Chickenhawk by Robert Mason
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Book Reviews of Chickenhawk
Book Review: The Valley of Death
Summary: 5 Stars
The Valley of Death
Yea that I fly through the Valley of Death I will fear NO man. Like E.B Sledge's With The Old Breed, Warrant Officer Robert Mason's Chickenhawk is a war time classic and mandatory reading for anyone who want to know about how the war was really fought in Vietnam. As a combat rescue pilot I can attest to Mr. Mason's accurate accounts of his personal experiences. The Vietnam war was NOT pretty, often confusing, and filled with self-doubt, yet heroism was displayed on a daily basis as men and women fought not just for their country but mainly for their unit buddies. Mason does a magnificent job of recounting how life in the most austere conditions can be weathered through camaraderie of spirit. Being shot at on a daily basis either breaks a man or makes him tempered steel. There is no good combat, but with friends and buddies even the most horrific of battle can be endured. Robert Mason has done not only his country, but also all those who have ever fought a wonderful service in writing Chickenhawk. It ain't pretty but it's the truth-If you can handle it.
Not for the squeamish. Graphic violence and language.
Very strong recommend for those who want to know what fighting, dying, and living in combat is all about. Terrific read at all levels. Thank you Robert Mason, I salute you.
Book Review: Real Spin
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books I have ever read on the Vietnam War. It is as good as Michael Herr's "Despatches" or "The Ten-thousand Day War". Pilot Mason made me feel as if I was actually there through his vivid and complete descriptions; from the start of training, through to combat and on to the consequences of his experiences. The tension of formation landing in a 'hot' LZ must have been a white-knuckle ride. The author gives clear insights into the different demeanours of the pilots through the descriptions of their actions in war, from self-less heroism through to having to ask myself what sort of person kills wild elephants from a helicopter with rockets? The author also allows us to view the wartime lives of 'the Grunts', Crew Chiefs, Door Gunners etc. His descriptions also made me realize one would have been fighting the natural environment of Vietnam such as the heat, the mossquitos, the rats etc. as much as the enemy. The descriptions of flying combat missions non-stop for 24 hrs are a real insight to the demands of war. It is not all doom & gloom though, with the descriptions of Ringknocker's more 'flexible' approach to command. Realistic, straightforward, clear, unambiguous and easy to read. Author Robert Mason puts you in the Huey's second seat at the controls with him. "You got it".Book Review: Incredibly detailed! Perfect for the helicopter nut!
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked this book up when I was a U.S. Army vehicle mechanic in Germany in the mid '80s. First off I will admit I was a HUGE helicopter fanatic. This book intrigued me so much that I literally read it in 2 or 3 sessions. And I hated reading in high school and have not completed one book cover to cover since then. Except this one. O.K. to the point. This book takes you through the initial WOC school and wonderfully describes Mr. Mason's trials and tribulations there, and to the flightline and through graduation and all. But the real draw to me was the incredible detail Mr. Mason goes into about the actual FLYING of the helicopter. He explains all the controls and how they function together and what effect each one has on the others. He really paints the picture of the dificulty it is to keep one of these things under control. Also describing certain "tricks" used in the field like running take-offs when you are overloaded or if the heat or altitude is severe. Plus his whole account of the missions he flew in Viet Nam and what the pilots lives' were like over there. To cut this off, I will just say that if you love helicopters and stop to watch them everytime you hear one coming overhead, like I do, this book will be highly enjoyed! I promise.Book Review: Good reading for the 4th of July
Summary: 5 Stars
I finished reading Chickenhawk last night just a few minutes after midnight, July 4, 2008. I feel like I oughta apologize to its author, Bob Mason, for taking 25 years to "discover" his excellent account of one man's horrific wartime experiences in Vietnam over 40 years ago. Sam Hynes, author of the equally excellent WWII pilot's memoir, Flights of Passage, once told me that one of the most important ingredients in a memoir is that the narrator be likeable. Chickenhawk has that most vital element, for Bob Mason is as likeable a guy as you'll find in the literature of war, and his prose is absolutely real and riveting as he tells of his whirling descent into the madness that was Vietnam. His final chapter summarizes the kind of confusing nightmare his life became upon his return home, as he struggled to understand and survive this thing now commonly known as PTSD. I like this guy. In fact I like him well enough that I will try to find a copy of his out-of-print sequel to Chickenhawk. It may take a while, but I'll be back to comment on that one too. In the meantime, I urge anyone who enjoys good writing of any kind to read this book. It's the real deal. - Tim Bazzett, author of SoldierBoy: At Play in the ASA (RatholeBooks.com)Book Review: No arguing the 5 star rating
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is one of my all time favorite Vietnam recounts. Mason is a master story teller and begins with just enough background to not lose the reader. Even the background of his life is told in a very eventful and well written manner. From the very beginning, you feel he is basically teaching you how to pilot a helicopter and from the early "lessons" he gives you, he'll reference a peice of equipment or a control and you'll instantly know what he's referring to. Almost as if talking "Pilot to Pilot". The storytelling in this book is phenomenal, it's non-stop action from the moment he gets to Vietnam and probably paints the best picture of the countryside of any book I've written. A nice refreshing bit of info is the lack of "EGO" shown by the writer. He's humble in every manner. All to often you read or hear a story where the writer or teller is the Stone cold hero, never wavering nor scared. The Humble nature of this book is very inspirational and the respect one gains for Mason builds from the very first page.