About the Book
Hell Hawks sets a new standard for histories of the tactical anti-war in Europe. Veteran authors Bob Dorr and Tom Jones combine masterfully crafted veteran interviews with the broader picture of the air war fought by the Thunderbolt men. You gain a new appreciation of just how tough their deadly task was, and the courage needed to fly close air support against the Nazi fighters and flak. This outstanding book raises the bar on aviation history as it brings alive the true story of an aerial band of brothers. - Colonel Walter J. Boyne, National Aviation Hall of Famer, former director of the National Air & Space Museum, and best-selling author Hell Hawks! is the story of the band of young American fighter pilots, and their gritty, close-quarters fight against Hitlers vaunted military. The Hell Hawks were the men and machines of the 365th Fighter Group.
Beginning just prior to D-Day, June 6, 1944, the groups young pilots (most were barely twenty years old and fresh from flight training in the United States) flew in close support of Eisenhowers ground forces as they advanced across France and into Germany. They flew the rugged, heavily armed P-47 Thunderbolt, aka the Jug. Living in tents amid the cold mud of their front-line airfields, the 365ths daily routine had much in common with that of the G.I.s they supported.
Their war only stopped with the Nazi surrender on May 8, 1945. During their year in combat, the Hell Hawks paid a heavy price to win the victory. Sixty-nine pilots and airmen died in the fight across the continent. The Groups 1,241 combat missions -- the daily confrontation of sudden, violent death -- forged bonds between these men that remain strong sixty years later. This book will tell their story, the story of the Hell Hawks.
About the Author :
Two seasoned authors are behind Hell Hawks! Bob Dorr and Tom Jones have both written successful aviation, space, and history books based on their decades of experience with military and aviation history.Robert F. Dorr is an Air Force veteran, a retired senior American diplomat, and the author of 60 books and thousands of magazine articles and newspaper columns about the Air Force and air warfare. He is a columnist for Air Force Times newspaper and writes the Washington Watch feature for Aerospace America magazine.Bob has interviewed hundreds of veterans of World War II and maintains a photography archive of Air Force combat operations. Bob served in the Air Force in Korea (1957-60), and was a Foreign Service embassy at American embassies and consulates (1964-89) before becoming a fulltime author.In the past year, Bob has written for Air and Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Flight Journal, as well as Air Forces Monthly, Air Power History, and many other publications. His book Air Force One, a history of presidential aircraft and air travel, has been praised by critics. Other recent books by Robert F. Dorr include Korean Air War, co-authored with Warren Thompson, and the Alpha Bravo Guide to the U. S. Army. Bob lives in Oakton, Virginia, with his family and Labrador retriever.Dr. Thomas D. Jones is a scientist, author, pilot, and former NASA astronaut. A Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Academy, Tom piloted B-52D strategic bombers for five years before beginning his NASA career. He holds a doctorate in planetary sciences, and in more than eleven years with NASA, flew on four space shuttle missions totaling 53 days in orbit. On his last flight, Dr. Jones led three spacewalks to install the centerpiece of the International Space Station, the American Destiny laboratory.In the past year, Tom has written for Air and Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Flight Journal, and Checkpoints magazines. He is the co-author of two books for young adults, both written with June A. English. Mission: Earth (Scholastic, 1996) detailed his orbital experiences on two missions to take the pulse of the planet's ecosystem, oceans, and geology. The Scholastic Encyclopedia of the United States at War (Scholastic, 1998) traced our nation's path through conflict and peace to its place as the world's lone superpower. He co-authored with Michael Benson, The Complete Idiot's Guide to NASA, (Alpha, 2002). His most recent book book, Space Station Odyssey was published by Smithsonian Institution Press in 2004.
Dr. Jones consults, writes, and speaks from the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Review :
Checkpoints
"The product of four years of research, [Hell Hawks!] doesn't merely entertain with 'I was there' tales of intrepid aviators, it takes the reader back to a time of our 'greatest generation,' and puts one alongside boys just out of their teens, uprooted from their peacetime lives and thrust, for example, into the cauldron of the Battle of the Bulge...gripping, accurate, and engaging."
