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Guided Tour
Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing
Now, for the first time, an insider's look at an Air Force combat wing —the planes, the technology, and the people . . . with Tom Clancy as your guide. UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIALS AND PHOTOS!
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1995
97 people are currently reading
877 people want to read
About the author
Tom Clancy
978 books9,091 followersThomas Leo Clancy Jr. was an American novelist and military-political thriller pioneer. Raised in a middle-class Irish-American family, he developed an early fascination with military history. Despite initially studying physics at Loyola College, he switched to English literature, graduating in 1969 with a modest GPA. His aspirations of serving in the military were dashed due to severe myopia, leading him instead to a career in the insurance business.
While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as “the best yarn.” This propelled Clancy to national fame, selling millions of copies and establishing his reputation for technical accuracy in military and intelligence matters. His meticulous research and storytelling ability granted him access to high-ranking U.S. military officials, further enriching his novels.
Clancy’s works often featured heroic protagonists such as Jack Ryan and John Clark, emphasizing themes of patriotism, military expertise, and political intrigue. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he became one of the best-selling authors in America, with titles like Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) dominating bestseller lists. Several of these were adapted into commercially successful films.
In addition to novels, Clancy co-authored nonfiction works on military topics and lent his name to numerous book series and video game franchises, including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. His influence extended beyond literature, as he became a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and was involved in various business ventures, including a failed attempt to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.
Politically, Clancy was a staunch conservative, often weaving his views into his books and publicly criticizing left-leaning policies. He gained further attention after the September 11 attacks, discussing intelligence failures and counterterrorism strategies on news platforms.
Clancy’s financial success was immense. By the late 1990s, his publishing deals were worth tens of millions of dollars. He lived on an expansive Maryland estate featuring a World War II Sherman tank and later purchased a luxury penthouse in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
He was married twice, first to Wanda Thomas King, with whom he had four children, and later to journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, with whom he had one daughter.
Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013, at the age of 66 due to heart failure. His legacy endures through his novels, their adaptations, and the continuation of the Jack Ryan series by other writers.
While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as “the best yarn.” This propelled Clancy to national fame, selling millions of copies and establishing his reputation for technical accuracy in military and intelligence matters. His meticulous research and storytelling ability granted him access to high-ranking U.S. military officials, further enriching his novels.
Clancy’s works often featured heroic protagonists such as Jack Ryan and John Clark, emphasizing themes of patriotism, military expertise, and political intrigue. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he became one of the best-selling authors in America, with titles like Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) dominating bestseller lists. Several of these were adapted into commercially successful films.
In addition to novels, Clancy co-authored nonfiction works on military topics and lent his name to numerous book series and video game franchises, including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. His influence extended beyond literature, as he became a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and was involved in various business ventures, including a failed attempt to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.
Politically, Clancy was a staunch conservative, often weaving his views into his books and publicly criticizing left-leaning policies. He gained further attention after the September 11 attacks, discussing intelligence failures and counterterrorism strategies on news platforms.
Clancy’s financial success was immense. By the late 1990s, his publishing deals were worth tens of millions of dollars. He lived on an expansive Maryland estate featuring a World War II Sherman tank and later purchased a luxury penthouse in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
He was married twice, first to Wanda Thomas King, with whom he had four children, and later to journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, with whom he had one daughter.
Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013, at the age of 66 due to heart failure. His legacy endures through his novels, their adaptations, and the continuation of the Jack Ryan series by other writers.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 11, 2022
eponymous sentence:
pxx: Several years later over Baghdad on the night of January 17th, 1991, F-117 Black Jets of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing proved beyond question that stealth really works.
Outdated, but still informative. That researcher lived the good life.
pxx: Several years later over Baghdad on the night of January 17th, 1991, F-117 Black Jets of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing proved beyond question that stealth really works.
Outdated, but still informative. That researcher lived the good life.
March 25, 2019
Tom Clancy's "A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing" is the outdated description of an Air Wing that was already very specialized in 1995, providing the reader with basic information on various types of aircraft and organizations, but doing so in a very uncritical fashion.
In this book, Tom Clancy lives up to his passion for military issues and modern technology again. He describes weapon systems and organizations for aviation enthusiasts and average readers without military knowledge. He begins his book with an introduction to basic concepts and issues that will crop up over the course of the presentation, such as avionics, various engines, radar and stealth technology. Although superficial and shortened, this introduction directly highlights the very technical nature of aerial warfare. However, the introductory chapter is completed with two systems to be introduced at the time, the B-2 Spirit and F-22 Raptor, to represent the state of the art. From technology, the author changes to strategy and tactics and in long interview passages has General Chuck Horner and Colonel John Warden describe the air war in the second Gulf War. Now begins a detailed description of various aircraft in use in 1995, such as the various versions of the F-15 Eagle, F-16C Falcon, B-1B Lancer, KC-135R Stratotanker and E-3C Sentry. Even more technical features and beautiful sectional drawings can be found in the following chapter on guided missiles, bombs and guidance systems in use then. Following on from the very detailed explanations of the hardware and its capabilities under optimal conditions, Clancy devotes a chapter to describing the Air Combat Command, its available associations, systems and exercises and its sheer breathtaking greatness, as he is very enthusiastic. Now he comes speak of the by now reorganized 366th Wing and describes in a documentary way, the individual components that are necessary for a rapid, worldwide deployment. The subsequent description of how the unit is preparing for the high-level exercise Green Flag is likewise a documentation as close to a real deployment, as can be imagined during peace operations. Finally, Clancy then writes a little story, as he tries to design a realistic deployment scenario for the global deployment and use of the unit.
Like other works from this series by Clancy, this book, at over twenty years old, is unfortunately outdated. Although some of the systems described in the book are still in use, some are already discarded or significantly increased in combat value by now. Both the organizations described and the number of weapons systems still available now look completely different. Essential systems important today, such as the F16D, F-22, or the entire unmanned aerial vehicle family, are still missing in Clancy's account. The 2004 update by a different author with a chapter on the F-22 and JSF does not change much of this verdict, as it does not affect the rest of the book. Another perennial drawback with this author is his completely descriptive approach. The author does not analyze or criticize, but describes exclusively, as one pursues, as the title say, a guided tour with a happy tour guide. Although he describes enthusiastically how everything works well, one has the impression that this is based more on glossy brochures than real operational experience. Nevertheless, the book offers a good introduction to the subject at the time, a glossary, good bibliography and accurate descriptions and drawings of technical aspects.
Overall, this is an outdated representation of the technologically very fast-moving US Air Force, which is well written, albeit somewhat over-enthusiastic. For aviation enthusiasts and laymen still a good access to the subject but for an understanding of present-day weapons systems no longer usable.
In this book, Tom Clancy lives up to his passion for military issues and modern technology again. He describes weapon systems and organizations for aviation enthusiasts and average readers without military knowledge. He begins his book with an introduction to basic concepts and issues that will crop up over the course of the presentation, such as avionics, various engines, radar and stealth technology. Although superficial and shortened, this introduction directly highlights the very technical nature of aerial warfare. However, the introductory chapter is completed with two systems to be introduced at the time, the B-2 Spirit and F-22 Raptor, to represent the state of the art. From technology, the author changes to strategy and tactics and in long interview passages has General Chuck Horner and Colonel John Warden describe the air war in the second Gulf War. Now begins a detailed description of various aircraft in use in 1995, such as the various versions of the F-15 Eagle, F-16C Falcon, B-1B Lancer, KC-135R Stratotanker and E-3C Sentry. Even more technical features and beautiful sectional drawings can be found in the following chapter on guided missiles, bombs and guidance systems in use then. Following on from the very detailed explanations of the hardware and its capabilities under optimal conditions, Clancy devotes a chapter to describing the Air Combat Command, its available associations, systems and exercises and its sheer breathtaking greatness, as he is very enthusiastic. Now he comes speak of the by now reorganized 366th Wing and describes in a documentary way, the individual components that are necessary for a rapid, worldwide deployment. The subsequent description of how the unit is preparing for the high-level exercise Green Flag is likewise a documentation as close to a real deployment, as can be imagined during peace operations. Finally, Clancy then writes a little story, as he tries to design a realistic deployment scenario for the global deployment and use of the unit.
Like other works from this series by Clancy, this book, at over twenty years old, is unfortunately outdated. Although some of the systems described in the book are still in use, some are already discarded or significantly increased in combat value by now. Both the organizations described and the number of weapons systems still available now look completely different. Essential systems important today, such as the F16D, F-22, or the entire unmanned aerial vehicle family, are still missing in Clancy's account. The 2004 update by a different author with a chapter on the F-22 and JSF does not change much of this verdict, as it does not affect the rest of the book. Another perennial drawback with this author is his completely descriptive approach. The author does not analyze or criticize, but describes exclusively, as one pursues, as the title say, a guided tour with a happy tour guide. Although he describes enthusiastically how everything works well, one has the impression that this is based more on glossy brochures than real operational experience. Nevertheless, the book offers a good introduction to the subject at the time, a glossary, good bibliography and accurate descriptions and drawings of technical aspects.
Overall, this is an outdated representation of the technologically very fast-moving US Air Force, which is well written, albeit somewhat over-enthusiastic. For aviation enthusiasts and laymen still a good access to the subject but for an understanding of present-day weapons systems no longer usable.
October 3, 2013
Buku yang bertajuk
Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing
ini merupakan hasil tulisan Tom Clancy dan John Gresham. Buku ini merupakan salah satu buku di dalam siri A Guided Tour. Mengikut kronologinya,buku ini merupakan buku yang ketiga di dalam siri tersebut.
Kuasa udara angkatan tentera Amerika Syarikat (Tentera Udara Amerika Syarikat (TUAS)) menjadi fokus penceritaan buku ini. Lebih tepat lagi,buku ini membincangkan sebuah Wing unik yang menggabungkan beberapa buah skuadron udara yang mempunyai pesawat tempur dan peranan yang berbeza antara satu sama lain. Namun demikian,unit ini mestilah mampu bertindak sebagai sebuah unit padu dan mampu diaturgerakkan di mana-mana lokasi seperti mana yang diarahkan oleh Rumah Putih. Dalam erti kata lain,unit ini menjadi unit udara pendahulu operasi udara TUAS di dalam mana-mana konflik yang melibatkan AS. Unit ini dipanggil 366th Wing "The Gunfighters". Skuadron-skuadron yang berada di bawah kawalannya adalah:
a) 389th Fighter Squadron yang mengoperasikan pesawat tempur pelbagai guna F-16 Fighting Falcon
b) 390th Fighter Squadron "Wild Boars" dengan pesawat penguasaan udara F-15 Eagle
c) 391th Fighter Squadron "Bold Tigers menggunakan pesawat penggempur darat F-15E Strike Eagle
d) 34th Bombardment Squadron "Thunderbirds" merupakan sebuah skuadron unik. Satu-satunya skuadron pesawat pengebom yang mengoperasikan B-1B Lancer di dalam 366th Wing
e) 22nd Aerial Refueling Squadron yang merupakan skuadron yang bertanggungjawab menerbangkan pesawat pengisi minyak udara,KC-135 Stratotanker
Jika diperhatikan,kelima-lima buah skuadron ini amat berbeza sekali peranan dan jenis pesawat yang dioperasikan. Namun demikian,kesemua skuadron ini disatukan di dalam sebuah Wing yang komposit sifatnya. Pembentukan Wing yang begitu unik ini tercetus hasil daripada pengalaman Perang Teluk 1991 dan penstrukturan semula TUAS yang menyaksikan beberapa perubahan besar berlaku akibat tamatnya Perang Dingin. Sebagai contoh,penubuhan Air Combat Command (ACC) yang bertanggungjawab ke atas pengoperasian pesawat perang TUAS yang sebelum ini terpisah antara Tactical Air Command (yang mengoperasikan pesawat-pesawat tempur taktikal) dan Strategic Air Command (yang mengoperasikan pesawat pengebom yang mampu dilengkapkan dengan bom nuklear).
Selain sejarah mengenai 366th Wing,turut diselitkan beberapa maklumat dan gambar yang menarik untuk rujukan para pembaca. Sejarah pesawat tempur yang digunakan 366th Wing,sejarah sistem persenjataan (seperti bom dan peluru berpandu) buatan AS,informasi bagaimana 366th Wing berfungsi sebagai sebuah organisasi dan lain-lain maklumat berkaitan. Tambah menarik,turut diselitkan sebuah novel mini di dalam buku ini. Novel mini yang bertajuk Operation Golden Gate memberikan gambaran kepada pembaca,dalam bentuk fiksyen,bagaimana unit udara 366th Wing bertindak di dalam dunia sebenar.
Sebenarnya,edisi yang saya miliki ini adalah edisi yang dikemaskini. Terdapat sebuah ruangan khusus yang dipanggil Updates. Memandangkan tarikh penerbitan asal buku ini adalah pada November 1995 (edisi kemas kini ini pula diterbitkan pada tahun 2004),sudah tentu ada beberapa perkara berkaitan yang perlu ditambah. Malahan,366th Wing ini masih wujud. Tetapi,bukan lagi sebuah Composite Wing. Sebaliknya,kini hanya tinggal skuadron 389 dan 391 sahaja yang berada di bawah Wing tersebut dan kedua-dua skuadron mengoperasikan F-15E Strike Eagles.
Walaupun demikian,kandungan buku ini masih lagi boleh dianggap relevan. Ada beberapa informasi yang terdapat di dalamnya berkaitan dengan pada masa sekarang. Sekurang-kurangnya,dari segi sejarah,terutamanya sejarah TUAS secara amnya dan sejarah 366th Wing "The Gunfighters",khususnya. Buku ini merupakan sesuatu yang sangat bernilai terutamanya kepada mereka yang meminati sejarah-sejarah yang berkaitan dengan ketenteraan.
Kuasa udara angkatan tentera Amerika Syarikat (Tentera Udara Amerika Syarikat (TUAS)) menjadi fokus penceritaan buku ini. Lebih tepat lagi,buku ini membincangkan sebuah Wing unik yang menggabungkan beberapa buah skuadron udara yang mempunyai pesawat tempur dan peranan yang berbeza antara satu sama lain. Namun demikian,unit ini mestilah mampu bertindak sebagai sebuah unit padu dan mampu diaturgerakkan di mana-mana lokasi seperti mana yang diarahkan oleh Rumah Putih. Dalam erti kata lain,unit ini menjadi unit udara pendahulu operasi udara TUAS di dalam mana-mana konflik yang melibatkan AS. Unit ini dipanggil 366th Wing "The Gunfighters". Skuadron-skuadron yang berada di bawah kawalannya adalah:
a) 389th Fighter Squadron yang mengoperasikan pesawat tempur pelbagai guna F-16 Fighting Falcon
b) 390th Fighter Squadron "Wild Boars" dengan pesawat penguasaan udara F-15 Eagle
c) 391th Fighter Squadron "Bold Tigers menggunakan pesawat penggempur darat F-15E Strike Eagle
d) 34th Bombardment Squadron "Thunderbirds" merupakan sebuah skuadron unik. Satu-satunya skuadron pesawat pengebom yang mengoperasikan B-1B Lancer di dalam 366th Wing
e) 22nd Aerial Refueling Squadron yang merupakan skuadron yang bertanggungjawab menerbangkan pesawat pengisi minyak udara,KC-135 Stratotanker
Jika diperhatikan,kelima-lima buah skuadron ini amat berbeza sekali peranan dan jenis pesawat yang dioperasikan. Namun demikian,kesemua skuadron ini disatukan di dalam sebuah Wing yang komposit sifatnya. Pembentukan Wing yang begitu unik ini tercetus hasil daripada pengalaman Perang Teluk 1991 dan penstrukturan semula TUAS yang menyaksikan beberapa perubahan besar berlaku akibat tamatnya Perang Dingin. Sebagai contoh,penubuhan Air Combat Command (ACC) yang bertanggungjawab ke atas pengoperasian pesawat perang TUAS yang sebelum ini terpisah antara Tactical Air Command (yang mengoperasikan pesawat-pesawat tempur taktikal) dan Strategic Air Command (yang mengoperasikan pesawat pengebom yang mampu dilengkapkan dengan bom nuklear).
Selain sejarah mengenai 366th Wing,turut diselitkan beberapa maklumat dan gambar yang menarik untuk rujukan para pembaca. Sejarah pesawat tempur yang digunakan 366th Wing,sejarah sistem persenjataan (seperti bom dan peluru berpandu) buatan AS,informasi bagaimana 366th Wing berfungsi sebagai sebuah organisasi dan lain-lain maklumat berkaitan. Tambah menarik,turut diselitkan sebuah novel mini di dalam buku ini. Novel mini yang bertajuk Operation Golden Gate memberikan gambaran kepada pembaca,dalam bentuk fiksyen,bagaimana unit udara 366th Wing bertindak di dalam dunia sebenar.
Sebenarnya,edisi yang saya miliki ini adalah edisi yang dikemaskini. Terdapat sebuah ruangan khusus yang dipanggil Updates. Memandangkan tarikh penerbitan asal buku ini adalah pada November 1995 (edisi kemas kini ini pula diterbitkan pada tahun 2004),sudah tentu ada beberapa perkara berkaitan yang perlu ditambah. Malahan,366th Wing ini masih wujud. Tetapi,bukan lagi sebuah Composite Wing. Sebaliknya,kini hanya tinggal skuadron 389 dan 391 sahaja yang berada di bawah Wing tersebut dan kedua-dua skuadron mengoperasikan F-15E Strike Eagles.
Walaupun demikian,kandungan buku ini masih lagi boleh dianggap relevan. Ada beberapa informasi yang terdapat di dalamnya berkaitan dengan pada masa sekarang. Sekurang-kurangnya,dari segi sejarah,terutamanya sejarah TUAS secara amnya dan sejarah 366th Wing "The Gunfighters",khususnya. Buku ini merupakan sesuatu yang sangat bernilai terutamanya kepada mereka yang meminati sejarah-sejarah yang berkaitan dengan ketenteraan.
August 24, 2011
Fascinating account of our country's fighter planes and bombers. His research is incredible. I have seen the Blue Angels but had no idea of what I was really seeing until I read this book. Can you believe that one of our premier fighter planes, the F15, had a midair collision and was able to be safely landed with only 1 foot of wing left on one side!! Unbelievable.
May 14, 2016
This book has sat in my book case for years, a $1 used book purchase from a long ago. Finally read it after reading another book on Airpower this weekend. A fast informative read with just enough detail to satisfy the inner defense nerd in any reader. That's what I loved about Tom Clancy. When he was writing about gear and tactics, he was a geek writing for fellow geeks.
October 25, 2023
Excellent book for aviation and combat regarding flight and how planes are made to stay in the air. I got bored and ended my reading about 150 pages into the book. It's really a good book for pilots and those building planes. Not my interest.
April 27, 2018
Read as reference material for an upcoming thriller. Gave a really good insight into all the moving parts involved in getting a fighter wing into combat.
September 29, 2020
It was just okay. Nothing great, although I’m not sure what I was expecting
August 31, 2021
Now outdated.
July 17, 2022
This book was written in 1995, but the information is interesting and entertaining to all who enjoy learning about military hardware.
January 27, 2014
Fighter Wing � un saggio ponderoso ed accuratissimo, dell'ordinamento e impiego di uno stormo da caccia contemporaneo. C'� da un po' anche in italiano. Se non siete seriamente appassionati d'aviazione, forse risulter� non molto leggibile. Nonostante l'intensa mole densa, andrebbe consigliato sia a molti giornalisti di guerra italiani, smetterebbero di confondere Cruise (missile) con Cruiser (grossa nave), che a certi ministri - almeno saprebbero cosa l'aviazione pu� fare e cosa no, a che costo e a che rischio. Sentiremmo assai meno la frase "mandiamo i Tornado" che uno scellerato occupante di poltrone pronunciava di continuo, confondendo un velleitarismo facinoroso con l'operativit�.
September 6, 2012
Right now I have barely started out with this book, and so far I have to say that it is pretty good with the information that it is giving me. I chose this book because I want to learn more about what I need to know to become a future pilot, but right now there is no characters at all because this is like a documentary but in a book. It is really informational and he also puts the complicated things into less complex ways and makes them examples to ordinary things that we do in our ordinary life. I am also probably going to read more of his books from his non-fiction to his fiction books.
August 12, 2014
It is a great book albeit very outdated by the year 2014. Most of the book is a superb work of research and writing. It is a wonderful and interesting read up to the point where it discusses the 366th Wing. The mighty 366th Wing lost most of its equipment and got reorganized years ago. So that part of the book is not current any more. Still an informative read. Read the first half of the book if you must but the second half is just not that attractive any more due to the changes taken place in the USAF since 2009. 4/5
September 30, 2009
Actually, it bored me. Not that I don't like the technology and the use of airpower, it's just that the minutia of the every day lives of the air crews is not my cup of tea.
I did something that I don't often do: I punted. But, if this kind of detail and situation is to your liking, I think you will enjoy this book. I simply found out after making the choice to get it and begin reading.
I did something that I don't often do: I punted. But, if this kind of detail and situation is to your liking, I think you will enjoy this book. I simply found out after making the choice to get it and begin reading.
January 3, 2016
Un saggio che illustra i fondamenti dell'aeronautica: gli aeroplani usati, le armi, gli strumenti di difesa e di attacco, le tecnologie usate, le tattiche e le strategie usate in battaglia. Non è un testo molto scorrevole, ma se vi piace il genere è molto interessante.
3 stelle solo perchè ormai è un testo che ha più di 15 anni e con i progressi degli ultimi anni risulta essere un po' datato.
3 stelle solo perchè ormai è un testo che ha più di 15 anni e con i progressi degli ultimi anni risulta essere un po' datato.
March 30, 2013
If you want to know a lot of details about American air force twenty years ago seen through the least objective eyes possible, here is the book for you. This edition has a small update section mentioning 21th century air power. Doesn't change much.
January 16, 2008
I can't think of anything Clancy left out. An accurate look at an Air Force Fighter Wing. Too bad he didn't look more at the support elements like AMMO!
April 27, 2009
On the plus side, I learned the difference between a turbofan and a turbojet. (A big difference!) On the minus side, Tom Clancy long ago turned into a hack.
July 23, 2012
Clancy's research is impeccable as always, and he shows the inside of an air wing, and how its participants think.
January 18, 2016
always liked this one for some reason.
November 12, 2012
great book for figuring out how the usaf works and what they are capable of
also tells you how it has done in action
also tells you how it has done in action
December 6, 2014
As an old Air Force man from the 1960's it was interesting to see how much in a current fighter wing has changed and how much remains the same.
January 22, 2015
Boring, boring, boring!!!
April 19, 2016
Great detail, but not too fascinating, nothing outside from what i would expect in terms of revelations, great read though
July 10, 2008
He should stick with intel the navy and ground forces.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews