnam. These ranged from death due to a single improbable rifle shot to the more common challenge of evading missiles and anti-aircraft fire on a bombing run. But some of these runs remind one of the phrase, “throwing in everything but the kitchen sink” as the aircraft streak unharmed through a wall of fire.
Others with military experience have questioned whether a highly trained naval aviator would have violated his orders and attacked enemy headquarters in the center of Hanoi. That, of course, is the event that is referenced in the book title.
By way of real-life comparison, and I have been unable to find the program, there was a documentary made of an aircraft carrier deployed in the Gulf as the post-Saddam war with Iraqi militants was winding down. Day after day, at great cost, the carrier launched its planes which were ready to assist any American ground forces that were under direct attack. The crew on deck began to bet when a pilot would violate orders and drop ordnance on a suspected enemy position. Pilots were extremely disciplined and despite what may have been a temptation, they never violated orders. Ultimately the carrier was ordered home with no ordnance having been dropped during the entire deployment.
Whenever the author takes his protagonist, Lt. Grafton, out of the cockpit, we are subjected to every character cliche that has ever appeared in a cheap war novel. Eschewing easy sex with airline stewardesses or young Asian women forced into prostitution, Grafton of course falls in love with Callie, a proper American sweetheart who works as a Chinese interpreter in the American embassy in Hong Kong. In fact, all the characters in this novel are flat and one-dimensional.
For those interested in the operational characteristics and capabilities of an A-6 aircraft, this book has something to offer. Otherwise it is disappointing.
August 16, 2016
An exciting novel with believable characters and extensive detail only someone who was there could provide. The action is tense, detailed, and almost makes you feel like you are witnessing the events yourself. I found myself gripping the book tighter during carrier take-offs and landings. The protagonist is neither good nor bad; but a real person caught in a messy situation with conflicting duties to his job, country, himself, and humanity. The author develops the dilemma of a military officer struggling with self-doubt and a lacking sense of purpose very well. The bravado and camaraderie among the officers is spot on and the morbid humor reflects what happens in a real combat zone. The technical detail of the aircraft may be a little too much for some, but being an airplane geek, I enjoyed it.
April 11, 2020
The Flight of the Intruder (1986) by Stephen Coonts is a rip-roaring tale of an A-6 Intruder pilot, Jake Grafton, flying in Vietnam. Coonts knows what he was writing about. He was an Intruder pilot in Vietnam.
The book has lots of detail and the feel of life on board an aircraft carrier is remarkable. According to others who have been pilots on a carrier it's not that far from what happens. Coonts was interviewed on the Fighter Pilot podcast in 2019. The host of the podcast was also a pilot on a carrier and thought the book did a great job.
Flight of the Intruder does have a few cliches in the book and it isn't particularly well written but the book does move pretty quickly and it is all entertaining. It's a pretty impressive first book effort. For anyone who enjoyed the flying parts of Top Gun Flight of the Intruder is likely to be well worth a look.
The book has lots of detail and the feel of life on board an aircraft carrier is remarkable. According to others who have been pilots on a carrier it's not that far from what happens. Coonts was interviewed on the Fighter Pilot podcast in 2019. The host of the podcast was also a pilot on a carrier and thought the book did a great job.
Flight of the Intruder does have a few cliches in the book and it isn't particularly well written but the book does move pretty quickly and it is all entertaining. It's a pretty impressive first book effort. For anyone who enjoyed the flying parts of Top Gun Flight of the Intruder is likely to be well worth a look.
March 2, 2015
I finished this book on the way to take a "hard hat" tour of a carrier, intending to leave the book for another visitor to pick up but, alas, forgot.
The book is mediocre in that it seems like the author is working a checklist: pilot suffers personal loss when his bombardier is killed--check; pilot gets a girlfriend--check; pilot disobeys orders in very, very bad way--check; pilot gets shot down and injured but saves the day through personal heroism--check.
I can only think that parts are just completely unrealistic. You just can't have navy pilots flying off on their own missions, dropping bombs wherever.
The book is mediocre in that it seems like the author is working a checklist: pilot suffers personal loss when his bombardier is killed--check; pilot gets a girlfriend--check; pilot disobeys orders in very, very bad way--check; pilot gets shot down and injured but saves the day through personal heroism--check.
I can only think that parts are just completely unrealistic. You just can't have navy pilots flying off on their own missions, dropping bombs wherever.
March 4, 2017
If you want to know what it's like to do a carrier landing or take ground to air missile attacks this book will do just fine. Actually the realism in this book by Navy fighter air craft during Vietnam Nam is unequaled. The main character grew tired of losing his wing mates, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. If you wAnt to know what he did, read the book. Incredible writing kept me on the edge of my seat, reading late into the night.
June 11, 2019
I watched the Flight of the Intruder movie starring Danny Glover, Willem Defoe, and Brad Johnson as Jake Grafton over the weekend and was intrigued enough to pick up the book it was based on today. I have to say the novel was excellent. It was a great glimpse into the world of navy pilots during the Vietnam War. Coonts himself flew the A-6 Intruder attack bombers and he excelled at writing suspense, thrills, and showing just enough of the technical side. It was a great read.
February 24, 2015
I enjoyed the last 1/4 of this 87' novel centered around the Vietnam war much more than the rest. The characters became much more defined, while the story became much less technical. 5 of 10 stars
November 22, 2020
On the one hand, this book starts well, has some very tense scenes, and the writing is serviceable enough to tell the story. Although there is a lot of jargon, most of it is explained without slowing down the narrative too much.
However, on the other hand, it takes way too long for the main part of the plot to materialize (over 200 pages in), and although there were some exciting scenes beforehand, they make the book kinda episodic in nature. It would have been better if the novel was at least 100 pages shorter.
However, on the other hand, it takes way too long for the main part of the plot to materialize (over 200 pages in), and although there were some exciting scenes beforehand, they make the book kinda episodic in nature. It would have been better if the novel was at least 100 pages shorter.
January 4, 2021
I do not like Jake Grafton. The man is a somewhat insufferable prick who gets away with everything and pays no consequences for his actions. And just when you think he might get in trouble for being a war criminal - nope, just kidding, no he's a hero.
Personal feelings about the main character aside, the story was reasonably decent and I'm still going to read the rest of the series. I may despise the man and the politics but that won't stop me from enjoying a good story, which this was...mostly. One of my guilty pleasures is the techno-thriller genre.
Personal feelings about the main character aside, the story was reasonably decent and I'm still going to read the rest of the series. I may despise the man and the politics but that won't stop me from enjoying a good story, which this was...mostly. One of my guilty pleasures is the techno-thriller genre.
February 17, 2018
Somehow I expected more.
I liked the main character enough I want continue the series but struggled very much with the language (very technical and I suspect some of the used expressions were incorrect or used in very rare contexts) especially since I'm not native English speaker.
I wish there was a glossary for people without (military) aviation background to help with the many abbreviations (most at least once explained - not always explicit - but still confusing if you're not used to them) and technical terms uncommon to the layman.
I liked very much Jake's development within the story and the action sequences. I hope very much this book was mostly meant as introduction to the character, his background and political situation so the following books in series will be easier to follow.
I liked the main character enough I want continue the series but struggled very much with the language (very technical and I suspect some of the used expressions were incorrect or used in very rare contexts) especially since I'm not native English speaker.
I wish there was a glossary for people without (military) aviation background to help with the many abbreviations (most at least once explained - not always explicit - but still confusing if you're not used to them) and technical terms uncommon to the layman.
I liked very much Jake's development within the story and the action sequences. I hope very much this book was mostly meant as introduction to the character, his background and political situation so the following books in series will be easier to follow.
August 17, 2024
My favorite book on naval aviation. Reading this on deployment on an aircraft carrier and being able to relate to the big and little things from landing on the back of the boat at night, to smoking a cigar on the fantail to coming back from a long flight and having no hot water.
The author does an incredible job of painting the picture of life at sea on the carrier and what’s going on in the pilots minds.
The author does an incredible job of painting the picture of life at sea on the carrier and what’s going on in the pilots minds.
November 11, 2017
I've read this book many times over the years. It is always great to get familiar with Jake Grafton again. He is one of my favorite heroes in literature. No matter what the problem is, Jake is always going to take the right path. I need to read them all again...maybe I will!
October 26, 2022
A-6 Intruder aviator Jake Grafton and his fellow sailors fighting the Vietnam War. This is not a politically correct anti-war book, but it is definitely anti-war, anti-politician, and anti-counterculture. The overwhelming ethos of these men is keeping the faith with each other. I have grown up in this world with these men as a child and know as a military historian. These men may be fictional characters but the archetype is real.
June 3, 2020
A enjoyable yet very stressful and depressing read .The author does a great job of giving you an insight of what it’s like to be to be a A-6intruder pilot during the Vietnam era. You feel the intensity and the high level of stress that these people went through every single day. It is very apparent that this author experienced many of these things firsthand.
November 5, 2018
I'm not sure I "3 star" liked it but I can't justify a "2 star" rating.
The book is well written and the characters are developed very well. In fact, I admit I was so invested in Jake and Tiger that when the story abruptly ended I was left wanting. Fortunately, I had a anniversary edition that included a short postscript that gave us a small glimpse of the fate of all of our heroes.
Ok, so [Stephen Coonts] admits in his forward that he began writing to simply tell the story of his experiences as a Naval pilot. He eventually came to the realization that he had to build a story around these flight experiences. Obviously, Mr. Coonts has done a great job as the novel has endured for so many years.
As for the flight sequences, I did enjoy these tremendously. After the last book I read in which the protagonists were filthy-mouthed criminals I was really concerned when the story began to unfold and take the direction it was taking. However, this was marvelously handled by Mr. Coonts and I was satisfied with the outcome.
As I said, I enjoyed the flight sequences. However, this was about the only action in this story. While exciting the action of a bomber pilot is maybe a little less dramatic than a combat soldier. So it did make for some slow reading at times.
Language. Look, I know these characters are hardened navy pilots and I can give some grace to support the "realism". But honestly, after one or two f-bombs I got the message. And, for me, it just gets frustrating to read the kind of guttural language that I could go to the local mall and hear. I just don't like it and if I had any one criticism for Mr. Coonts it would be that he took the language overboard for me.
All in all this really isn't much of a criticism for a pretty good historical war story.
The book is well written and the characters are developed very well. In fact, I admit I was so invested in Jake and Tiger that when the story abruptly ended I was left wanting. Fortunately, I had a anniversary edition that included a short postscript that gave us a small glimpse of the fate of all of our heroes.
Ok, so [Stephen Coonts] admits in his forward that he began writing to simply tell the story of his experiences as a Naval pilot. He eventually came to the realization that he had to build a story around these flight experiences. Obviously, Mr. Coonts has done a great job as the novel has endured for so many years.
As for the flight sequences, I did enjoy these tremendously. After the last book I read in which the protagonists were filthy-mouthed criminals I was really concerned when the story began to unfold and take the direction it was taking. However, this was marvelously handled by Mr. Coonts and I was satisfied with the outcome.
As I said, I enjoyed the flight sequences. However, this was about the only action in this story. While exciting the action of a bomber pilot is maybe a little less dramatic than a combat soldier. So it did make for some slow reading at times.
Language. Look, I know these characters are hardened navy pilots and I can give some grace to support the "realism". But honestly, after one or two f-bombs I got the message. And, for me, it just gets frustrating to read the kind of guttural language that I could go to the local mall and hear. I just don't like it and if I had any one criticism for Mr. Coonts it would be that he took the language overboard for me.
All in all this really isn't much of a criticism for a pretty good historical war story.
July 8, 2021
This was Stephen Coonts first kick at the cat with Jake Grafton which was successful enough to spawn a Hollywood movie, and a darn good one at that. The tale centers around a naval aviator flying the A6 Intruder Jet during the Vietnam War. As his tour progresses he begins to question the efficacy of his efforts, bombing rice paddies and dense jungle while shipmates are being killed, seemingly for nothing. This then leads him to a crucial decision, does he act on his impulses to escalate his bombing sorties or does he continue to follow orders? (Hint: It would not have made much of a book, much less a movie, if he just maintained the status quo). The ramifications of his decision are the real meat of this story.
You can really tell when someone has walked the walk, and this is so with Mr. Coonts. The shipboard life and the flying / battle sequences resonate with the aura of truth. They are exciting and terrifying while really bringing home the peril that these pilots faced. Of course, they have to blow off some steam sometime too and that brings a few light hearted moments into the story. I should also mention there is a romantic interlude, which I think is necessary to have some of the exposition done, but it felt a little rough around the edges. I believe in real life his love interest may have had a different response to him. But, that just be me. It certainly does not detract from the rest of the book.
If you enjoy the likes of Tom Clancy or Larry Bond you will certainly find enjoyment in this novel. Lots of excitement, a fair dose of hardware, and a commentary on a controversial war. This is a first rate story and one you will reread.
You can really tell when someone has walked the walk, and this is so with Mr. Coonts. The shipboard life and the flying / battle sequences resonate with the aura of truth. They are exciting and terrifying while really bringing home the peril that these pilots faced. Of course, they have to blow off some steam sometime too and that brings a few light hearted moments into the story. I should also mention there is a romantic interlude, which I think is necessary to have some of the exposition done, but it felt a little rough around the edges. I believe in real life his love interest may have had a different response to him. But, that just be me. It certainly does not detract from the rest of the book.
If you enjoy the likes of Tom Clancy or Larry Bond you will certainly find enjoyment in this novel. Lots of excitement, a fair dose of hardware, and a commentary on a controversial war. This is a first rate story and one you will reread.
July 31, 2022
This is an excellent book about carrier operations during the Vietnam War. The “Intruder” mentioned in the title is a Grumman A-6 Navy Bomber of that era. The main character is navy pilot Jake Grafton and although this is a work of fiction, the author was an A-6 Navy Pilot and he brings his knowledge and experience to this story. Plus, the author has the ability to vividly and realistically describe what happens during a bombing mission. Just flying an A-6 off of an aircraft carrier was dangerous. The skill and experience of each pilot was essential to their chance of survival. Take off by catapult and landing by catching a wire on the runway with the plane’s tailhook was dangerous, especially during rough seas, nighttime and bad weather. Thus, every mission is filled with tension and suspenseful moments. Then you encounter counter measures by the enemy, SAMs and flak, to prevent you from completing your mission. This was at a time in the war (1972) when things were ramping down and naval personnel had to wonder if the dangers endured were worth it, especially when it was obvious America was no longer trying to win, just to transition out of Vietnam. While the tension mounts throughout the novel, the final mission in this book is electric with tension and suspense. Overall, even as fiction, this book provided excellent insight into carrier operations and the lives of carrier pilots aboard ship during the Vietnam War.
January 21, 2014
Having encountered Jake Grafton much later in his career, I thought I should experience his first appearance in "Flight of the Intruder". Having been a Vietnam war A6 pilot, Mr. Coonts' writing brought me inside Jake's A6 and I felt that I was being catapulted off the carrier alongside of him. Those parts of the book that focused on the combat missions kept me completely engrossed. The attention to detail, the exchanges aboard the carrier, and the historical background were much appreciated.
Normally I find audiobooks with multiple readers, especially those with dramatic production values, to be distracting and diminishes my enjoyment of the work. Not so in this case. The various artists enhanced the book and the audio processing made the radio conversations totally realistic. My favorite parts. Interestingly, the artist that voiced Jake was the one that I thought could have been better. He was good, but he didn't stand out in many passages. The voices of Cole, the skipper, and most of the other shipboard characters delivered stronger performances. Some of the passages were a bit overdone on the dramatic side (performance wise) and I felt that I could have used a bit more prose after the adrenaline filled resolution at the end of the book to help me wind down before the book ended.
However, my criticisms are all minor. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
Normally I find audiobooks with multiple readers, especially those with dramatic production values, to be distracting and diminishes my enjoyment of the work. Not so in this case. The various artists enhanced the book and the audio processing made the radio conversations totally realistic. My favorite parts. Interestingly, the artist that voiced Jake was the one that I thought could have been better. He was good, but he didn't stand out in many passages. The voices of Cole, the skipper, and most of the other shipboard characters delivered stronger performances. Some of the passages were a bit overdone on the dramatic side (performance wise) and I felt that I could have used a bit more prose after the adrenaline filled resolution at the end of the book to help me wind down before the book ended.
However, my criticisms are all minor. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
August 26, 2011
This one was a tough one to rate. I feel the idea and plot of the book was fantastic. It is good to see the Intruder get some action in Fiction. I just feel Coonts's writing on this one was lacking the spark to keep me thrilled about the book. At times I found some of the stroyline predictable like a classic World War 2 movie from the 1940's and 50's and lets not forget Spike Lee's writing disaster on Mirical at St Anna's (woof that was bad!!) I get it that it was Coonts's first go at a novel.
The major problem I had was the relationship with Jake Grafton and Callie. It was too mushy and predictable where it was like I knew what they were going to say. Too amateur hour for me sorry.I also felt like the character of Cole was not believeable as the loner the author makes him out to be.
In my opinion the Movie was better than the book in this case. Way more bad ass
The major problem I had was the relationship with Jake Grafton and Callie. It was too mushy and predictable where it was like I knew what they were going to say. Too amateur hour for me sorry.I also felt like the character of Cole was not believeable as the loner the author makes him out to be.
In my opinion the Movie was better than the book in this case. Way more bad ass
August 17, 2022
The book started off interesting, and then it got very dull. Basically 100 pages of very detailed sequences of planes taking off, dropping bombs, and landing. The main plot (maybe??) doesn't even start until 200 pages in, and it's dropped pretty quickly. Another review called the book "episodic," and that's very accurate. The ending was pretty good, though. Would have been a much better book if even half of the piloting and aircraft details had been dropped and a more cohesive story formed.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
July 21, 2019
The story of Jake Grafton. This is one of the best Vietnam stories. Jake loses his navigator to a stray bullet. He begins to question why they are bombing useless targets so he bombs an unauthorized target. He meets a woman and his life begins again. This guy knows the Intruder inside and out. Just the technical stuff makes it worth the read.
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