From Hot Air to Hellfire: The History of Army Attack Aviation

Bradin reveals how the Army, forced to provide its own air cover after the Air Force shifted concentration to strategic bombing, turned to the helicopter and, working with Bell Helicopter and other civilian companies, made the craft a major component of its striking power. Well-researched and packed with interesting information, Bradin's book tracks the buraucratic turf wars and technological advances that led to such helicopter-borne weapons as the AH-1 Cobra and the world's most sophisticated attack chopper, the AH-64 Apache. Bradin reviews the craft deployed in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and Iraq. His discussion of the performance of Army attack aviation during Operation Desert Storm is impressively detailed. The book is important reading for helicopter-warfare buffs. Bradin, a retired Army colonel, commanded armor and aviation units during two Vietnam tours. Photos. (July)