Boyd
The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Lawlor
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By:
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Robert Coram
About this listen
John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest US fighter pilot ever - the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than 40 seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft - the F-15 and F-16. Still, others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story.
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. 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.
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From Neil Sheehan, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic A Bright Shining Lie, comes this long-awaited, magnificent epic. Here is the never-before-told story of the nuclear arms race that changed history - and of the visionary American Air Force officer Bernard Schriever, who led the high-stakes effort. A Fiery Peace in a Cold War is a masterly work about Schriever’s quests to prevent the Soviet Union from acquiring nuclear superiority, to penetrate and exploit space for America, and to build the first weapons meant to deter an atomic holocaust.
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Schriever rhymes with beaver.
- By John Gardner on 11-13-09
By: Neil Sheehan
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The Dream Machine
- The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey
- By: Richard Whittle
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Marines decided to buy a helicopter-airplane hybrid "tiltrotor" called the V-22 Osprey, they saw it as their dream machine. The tiltrotor was the aviation equivalent of finding the Northwest Passage: an aircraft able to take off, land, and hover with the agility of a helicopter yet fly as fast and as far as an airplane. Many predicted it would reshape civilian aviation. The Marines saw it as key to their very survival. Opponents called it one of the worst boondoggles in Pentagon history.
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Innovation runs into government
- By Cx30 on 09-25-10
By: Richard Whittle
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Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War
- American Warriors Series
- By: L. Scott Lingamfelter
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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When Saddam Hussein's Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, triggering the First Gulf War, a coalition of 35 countries led by the United States responded with Operation Desert Storm, which culminated in a 100-hour coordinated air strike and ground assault that repelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Though largely forgotten in descriptions of the war, an eight-day barrage of artillery fire made this seemingly rapid offensive possible. At the forefront of this offensive were the brave field artillerymen known as "redlegs".
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Excellent account of the Gulf War.
- By Tim on 02-22-24
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The Arsenal of Democracy
- FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War
- By: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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The Arsenal of Democracy tells the incredible story of how Detroit answered the call, centering on Henry Ford and his tortured son Edsel, who, when asked if they could deliver 50,000 airplanes, made an outrageous claim: Ford Motor Company would erect a plant that could yield a “bomber an hour”. Critics scoffed: Ford didn’t make planes; they made simple, affordable cars. But bucking his father’s resistance, Edsel charged ahead.
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Misleading title
- By Kindle Customer on 12-01-14
By: A. J. Baime
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Raid on the Sun
- Inside Israel's Secret Campaign that Denied Saddam the Bomb
- By: Rodger W. Claire
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Abridged
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From the earliest days of his dictatorship, Saddam Hussein had vowed to destroy Israel. So, when France sold Iraq a top-of-the-line nuclear reactor in 1975, the Israelis were justifiably concerned, especially when they discovered that Iraqi scientists had already formulated a secret program to extract weapon-grade plutonium from the reactor, a first critical step in creating an atomic bomb.
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Fascinating detail of a historic strike
- By Kevin on 04-27-04
By: Rodger W. Claire
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First Man
- The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
- By: James R. Hansen
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. In First Man, author James R. Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over 50 hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this "magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.
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Not really 'unabridged'
- By A Reader on 06-06-18
By: James R. Hansen
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When Tigers Ruled the Sky
- The Flying Tigers: American Outlaw Pilots over China in World War II
- By: Bill Yenne
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1940 Pearl Harbor had not yet happened, and America was not yet at war with Japan. But China had been trying to stave off Japanese aggression for three years - and was desperate for aircraft and trained combat pilots. General Chiang Kai-shek sent military aviation advisor Claire Chennault to Washington, where President Roosevelt was sympathetic but knew he could not intervene overtly. Instead he quietly helped Chennault put together a group of American volunteer pilots.
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A Well Written Historical Perspective
- By Donald Hill on 11-21-17
By: Bill Yenne
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A Brotherhood of Spies
- The U-2 and the CIA's Secret War
- By: Monte Reel
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union just weeks before a peace summit between the two nations. The CIA concocted a cover story for President Eisenhower to deliver, assuring him that no one could have survived a fall from that altitude. But against all odds, pilot Francis Gary Powers emerged from the wreckage and was seized by the KGB. Award-winning journalist Monte Reel reveals how the U-2 spy program, principally devised by four men working in secret, upended the Cold War and carved a new mission for the CIA.
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Lessons Learned
- By Jim on 12-13-18
By: Monte Reel
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Topgun
- An American Story
- By: Dan Pedersen
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Dan Pedersen takes listeners on a colorful and thrilling ride - from Miramar to Area 51 to the decks of aircraft carriers in war and peace - through a historic moment in air warfare. He helped establish a legacy that was built by him and his "Original Eight" - the best of the best - and carried on for six decades by some of America's greatest leaders. Topgun is a heartfelt and personal testimonial to patriotism, sacrifice, and American innovation and daring.
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I loved it!
- By "airplane_cfii" on 10-09-19
By: Dan Pedersen
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Hit the Target
- Eight Men Who Led the Eighth Air Force to Victory over the Luftwaffe
- By: Bill Yenne
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Less than a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Army formed its first air force designated to operate overseas, the Eighth. Within four months they had set up base in England. Three months later they were bombing German targets in occupied Europe. The Eighth was the first bomber command on either side to commit to strategic daylight bombing. It was a major change in tactics - and the men of the Eighth paid the price in both lives and blood.
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Lots of history, kinda boring.
- By Annie on 11-12-23
By: Bill Yenne
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Fighter Pilot
- The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
- By: Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.
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Top Notch Audiobook
- By R. A. Frank on 10-08-10
By: Robin Olds, and others
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From F-4 Phantom to A-10 Warthog
- Memoirs of a Cold War Fighter Pilot
- By: Steven K Ladd
- Narrated by: Jeff Bolton
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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You do not have to be an aviation aficionado to enjoy Colonel Steve Ladd’s fascinating personal tale, woven around his 28-year career as a fighter pilot. This extremely engaging account follows a young man from basic pilot training to senior command through the narratives that define a unique ethos. From the United States to Southeast Asia; Europe to the Middle East; linking the amusing and tongue-in-cheek to the deadly serious and poignant, this is the lifelong journey of a fighter pilot.
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A 28 year history of Air Force fighter duty.
- By David H Milton on 07-09-22
By: Steven K Ladd
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The firebombing of Tokyo. Strategic Air Command. John F. Kennedy. Dr. Strangelove. George Wallace. All of these have one man in common—General Curtis LeMay, who remains as enigmatic and controversial as he was in life. Until now. Warren Kozak traces the trajectory of America’s most infamous general, from his troubled background and heroic service in Europe to his firebombing of Tokyo, guardianship of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the Cold War, frustrated career in government, and short-lived political run.
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Definition.....Leader.....General Curtis Le May
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One of the last cavalry units to ride horses into battle, the Sherwood Rangers were transformed into a “mechanized cavalry” of tanks in 1942. After winning acclaim in the North African campaign, they spearheaded one of the D-Day landings in Normandy and became the first British troops to cross into Germany. Their courage, skill, and tenacity contributed mightily to the surrender of Germany in 1945.
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Beyond OODA: Developing the Orientation for Deception, Conflict and Violence is Varg Freeborn's highly anticipated follow up to the extremely popular Violence of Mind. While Violence of Mind was a broad introduction to all aspects of violence preparation, Beyond OODA focuses precisely on the development of mindset, or more accurately the orientation that influences and governs our decision making, and how it is developed for both good and bad people, alike.
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The untold story of Leon Crane, the only surviving crew member of a World War II B-24 crash on a remote mountain near the Arctic Circle, who managed to stay alive 81 days in sub-zero temperature by making peace with nature, and end his ordeal by walking along a river to safety. Part World War II story, part Alaskan adventure story, part survival story, and even part inspirational story, this is what we call " a good listen".
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Diluted and Distracted
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In November 1965, some 450 men of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War. How these men persevered makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating.
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The legacy of General Nathan Bedford Forrest is deeply divisive. Best known for being accused of war crimes at the Battle of Fort Pillow and for his role as first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan - an organization he later denounced - Forrest has often been studied as a military figure, but never before studied as a fascinating individual who wrestled with the complex issues of his violent times. Bust Hell Wide Open is a comprehensive portrait of Nathan Bedford Forrest as a man: his achievements, failings, reflections, and regrets.
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This is a superb and concise biography
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History Has Begun
- The Birth of a New America
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Popular consensus says that the US rose over two centuries to Cold War victory and world domination, and is now in slow decline. But is this right? History's great civilizations have always lasted much longer, and for all its colossal power, American culture was overshadowed by Europe until recently. What if this isn't the end? In History Has Begun, Bruno Maçães offers a compelling vision of America's future, both fascinating and unnerving. From the early American Republic, he takes us to the turbulent present, when, he argues, America is finally forging its own path.
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So much b.s.
- By Elizabeth on 06-11-21
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Army of None
- Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War
- By: Paul Scharre
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Paul Scharre, a Pentagon defense expert and former U.S. Army Ranger, explores what it would mean to give machines authority over the ultimate decision of life or death. Scharre's far-ranging investigation examines the emergence of autonomous weapons, the movement to ban them, and the legal and ethical issues surrounding their use. Through interviews with defense experts, ethicists, psychologists, and activists, Scharre surveys what challenges might face "centaur warfighters" on future battlefields.
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Robots, weapons, and AI oh my!
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The Art of Clear Thinking
- A Stealth Fighter Pilot's Timeless Rules for Making Tough Decisions
- By: Hasard Lee
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Story
The training to become a fighter pilot is among the most competitive and difficult in the world with less than one-in-a-thousand succeeding. Pushing a cutting-edge jet to its limits at over 1,000 mph means that every split-second decision can have catastrophic consequences. This extreme environment has forged a group of warriors who for the last 50 years have been considered at the apex of decision-making theory and practice. In The Art of Clear Thinking Hasard Lee distills what he’s learned during his career flying some of the Air Force’s most advanced aircraft.
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Great book on leadership. Every pilot needs to pick this up!
- By Panda_2454 on 05-26-23
By: Hasard Lee
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War as I Knew It
- By: George Patton
- Narrated by: Ray Atherton
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War as I Knew It is the personal and candid account of General George S. Patton, Jr.'s celebrated, relentless crusade across Europe during World War II. First published in 1947, this absorbing narrative draws on Patton's vivid memories of battle and his detailed diaries, from the moment the Third Army exploded onto the Brittany Peninsula to the final Allied casualty report. The result is not only a grueling, human account of daily combat but also a valuable chronicle of the strategies and fiery personality of a brilliant warrior.
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Great book terrible narrator!
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What listeners say about Boyd
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- PMLor
- 03-25-21
John Boyd, the warrior philosopher
Boyd grew up in Erie, PA, my hometown. (Although I’d never heard of him before). I was amazed to learn of the brilliance, courage, and tenacity of this former fighter pilot. If you want to know how to battle an entrenched bureaucracy, how to champion great ideas, and how to think profoundly, Boyd offers both insight and example. He is the rarest of breeds: a warrior philosopher.
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- cvuturo
- 01-11-18
We owe a debt to Boyd
Fantastic book on an American hero who should be remembered and studied. That the military (other than the Marines, showing their usual good sense) ignores him is both a travesty and ineffably stupid. The task of the warrior is to win - and this man showed then how to win.
In time, the prophet will be proven right.
Erie - you should get on that statue.
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- RICCARDO
- 03-20-17
Best Bio I ever read
I have read a large number of bios in my lifetime and without doubt this one rivals them all. The closest one is Churchill the Last Lion. Well Boyd's should be subtitled The Last Tiger.
I have read the book and then listened to the audio version. I do not like writing reviews but this one just makes me want to send out BIG THANK YOUS to a whole cast of characters in the book. People in the military if there is at least one book you should read it is this one.
Thank you Robert Coram for bringing Boyd to life. And to the narrator for an outstanding job. I will continue to share copies of this book with several friends.
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- Clinton Mead
- 05-02-17
great man that should be regarded as a hero!
this was a great book with an insightful look into the life of John Boyd
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- Chiefkent
- 07-09-17
The god of War and his Acolytes
Obviously the author is the latest of Boyd's acolytes. John Boyd was truly the greatest military theorist since Sun Tzu. His theories in "Patterns of Conflict" supersede even those of Clausewitz and Jomini. Still the author is too close to his flawed subject. Boyd was an insecure repressed man who over compensated by being overly loud and boastful. While single mindedly pursuing his professional and intellectual objectives, he essentially ignored his wife and children.
Boyd's professional and intellectual achievements were linear in nature. Each followed and built upon the previous landmark. As a highly gifted and aggressive fighter pilot as an instructor at the US Air Force's Fighter Weapons, (FWS), had a standing bet for all comers, that he could reverse from the target slot in front, to the six o'clock position on his opponent and get on gun camera film a confirmed simulated kill on said opponent in 40 seconds or less. In the 5 years that Boyd was at FWS he never lost the bet, gaining the nickname, 'Forty-Second Boyd'.
Up until this time all air-to-air combat was considered too complex and fluid to delineate in written form. The Air Force, (AF), had also decided that with the advent of air-to-air missiles, air-to-air combat or dog-fighting was a thing of the past, and so was talking about decreasing funding for the FWS. Afraid that the basic concepts could be lost, Boyd spent a year working on his own to write the 100 page, "Aerial Attack Study". Given the relative position and velocity of an enemy, Boyd was able to demonstrate what possible maneuvers that enemy could take, what counter-moves a pilot could make, the counter-moves that the enemy could take and the what the pilot could do to counter those moves. In the process Boyd proved that pilots could out maneuver missiles - also proving that dog-fighting was not dead. "Aerial Attack Study" became the handbook for fighter pilots world-wide. and is still considered the definitive work on air-to-air combat, some 45+ years later.
While writing, "Aerial Attack Study", and all the various iterations for maneuvers and counter-moves. etc., Boyd, felt that there was some factor that was right in front of him that he wasn't seeing effecting all these maneuvers.His eureka moment came while a fellow student a Georgia Tech was attempting to explain the Second Law of Thermodynamics to him and somehow brought up the concepts of kinetic and potential energy having a sum of potential energy. Boyd made the leap of converting the velocity and position used in his, "Aerial Attack Study", to their root components. Using the velocity, thrust, drag and weight of an aircraft, he came up with a predictive formula for the aircraft's performance envelope.By comparing different aircraft envelopes Boyd could compare different aircraft at various points within the envelopes. By varying the factors of thrust, drag and weight the maneuverability and the performance of the aircraft changed, giving designers a quantitative tool to increase the flight characteristics of fighter aircraft. The charting of the "Energy-maneuverability" required millions of calculations for each aircraft. In 1962, computers were in short supply. Boyd teamed up with Dr. Thomas Christie at Eglin AFB to use the base's high speed computer. It took 2 years to chart all US and Soviet fighter aircraft of the day into a 2 volume report. Being in charge of the Eglin AFB graphic's department, Boyd was able to distill the 2 volumes onto slides comparing US aircraft to Soviet aircraft. He colored the areas that US fighters were superior in blue and the areas that the Soviet Fighters were superior in red. The Soviet aircraft compared favorably. Having been an instructor for 5 years at FWS, Boyd was a dynamic speaker. He took his slideshow on the road to various US fighter bases explaining his charts and how they were created. As word of his slideshow got out, more senior AF Officers demanded to see it until eventually the AF Chief of Staff demanded to see it. In a 2 day contentious presentation the Chief of Staff's staff tried to challenge the originality, accuracy and applicability of Boyd's work after the Chief of Staff requested a slide of the AF's newest aircraft in development, the F-111. The slide was all red.
Boyd was transferred to the Pentagon. The F-111 was essentially re-considered as more of a bomber and work was picked up on the FX project. Up until this time all AF planes were basically contracted on 2 things; how fast and how high the plane could fly. Basically was is fine for a bomber, but didn't make for the best fighters. Immediately resistance began from the Tactical Air Command, (TAC), which is responsible for the research and design of all Air Force planes. TAC had 2 major problems; firstly Boyd's "Energy–maneuverability theory" hadn't originated there and the AF being bomber-centric, all planes had to be able to deliver nukes. TAC was forced to take Boyd's theory into account in designing what eventually became the F-15.
While at the Pentagon Boyd soon met Colonel Everest Riccioni and Pierre Sprey, they were the foundation of what was to become known as the "Fighter Mafia". Riccioni was assigned to R&D and Sprey was a PhD. originally brought into DoD by McNamara to study the military situation in Europe. Both joined Christie as Boyd acolytes. As it became obvious that the FX was being gold-plated with more and more gadgets and becoming more expensive and less capable as a fighter, the Fighter Mafia began drawing a dream fighter that was both cheaper and more capable than the FX. As the price of the FX rose the AF, wanting more fighters, for the first time since WWII had 2 companies build competing prototypes of the Fighter Mafia's concept of an ideal fighter; the YF-16 and the YF-17. The YF-17 eventually became the F-18.
During this time period, 2 things occurred that were to have major import on the future. LtCol James G. Burton joined the Fighter Mafia, becoming an acolyte, and Sprey encouraged Boyd to think more about land warfare. Sprey had developed the Air-Land Warfare concept for NATO to counter any Soviet invasion. Boyd began taking esoteric concepts such as Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem, Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics and combining them together into what he called, "Destruction & Creation", all based on what he called the "OODA Loop" and the "schwerpunkt" concept. The OODA Loop was derived from his energy-maneuverability theory for airplanes by adding "time" as factor. He was able to quantify in chart form the decision loop process and show how it was applicable in war at all levels. (The OODA Loop was later applied to everything from business to litigation). Schwerpunkt is more difficult to define, essentially it is the point upon which the most effort is concentrated during an attack.
Destruction & Creation began as another of Boyd's slide presentations entitled, "Discourse on Winning & Losing" , only it lasted 2 days long. Boyd felt that he needed to write a 10 page, single spaced introduction to Discourse on Winning & Losing, it was the only time that he codified Destruction & Creation in writing - the slide presentation was Destruction & Creation. He said that his concept was constantly evolving in his mind and that he didn't want to be tied down to something that may have changed in his ideas.
His presentation began with his theories regarding air combat and how by increasing the tempo, events could cause confusion and the key to winning was the pilots ability to collapse his opponent's decision making capability through that confusion and disorder until the opponent lost. Boyd then gave historical examples of where smaller armies used confusion and feints to win battles, going into more modern battles up to Napoleon.Then he showed the transition from WWI to WWII. By introducing blitzkrieg and the concept of schwerpunkt where force was concentrated at small points to overwhelm local defense, and that the resulting successes were due to the German rapid decision making, ie., a faster OODA loop. He then showed while the initial movements of blitzkrieg on a map appeared to be straight lines, that they were actually fluid in nature, seeking weak points at many places at the same time. By offering examples where guerrilla warfare shared many of the aspects of blitzkrieg by using a faster OODA loop, he gave suggested remedies.The conclusion of Boyd's presentation was the concept of the "counter-blitz', by being able to get inside the enemy's decision loop by using this faster OODA loop to channel his attacks so that they run out of steam on their own and can then be countered. Boyd's key to this is fluidity and maneuver based on the OODA loop.This is a much abbreviated version of both OODA and Destruction & Creation, the book goes into much greater detail along with the evolutionary process that created it.
By 1976, Discourse on Winning & Losing, was condensed into "Patterns of Conflict", (still with the 10 page Destruction & Creation). It became the foundation of the "defense reform movement" (DRM) in the 1970s and 1980s. Direct result of DRM and the acolytes were the A-10 Warthog and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the fate of the B-1 bomber. Patterns of Conflict became the basis of the USMC model of maneuver warfare as described in their manual "Warfighting". Serious rumors have it that Boyd was involved in the planning of Gulf War 1.
I have avoided describing over half of the content of this book, as I am an unabashed critic of the USAF. The rationale for it's very creation went away with the end of the Cold War. The amount of corruption due to the incestuous relations between the AF and it's contractors is well documented. The careerism if the AF is the rest of the book. The enemy isn't Russia or China, it is the Navy and the Army. The design process for airplanes explains the F-35. This is a MUST read for anyone interested in United States military history and affairs.
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- Roger P. Williams
- 02-23-18
Wow! This man had a amazingly military mind.
I never heard of this man before and I thought I new everything about the US military. I am going to find and study all of his writings. I'm very happy I found this book.😀
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- Amazon User
- 11-17-17
An interesting character - Boyd
The book is interesting and speaks to the brilliance of John Boyd and the frustration of the ignorance/stubbornness within the military ranks. It is not very often that people such as John Boyd get recognized for their works ...
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- Bruce C. Inman
- 08-29-18
Lousyfather, but he was an amazing man!
I think that this is a must-read for anyone in the US Air Force or military of any branch for that matter.
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- Melvin
- 02-09-19
Outstanding
A true warrior. As a proud Marine my chest sticks out a little further because of the way the Marine Corps has treated this legend. The genius of John Boyd has finally been given it’s due attention by Robert Coram. Bravo!
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- Earl Breon
- 06-20-19
An absolute must read
As a Marine I was vaguely familiar with Col. Boyd’s work but that didn’t scratch the surface. This is an excellent book about a true patriot.
We need more Boyds!
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