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Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War Kindle Edition
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Boyd, more than any other person, saved fighter aviation from the predations of the Strategic Air Command. His manual of fighter tactics changed the way every air force in the world flies and fights. He discovered a physical theory that forever altered the way fighter planes were designed. Later in life, he developed a theory of military strategy that has been adopted throughout the world and even applied to business models for maximizing efficiency. And in one of the most startling and unknown stories of modern military history, the Air Force fighter pilot taught the U.S. Marine Corps how to fight war on the ground. His ideas led to America's swift and decisive victory in the Gulf War and foretold the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
On a personal level, Boyd rarely met a general he couldn't offend. He was loud, abrasive, and profane. A man of daring, ferocious passion and intractable stubbornness, he was that most American of heroes -- a rebel who cared not for his reputation or fortune but for his country. He was a true patriot, a man who made a career of challenging the shortsighted and self-serving Pentagon bureaucracy. America owes Boyd and his disciples -- the six men known as the "Acolytes" -- a great debt.
Robert Coram finally brings to light the remarkable story of a man who polarized all who knew him, but who left a legacy that will influence the military -- and all of America -- for decades to come . . .
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
- Publication dateNovember 21, 2002
- File size894 KB
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About the Author
Robert Coram was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for his work as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is the author of seven novels and four nonfiction books, including American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day and Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War. He lives in Atlanta.
Product details
- ASIN : B000FA5UEG
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company (November 21, 2002)
- Publication date : November 21, 2002
- Language : English
- File size : 894 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 320 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #137,236 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
I was born and grew up in deep southwest Georgia. For many years I have lived and worked in Atlanta. But southwest Georgia remains a big part of who and what I am.
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That is the main theme here.
John Boyd and his associates did great work and showed how horrible the F4, F111, and B1 were. Tens of billions of wasted dollars
Boyd was a great pilot, teacher, historian of warfare and an engineer
He worked to hard and that was not good for his family
But he saved lives in Desert Storm and made great fighter pilots who flew less agile planes than the Russians provided our opponents
A bit long but worth a read
But this book is also extremely helpful and filled with excellent insights because that was the nature of Boyd's work. Some of the good things anyone can take away from this book include:
- Boyd's theory of learning -be especially sure to read the Appendix- and the explanation of how it came about
- Boyd's to be or to do philosophy in life, and the example of his integrity and honesty and desire to do something useful in life
- The ability of a guy with an IQ of 90 to become an major innovator through sheer hard work, introspection, continuous striving for learning and improvement, drive, focus on real accomplishment, not worrying about artificial restrictions or bending the rules, use of creativity, etc.
- The insidious nature of bureaucracy and how it becomes a self-serving and self-perpetuating organization that loses connection to its original and stated purpose
Aerospace, defense, and military personnel will also be particularly interested in things such as:
- How Maneuver Warfare came about and some minimal explanation of what it is
- The design histories and successes / failures of the F-111, F-15, F-16, B-1 and A-10
- The politics and workings of the military industrial complex and the Pentagon
- Comparison between the F-86 and MiG-15 in combat over Korea and why the F-86 emerged with a 10-to-1 kill ratio
- How Energy-Maneuverability theory came about and influenced fighter tactics and aircraft design
- A brief introduction to the OODA loop as a guiding tool for conflict
- The hierarchy between people, ideas, and technology in fighting wars
This book is highly recommended, and especially so to all aerospace / defense industry / military people
His contributions to the American fighting man and the Armed Forces are so significant that he did indeed change the face of war. And his contributions often had to be shoved down the throat of the military as they resisted kicking and screaming. He wrote the book on fighter tactics. On his own initiative He created the Energy-Maneuverability Theory (E-M Theory) for the first time using mathematical principles to create an accurate grading system for the overall performance of airplanes resulting in winning the highest awards for scientific achievement the Air Force gives out. (The Air force was and still does spend millions on some of the brightest scientific minds to further American Air Power. You can bet they were red faced when a nobody Fighter pilot created a new theory that changed the face of air war forever and he did it without any help from the bureaucracy.) He developed and re-emphasized Sun Tzu's Maneuver Warfare possibly becoming the greatest influence in winning the Panama conflict and Desert Storm. He invented the OODA loop* which is used not just by the military but has broad application to all human interactions and endeavors. The Marines re-wrote their war fighting manual because of him. The remember and honor him and his contribution though the Air Force while teaching his discovery and application of his E-M Theory are doing their best to keep him one of the most influential forgotten men in recent history. His work was directly responsible for the F-15, F-16, and the A-10. The main portion of the AF brass at the Pentagon fought very hard against these planes for various reasons.
This book is worth reading especially if you are part of the military industrial complex, interested in the military acquisitions process, care about how tax payer monies are spent in the military, are interested in the history of fighter pilot tactics, or are interested in the OODA loop* which can be easily applied to business. Because Col Boyd was a very controversial person and not a great team player I doubt this book will be on the CSAF's recommended reading list. But Perhaps it should be.
It takes about a third of the book before you get beyond the man to the legend.
*[...]
Top reviews from other countries
Hay mucha ciencia, cosa que en libros similares no hay, esto no es un libro de autoayuda.
Er war komplett begeistert von dem Buch, also eine klare Empfehlung von meiner Seite.
The book deals with the professional and personal life of John Boyd, a man who is revered by the Military fraternity around the world. It gives a peek into the life of a military strategist whose profound thoughts were way ahead of the times and era he lived in.
Robert Coram, as a biographist, has brought out the facts as accurately as he could. In fact, this is one biography that is gripping from beginning till the end. His language is simple. The military jargons used have been explained in a manner that can be comprehended even by people from the civvy street. As a military history enthusiast, this book definitely intrigued me since the very first page. The narration is fast paced and has a smooth flow. Loved the imageries that this story helped me conjure in my mind. I sincerely wish this story gets a motion picture dedicated to it. Even then I doubt whether it can do justice to the larger than life persona that Boyd was.
Reading the book reminded me of the similarities between Boyd and Nicholas Tesla. Both were recognised for their constributions to their respective field posthumously. What makes the narrative more appealing is the realistic depiction of a Fighter Pilot who is also a military strategist. An aviator who placed service before self, who compromised his family requirements in the larger interest of his country.
Boyd belonged to an era that was not very kind to visionaries. However, in today's parlance, his briefing and OODA loop concept have immense importance. In fact, Boyd's theory has significance in every field, be it education or administration. Well that, is a topic for another day.
To sum up, this book is a must read not only for military strategy enthusiasts but also for every individual who wants to have a different perspective to life. It is an inspirational read for every person who wants to be a Boyd in a world of mediocrity and mediocre thinking. It is simply unputdownable. An excellently awesome book.
P.S - Thank you Robert for leading me on an inward journey of self discovery, for helping me search the Boyd within me. Loved every word in it. This review is my honest opinion after reading the book.