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The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War
This book tells the full story of the US Naval air campaign during the Vietnam War between 1965 to 1975, where the US Seventh Fleet, stationed off the Vietnamese coast, was given the tongue-in-cheek nickname 'The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club'.On August 2, 1964, USS Maddox became embroiled in the infamous 'Gulf of Tonkin incident' that lead directly to America's increased involvement in the Vietnam War. Supporting the Maddox that day were four F-8E Crusaders from the USS Ticonderoga, signalling the start of the US Navy's commitment to the air war over Vietnam.The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the nickname for the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, Task Force 77, stationed off the coast of Vietnam which, at various points throughout the war, comprised as many as six carriers with 70–100 aircraft on board. The Seventh Fleet played an essential role in supporting operations over Vietnam, providing vital air support to combat troops on the ground and taking part in major operations such as Rolling Thunder and Linebacker I and II.Serving with the US Seventh Fleet during this period and involved in the dramatic history of The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was author Tom Cleaver, who was a 20-year-old member of Commander Patrol Forces Seventh Fleet which had operational control over Maddox and Turner Joy. His use of dramatic first-hand experiences from interviews with both American and Vietnamese pilots plus official Vietnamese accounts of the war provides a balanced and personal picture of the conflict from both sides. Detailing the very earliest incident in the Gulf of Tonkin through to the final evacuation of US nationals in 1975, he brings the story of US air intervention into Vietnam vividly to life.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2021
105 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
25 books36 followersMost of my non-fiction writing is in the field of aviation, primarily the history of people, units and events, though I am also interested in technological developments and their influence on events.
I first ran across "serious" aviation writing when I was 10 and found William Green's "All The World's Aircraft, 1954" - the first book I read that seriously dealt with aircraft development beyond picture books. Over the years I read many books by Bill (as I came eventually to know him), and 25 years later he was the first editor to professionally publish an article by me about an aviation topic (a feature about people in California who restored, owned and operated antique airplanes). Not only did he publish the article, he used my photograph for the cover of that issue of Air Enthusiast Quarterly! In the years that followed, Bill became a friend through the mail, a source of valuable insight about writing, and an enthusiastic supporter of my efforts. I've had a lot of success that way with fellow authors.
My interest in the field of aviation must be genetic. My mother's favorite tale about me was that my first word, spoken around age 1, was "o-pane!" when we were in a park in Denver, and I pointed up at a P-38 as it flew overhead.
My father was involved in aviation in the 1930s, and knew most of the Major Names of the era, like Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, and even Ernst Udet. (As an aside, I met General Doolittle myself in 1976. Upon hearing my name, he looked me up and down, then shook his head and said "Nope, too young and too tall." Taken aback for a moment, I realized he was thinking of my father, also a Tom Cleaver. Once I identified myself, he told me a story about my father I had never heard before. I later discovered he had near-perfect recall of names and events.) I grew up looking at my father's photo albums of the old airplanes he had been around, which is probably why I most enjoy airplanes from those years.
In addition to writing about airplanes, I take pictures of them in flight. As a result of both activities, I have flown in everything from a Curtiss Jenny to an Air Force F-4E Phantom (definitely the best rollercoaster ride ever), and have additionally been up in World War II airplanes - the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, SBD Dauntless, B-25 Mitchell, and many many many times in a T-6. As a pilot myself, I have about 200 hours in a Stearman biplane trainer as a member of a club back in the 1970s. I am certain my personal knowledge of flying as a pilot has helped me put a reader "in the cockpit" in my writing.
While I have advanced college and university degrees, I consider myself an autodidact, and I see the involvement with airplanes as my key to the world of self-education, as I would ask myself "what was that airplane used for?" which led to such questions as "how did that war happen?" I was also fortunate to grow up in a home with lots of books and a father who enjoyed history; between that and forays to the Denver Public Library (a Saturday spent in the stacks at the Main Library was a day in heaven), my education was very eclectic in subject matter.
My "film school" education came on Saturday afternoons spent at the old Park Theater on South Gaylord Street in Denver, where I went every Saturday from age 7 to age 15 when the theater closed, and watched everything that played on-screen. Somewhere along there, I learned the meaning of "good movie."
I first ran across "serious" aviation writing when I was 10 and found William Green's "All The World's Aircraft, 1954" - the first book I read that seriously dealt with aircraft development beyond picture books. Over the years I read many books by Bill (as I came eventually to know him), and 25 years later he was the first editor to professionally publish an article by me about an aviation topic (a feature about people in California who restored, owned and operated antique airplanes). Not only did he publish the article, he used my photograph for the cover of that issue of Air Enthusiast Quarterly! In the years that followed, Bill became a friend through the mail, a source of valuable insight about writing, and an enthusiastic supporter of my efforts. I've had a lot of success that way with fellow authors.
My interest in the field of aviation must be genetic. My mother's favorite tale about me was that my first word, spoken around age 1, was "o-pane!" when we were in a park in Denver, and I pointed up at a P-38 as it flew overhead.
My father was involved in aviation in the 1930s, and knew most of the Major Names of the era, like Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, and even Ernst Udet. (As an aside, I met General Doolittle myself in 1976. Upon hearing my name, he looked me up and down, then shook his head and said "Nope, too young and too tall." Taken aback for a moment, I realized he was thinking of my father, also a Tom Cleaver. Once I identified myself, he told me a story about my father I had never heard before. I later discovered he had near-perfect recall of names and events.) I grew up looking at my father's photo albums of the old airplanes he had been around, which is probably why I most enjoy airplanes from those years.
In addition to writing about airplanes, I take pictures of them in flight. As a result of both activities, I have flown in everything from a Curtiss Jenny to an Air Force F-4E Phantom (definitely the best rollercoaster ride ever), and have additionally been up in World War II airplanes - the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, SBD Dauntless, B-25 Mitchell, and many many many times in a T-6. As a pilot myself, I have about 200 hours in a Stearman biplane trainer as a member of a club back in the 1970s. I am certain my personal knowledge of flying as a pilot has helped me put a reader "in the cockpit" in my writing.
While I have advanced college and university degrees, I consider myself an autodidact, and I see the involvement with airplanes as my key to the world of self-education, as I would ask myself "what was that airplane used for?" which led to such questions as "how did that war happen?" I was also fortunate to grow up in a home with lots of books and a father who enjoyed history; between that and forays to the Denver Public Library (a Saturday spent in the stacks at the Main Library was a day in heaven), my education was very eclectic in subject matter.
My "film school" education came on Saturday afternoons spent at the old Park Theater on South Gaylord Street in Denver, where I went every Saturday from age 7 to age 15 when the theater closed, and watched everything that played on-screen. Somewhere along there, I learned the meaning of "good movie."
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 24, 2022
The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club is a somewhat scattered account of the role of naval air power in the Vietnam War. The book is at its best when it lets the pilots speak, telling the story of hair-raising dogfights, bombing runs, and rescue missions in their own words. However, these are a collection of highlights, and don't cover the day-to-day facts of life on a carrier, or the existence of beings less exalted than pilots.
The technical analysis is better than the historical analysis. The Navy went into Vietnam with a solid collection of planes, a large and diverse flight deck that was much better than the underpowered ensign killers available even a few years earlier. But decent planes were hampered by abysmal missiles: both the AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder had hit rates of less than 10%, with a large percentage of missiles simply inoperative due to harsh combat conditions wholly unlike the test range. The F-4 lacked an internal gun, and the Colt Mk 12 cannons on the F-8 were prone to jamming after hard turns.
From a strategic perspective, air interdiction simply couldn't stop North Vietnamese operations into South Vietnam. But a bad objective was furthered hampered by the contradictory limits of the Rolling Thunder campaign, which placed airfields and SAM sites as off limits least an errant bomb further escalate the war. Sortie rates became the sole reason of the self-licking ice cream cone of the air war.
A second thread that is worthwhile is the cultural difference between the Navy and Air Force. Air Force pilots famously flew 100 combat sorties, while Navy pilots flew until their tours ended, which meant Navy pilots routinely lapped their Air Force comrades in mission counts. With very mixed results against MiGs in Rolling Thunder, the Navy embarked on a program to train a cadre of pilots skilled in air-to-air combat, not simply interception. Graduates of the Top Gun program were responsible for much more favorable kill rates against MiGs in Linebacker, though skill couldn't help against the random chance of AAA fire, or the limits of airpower in a political war.
The technical analysis is better than the historical analysis. The Navy went into Vietnam with a solid collection of planes, a large and diverse flight deck that was much better than the underpowered ensign killers available even a few years earlier. But decent planes were hampered by abysmal missiles: both the AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder had hit rates of less than 10%, with a large percentage of missiles simply inoperative due to harsh combat conditions wholly unlike the test range. The F-4 lacked an internal gun, and the Colt Mk 12 cannons on the F-8 were prone to jamming after hard turns.
From a strategic perspective, air interdiction simply couldn't stop North Vietnamese operations into South Vietnam. But a bad objective was furthered hampered by the contradictory limits of the Rolling Thunder campaign, which placed airfields and SAM sites as off limits least an errant bomb further escalate the war. Sortie rates became the sole reason of the self-licking ice cream cone of the air war.
A second thread that is worthwhile is the cultural difference between the Navy and Air Force. Air Force pilots famously flew 100 combat sorties, while Navy pilots flew until their tours ended, which meant Navy pilots routinely lapped their Air Force comrades in mission counts. With very mixed results against MiGs in Rolling Thunder, the Navy embarked on a program to train a cadre of pilots skilled in air-to-air combat, not simply interception. Graduates of the Top Gun program were responsible for much more favorable kill rates against MiGs in Linebacker, though skill couldn't help against the random chance of AAA fire, or the limits of airpower in a political war.
October 24, 2021
I was an F-4 Phantom pilot in Squadron VF-161 on the USS Constellation during 1966 Rolling Thunder. I flew 99 missions on this cruise. I learned a great deal of information in the background of the operation in this book. Additional study has shown that President Johnson’s extensive control of the operation cost aircrew lives. This was an excellent book to get a feeling of what we did every day.
January 29, 2022
Review of Yacht club
As a former ch46 crew chief, i read this with great interest. It brought back memories of my time in Viet Nam. I learned a lot of information that i never knew. I loved the book. Highly recommend.
As a former ch46 crew chief, i read this with great interest. It brought back memories of my time in Viet Nam. I learned a lot of information that i never knew. I loved the book. Highly recommend.
June 16, 2023
I love buying and reading these types of books.
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
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Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/concept-30-f...
https://numberoneboats.com/concept-30...
https://theboatyacht.com/concept-32-b...
https://numberoneboats.com/concept-32...
May 9, 2022
This book traces the role of naval air war in Vietnam. It begins with an investigation of the questionable events that happened in the Tonkin Gulf. The misconceptions and and reactions led to the Tonkin Gulf resolution that opened the gates for American active involvement in Vietnam.
The author then details the types of aircraft used by naval pilots and their advantages and drawbacks. The types of weapons on the various aircraft are also discussed. The author also describes the advances made in both planes and weapons during the conflict.
The author follows the various campaigns waged by naval forces such as Rolling Thunder and other bombing campaigns. The air war was hampered by restrictions on targets decreed by the Johnson Administration. The fear of Chinese and Russian involvement were the cause of the limitations on the bombing campaigns.
The techniques of fighting also evolved with the end result of the formation of the Top Gun training school.
The bravery of the pilots and the efforts to save downed pilots and crews are moving and inspiring.
The book enlightened me of aspects of the war I was not familiar.
The author then details the types of aircraft used by naval pilots and their advantages and drawbacks. The types of weapons on the various aircraft are also discussed. The author also describes the advances made in both planes and weapons during the conflict.
The author follows the various campaigns waged by naval forces such as Rolling Thunder and other bombing campaigns. The air war was hampered by restrictions on targets decreed by the Johnson Administration. The fear of Chinese and Russian involvement were the cause of the limitations on the bombing campaigns.
The techniques of fighting also evolved with the end result of the formation of the Top Gun training school.
The bravery of the pilots and the efforts to save downed pilots and crews are moving and inspiring.
The book enlightened me of aspects of the war I was not familiar.
December 30, 2021
A good book, providing a history of Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War. The author, noted aviation historian Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, gives his unique brand of historical description in this wide ranging book. As with his other books, Cleaver generally adopts a system specific approach, telling the story of Naval Aviation’s combat in Southeast Asia through the various aircraft that fought there. The book mostly used the airframes as its organizational tool, rather than chronologies or people. The result is a very program-centric history, with explanations on the evolution of tactics and technology alongside the stories of the aviators and sailors involved. The coverage is very broad, ranging far outside the combat over North Vietnam that the title implies. The duels and strikes of Rolling Thunder and Linebacker share space with detailed explanations of Frequent Wind and the Mayaquez incident. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Naval Aviation or Vietnam’s air war.
May 18, 2025
First published in 2021, 'The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club' gives an account of US naval aviation activities during the Vietnam War. The format is fairly linear, breaking the war down into consecutive chunks delineated by named campaigns or events. The events themselves are described mainly through the medium of first-hand accounts of pilots taking part, which risks leaving the timeline muddled yet engrossing. The writer tries to tell it as it was, seeing through the disinformation that came to be associated with the war. That is not to say the the book is a long list of myth-busting statements - the writer shows real tactical insight in summing up actions. An amazing read.
December 3, 2024
I’ve read three of Cleaver’s aviation books so far and this one is definitely the best. The other ones, although quite good, I found jumped around a bit and at times were a bit difficult to follow. This book is laid out very logically and gives a very good overview of naval aviation from before the beginning of the Vietnam War, through Rolling Thunder and the Linebackers and then afterward. The book gives a good combo of boots on the ground POV and the larger strategic picture. It also examines the aforementioned periods within the context of the time answering not just in isolation.
February 24, 2023
A great read and engrossing content.
Cleaver fills out the details of the Vietnam War from the naval air perspective.
Technological changes on both sides and of challenges of jet air combat that led to the creation of the famous Top Gun course. I am glad the scope of the book did not end with the fall of South Vietnam but further extended military actions to complete the coda of the war.
Cleaver fills out the details of the Vietnam War from the naval air perspective.
Technological changes on both sides and of challenges of jet air combat that led to the creation of the famous Top Gun course. I am glad the scope of the book did not end with the fall of South Vietnam but further extended military actions to complete the coda of the war.
January 28, 2022
Book shows that the Air War was just as badly managed by the civilians in Washington as everything else in this war.
April 25, 2022
An important book, but written more as a series of military reports. I became disinterested. I was looking for mention of the oil in the Tonkin Gulf, and could not find any.
August 21, 2022
I can make this review short & sweet: scholarly rigor for a popular audience (at least an audience slightly obsessed with the American war in Vietnam).
October 10, 2022
Very thorough book. If you're the type of geek that wants every tiny detail, this book is for you. I'm not one of those geeks, but enjoyed it anyway.
November 17, 2023
It was informative but a bit dull. The accounts as told by the pilots were the strongest points and at around 2/3rds of the way through it was much more interesting.
July 5, 2024
Who cares
After reading the Intro and Prologue why read the rest. Waste of time, especially if you lived through this era and war.
After reading the Intro and Prologue why read the rest. Waste of time, especially if you lived through this era and war.
May 14, 2022
I had kind of hoped for a bit action packed combat chronicle and because of that found myself a little let down. There’s a lot of background work in the beginning that lays down the reasons for the conflict and the errant justifications the US used for escalation. Toward the middle the combat stories were superb. The end of the book covers the evacuation from Saigon with understandably little combat flying mentioned.
August 14, 2022
Review of the circumstances of the times
I desired a look at the entire picture of the world while I was engaged in combating it. !most news was unable to reach our break fast table. So be it on any war I guess.
I desired a look at the entire picture of the world while I was engaged in combating it. !most news was unable to reach our break fast table. So be it on any war I guess.
December 4, 2024
Yet another military aviation book from one of the best military aviation authors around, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver. This book in particular focuses on the United States 7th Fleet's Naval Aviation Operations during the Vietnam War, with the 7th Fleet's nickname at the time, the "Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club", serving as the book's title. While certainly being a treat to read as an military aviation enthusiast myself, I found that at times this book had some chapters that were too technologically focused, with one chapter being entirely focused on US Navy missile models and variants. I also found that throughout the book, accounts of specific missions seem to be vague in their locations unless you already have a superior understanding of Vietnamese geography. Otherwise, still an enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews