What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Aces High: The Story of a Modern Fighter Squadron at War
Black Aces High is the riveting account of a modern fighter squadron at war and the exploits, triumphs, and traumas of its pilots.
The Black Aces: their courage, ferocity, and instincts made them legendary in military aviation. Flying F-14 Tomcats, they played as much a part in recent US operations in Kosovo as did any air squadron in the theater, air force or navy, and probably more. Because of its superior performance, sophisticated equipment and the two-man crews who took it upon themselves to do something extra, the Tomcat and its aviators distinguished themselves over and over.
Forced to locate Serb fighters operating covertly in a mountainous land much like Afghanistan, with almost no help from ground spotters, VF-14 pilots and backseaters spearheaded new methods for the navy to pinpoint, identify, and destroy enemy troops and weapons. These were tasks that fighter crews had seldom had to do before. The Aces had to break rules and frequently go in harms way in order to be successful. And they performed so well that for the first time in aviation history, a fighter squadron - theirs - was awarded The Wade McClusky Trophy, the navy's premier bombing honor. The award, named for a World War II dive bomber pilot and post-WorldWar II admiral, had been won previously only by bombing squadrons.
Robert Wilcox spent two weeks with The Black Aces aboard the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt and here provides a long-awaited, never-before-seen glimpse into the world of a modern navy fighter squadron. Wilcox takes readers into the cockpits as the pilots go out and attack targets while avoiding anti-aircraft weaponry. He takes us into the war room as they plan their strikes and into their cabins as they contemplate the danger they are facing. And the reader can't help but worry for these men as they head off into battle, can't help sitting on the edge of the seat as they try to land at night, in a rainstorm, with waves crashing against the ship, and can't help ducking with them as they dodge missile attacks. And in the end, it is impossible not to feel for these aviators as they question their own courage, or to cheer for them when they finally return safely.
Black Aces High is a story of fear and courage, mishap and success, fighting spirit and military innovation. It's a human story that goes behind the smiling, sunglass-wearing facade of aviators flashing a "V", the sterile, slow motion target video that has become a staple of Pentagon briefings, and the rock 'n' roll cowboy image of fighter crews seen in the movies. Instead, it is a story that shows who these aviators really are and what they do beyond what we know, a story which probably will be repeated again and again as our carriers continue to be deployed in the new, 21 century war our nation is fighting.
The Black Aces: their courage, ferocity, and instincts made them legendary in military aviation. Flying F-14 Tomcats, they played as much a part in recent US operations in Kosovo as did any air squadron in the theater, air force or navy, and probably more. Because of its superior performance, sophisticated equipment and the two-man crews who took it upon themselves to do something extra, the Tomcat and its aviators distinguished themselves over and over.
Forced to locate Serb fighters operating covertly in a mountainous land much like Afghanistan, with almost no help from ground spotters, VF-14 pilots and backseaters spearheaded new methods for the navy to pinpoint, identify, and destroy enemy troops and weapons. These were tasks that fighter crews had seldom had to do before. The Aces had to break rules and frequently go in harms way in order to be successful. And they performed so well that for the first time in aviation history, a fighter squadron - theirs - was awarded The Wade McClusky Trophy, the navy's premier bombing honor. The award, named for a World War II dive bomber pilot and post-WorldWar II admiral, had been won previously only by bombing squadrons.
Robert Wilcox spent two weeks with The Black Aces aboard the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt and here provides a long-awaited, never-before-seen glimpse into the world of a modern navy fighter squadron. Wilcox takes readers into the cockpits as the pilots go out and attack targets while avoiding anti-aircraft weaponry. He takes us into the war room as they plan their strikes and into their cabins as they contemplate the danger they are facing. And the reader can't help but worry for these men as they head off into battle, can't help sitting on the edge of the seat as they try to land at night, in a rainstorm, with waves crashing against the ship, and can't help ducking with them as they dodge missile attacks. And in the end, it is impossible not to feel for these aviators as they question their own courage, or to cheer for them when they finally return safely.
Black Aces High is a story of fear and courage, mishap and success, fighting spirit and military innovation. It's a human story that goes behind the smiling, sunglass-wearing facade of aviators flashing a "V", the sterile, slow motion target video that has become a staple of Pentagon briefings, and the rock 'n' roll cowboy image of fighter crews seen in the movies. Instead, it is a story that shows who these aviators really are and what they do beyond what we know, a story which probably will be repeated again and again as our carriers continue to be deployed in the new, 21 century war our nation is fighting.
313 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
41 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Robert K. Wilcox
11 books16 followersRobert K. Wilcox is a bestselling author, screenwriter, novelist and journalist. He specializes in mysteries and military history. He began his career as religion editor of the Miami News, winning the Supple Memorial Award as the best religion writer in the nation. He went on to write for the Miami Herald, New York Times and other major newspapers and magazines before becoming a television writer and story editor. He has written 10 books and specializes in political articles when not writing books. His next book is Target JFK: The spy who killed Kennedy?, to be published November 2016. He lives in Los Angeles. His website is: www.robertkwilcox.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 12, 2021
High Praise
This outstanding book gives the reader a true seat-of-your-pants description of exactly what it feels like to be the Pilot or RIO in a U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Fighter-Bomber jet airplane. Just like a real Naval Aviator, you will feel the lightning-fast acceleration and the G-forces, and you will experience the need for split-second life-or-death decisions in the cockpit. Highly recommended!
This outstanding book gives the reader a true seat-of-your-pants description of exactly what it feels like to be the Pilot or RIO in a U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Fighter-Bomber jet airplane. Just like a real Naval Aviator, you will feel the lightning-fast acceleration and the G-forces, and you will experience the need for split-second life-or-death decisions in the cockpit. Highly recommended!
March 21, 2018
Black Aces High is a book about the war against Iraq and the people who fought. It tells of the heroic actions of the squadron black aces. The main characters are loose Lupe slugz and Joey it tells of the trauma and challenge they faced during and after mission on the war against Iraq in my personal option it was a amazing book.
November 15, 2025
Both the positive and negative of this book is that it’s an easy read. The aviation enthusiast might find it a bit pedestrian, especially if you like aviation writing that is more on the technical side. However, at 300 pages you are not going to list much in picking it up for a read and it does cover a bit of a niche bit of history in being post Cold and Gulf War but pre-911
February 25, 2025
Quick and interesting read in how a modern fighter squadrons operates
June 29, 2011
I really enjoyed this one. It was actually new to me to read about a modern carrier in a modern war. Everything else I've read goes from WWII to Vietnam. So this one was different, but still enjoyable. If you like stories about carrier aviation, modern war, or both, (which I do), then I'm assume you'll enjoy this one, too.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews