Chickenhawk by Robert Mason Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Chickenhawk
Book Review: Read For Sure
Summary: 5 Stars
Love, love, loved this book. So well written, you feel like you are there. I never wanted to put this book down. As high a recommendation as I can give.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: Story Behind the Story Incredibly Compelling
Summary: 5 Stars
Clearly this book has been a primary source for the Vietnam war experience. Passages in Mason's book have been brought to life in film, television, and emulated in other books I have read. It is also required reading for any soldier or civilian who pilots a helicopter (a neighbor of mine in the Canadian military who is a helicopter pilot was the first to alert me to the book). The imagery and situations he paints are stark and often surreal from landmines leftover from the French conflict to the Vietnamese interpreter who could not speak English to washing out the blood from the helicopters at the end of the day. Also his chance meeting with Westmoreland and the anger over comrade's defilement are incredible. Mason's recall, his love of flying, enviable service record, and startling downfall in civilian life make Chickenhawk a compelling read.Book Review: The Best Vietnam (Helicopter) War Memoir Yet Written
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read this book years ago, and it is without a doubt one of the best war memoirs on my shelf and one to which I regularly return (as I just did for the third time, to read during a lengthy trip abroad).
The book recounts the training and duty tour of Robert Mason, a helicopter pilot who served in the air cav during the height of the Vietnam conflict. Many consider it the best book written by a Vietnam vet and I would be inclined to agree (the only close contender would be the sniper memoirs of Carlos Hathcock, penned by Charles Henderson). Chickenhawk is compelling from start to finish.
For one thing, Mason's book contains one of the few really interesting accounts of military training written to date--in Mason's case, of his helicopter flight training. In fact, the first section of the book is so vividly descriptive of the mechanics and procedures of military flight instruction that you finish it believing you could almost fly a helicopter yourself. (To appreciate fully Mason's accomplishment in rendering this experience so fascinating, one need only contrast it with that of Marcus Lutrell's recent "Lone Survivor," which manages to turn what should be an equally fascinating account of Navy SEAL training into one of the most annoying and sleep-inducing chronicles of push-ups and special ops ever written). And once Mason starts recounting his actual combat experiences, you simply can't put the book down.
Partly what makes Chickenhawk such a unforgettable read is that Mason makes no effort either to doctor the facts about his time in Vietnam, his love of flying (even in combat), or about his own flaws and failures. This is no boastful attempt to paint himself a hero (though among the heroes of that war, Mason is surely one), but a gut-wrenching look into a soldier's soul and the soul of a nation at war. The result is one of the most stunning books about war ever written--and I've read hundreds. And I will certainly read this one many times more.
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.