What do you think?
Rate this book
Tailspin
Book by Hunter, Jack D.
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1990
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Jack D. Hunter
26 books9 followersHunter was born in Hamilton, Ohio, on June 4, 1921, the son of Whitney G. and Irene Dayton Hunter. Ironically, while his father, whose long career with the Du Pont Company began as a paint color evaluator because of his sensitivity to colors, Hunter was red-green blind. He graduated with a BA in journalism from Penn State University in 1943.
During World War II, Hunter joined the U.S. Army, but when he could not recognize the color of flares or follow tracer bullets he was transferred to counter-intelligence in a move that spared him the fate of most of the others in his infantry class — death on Omaha Beach during D-Day.
Because he spoke German, having taught himself and then studied it in college, Hunter was sent to Germany just after the war ended. The Allies had discovered that some high-ranking Nazis had gone underground and were waiting until the political atmosphere settled down, at which point the Nazis would infiltrate the new German government. As a 24-year-old lieutenant, Hunter, disguised as a Lithuanian black marketeer, engineered a sting called "Operation Nursery", which resulted in the arrest of over 1000 Nazi plotters in a single night. He was awarded the Bronze Star.
"Operation Nursery," including Jack Hunter's role in it forms the basis of the nonfiction book The Axmann Conspiracy: The Nazi Plan for a Fourth Reich and How the U.S. Army Defeated It, Berkley Books (Penguin), Sept. 2012.
After the war, Hunter worked in various journalistic capacities, as a public relations executive for Du Pont, and as a speech writer in Washington D.C.
His first novel was 'The Blue Max', and the publisher remarked that, as a new author, they would not spend the money to have an artist paint a color cover for his book. Hunter, who often dabbled in water colors, volunteered to paint it himself. The publisher liked it and used it, and Hunter considered that cover painting to be his first "sale". He then turned what was once a hobby into a second career as an aviation artist.
Hunter was the author of 17 novels, his last being 'The Ace', which was published on October 1, 2008. Like The Blue Max, which is still popular after 44 years, 'The Ace' deals with World War I aviation, but focuses on the human costs and chaotic conditions that belabored the Americans in their need to build a world-class air force virtually overnight.
During the 1980s, Hunter served as the writing coach for reporters working at the (now defunct) Jacksonville Journal and for the Florida Times-Union, which still publishes in Jacksonville. In this role, which continued three days a week for 10 years, Hunter provided encouragement, tutelage and support to hundreds of journalists, some of whom went on to work at The New York Times, The Denver Post, The Miami Herald and in many other venues.
He lived in St. Augustine, Florida, until he died at age 87 on April 13, 2009.
During World War II, Hunter joined the U.S. Army, but when he could not recognize the color of flares or follow tracer bullets he was transferred to counter-intelligence in a move that spared him the fate of most of the others in his infantry class — death on Omaha Beach during D-Day.
Because he spoke German, having taught himself and then studied it in college, Hunter was sent to Germany just after the war ended. The Allies had discovered that some high-ranking Nazis had gone underground and were waiting until the political atmosphere settled down, at which point the Nazis would infiltrate the new German government. As a 24-year-old lieutenant, Hunter, disguised as a Lithuanian black marketeer, engineered a sting called "Operation Nursery", which resulted in the arrest of over 1000 Nazi plotters in a single night. He was awarded the Bronze Star.
"Operation Nursery," including Jack Hunter's role in it forms the basis of the nonfiction book The Axmann Conspiracy: The Nazi Plan for a Fourth Reich and How the U.S. Army Defeated It, Berkley Books (Penguin), Sept. 2012.
After the war, Hunter worked in various journalistic capacities, as a public relations executive for Du Pont, and as a speech writer in Washington D.C.
His first novel was 'The Blue Max', and the publisher remarked that, as a new author, they would not spend the money to have an artist paint a color cover for his book. Hunter, who often dabbled in water colors, volunteered to paint it himself. The publisher liked it and used it, and Hunter considered that cover painting to be his first "sale". He then turned what was once a hobby into a second career as an aviation artist.
Hunter was the author of 17 novels, his last being 'The Ace', which was published on October 1, 2008. Like The Blue Max, which is still popular after 44 years, 'The Ace' deals with World War I aviation, but focuses on the human costs and chaotic conditions that belabored the Americans in their need to build a world-class air force virtually overnight.
During the 1980s, Hunter served as the writing coach for reporters working at the (now defunct) Jacksonville Journal and for the Florida Times-Union, which still publishes in Jacksonville. In this role, which continued three days a week for 10 years, Hunter provided encouragement, tutelage and support to hundreds of journalists, some of whom went on to work at The New York Times, The Denver Post, The Miami Herald and in many other venues.
He lived in St. Augustine, Florida, until he died at age 87 on April 13, 2009.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 11, 2024
Why do I keep finding audiobooks no one else has read. Only 3 other reviews?
I think there’s a reason for that. This book is so bad, it’s good. I could swear the author is playing a secret game with us to see just how sexist he can possibly make it, and on top of that, just how improbable he can make the dialog sound. And then, to top it off, because despite all the improbable dialog the plot is indecipherable, he has the mc dictate a plot summary in the guise of an intelligence report.
Did I mention the sexism? It’s just crazy – like the author is physically incapable of including a woman in any scene, even if only in passing, without throwing in descriptors about her boobies and other sexual attributes. And if she’s central to the putative plot line, well, the male characters are like walking penises to the extent they are incapable of not referring to boobies, sex, potential sex, imputed sex, desired sex, suggested sex, remembered sex, and I really respect you as an equal but your slightest touch turns me into a human tripod.
I think there’s a reason for that. This book is so bad, it’s good. I could swear the author is playing a secret game with us to see just how sexist he can possibly make it, and on top of that, just how improbable he can make the dialog sound. And then, to top it off, because despite all the improbable dialog the plot is indecipherable, he has the mc dictate a plot summary in the guise of an intelligence report.
Did I mention the sexism? It’s just crazy – like the author is physically incapable of including a woman in any scene, even if only in passing, without throwing in descriptors about her boobies and other sexual attributes. And if she’s central to the putative plot line, well, the male characters are like walking penises to the extent they are incapable of not referring to boobies, sex, potential sex, imputed sex, desired sex, suggested sex, remembered sex, and I really respect you as an equal but your slightest touch turns me into a human tripod.
September 1, 2023
I found this a quite interesting read, but I can say that the detail and verbiage used could deter many readers. Still enjoyable to me though!
March 9, 2017
An interesting story and terrific German post-World War II setting, but the suspense is dampened somewhat with too much detail. Overall an interesting and enjoyable novel.
Read
September 6, 2012Very good
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews