BLACK ACES HIGH: The Story of a Modern Fighter Squadron at War

A former U.S. Air Force information officer with several books to his credit, Wilcox here tells the story of VF-41, a navy fighter squadron that flew aging F-14 Tomcats in the air war over Kosovo during the U.N. operations against Serbia in 1999. Wilcox, who spent two weeks aboard the USS Roosevelt, where the unit is based, brings the reader into the cockpits during runs and target searches. Split-second decisions are the order of the day, as hidden SAM missile batteries and lurking MiG fighters bar the path. Wilcox shows how Cmdr. Joseph P. Aucoin transformed "Black Aces" into a crack outfit that devised new methods of pinpointing and destroying enemy ground forces. The squadron flew numerous missions over Serbia before receiving a well-earned rest in Turkey. The Black Aces then spearheaded the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan last year. A fast-moving look behind the scenes, this acronym-laden work shows top pilots functioning with their multimillion-dollar aircraft. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)