Ghostrider One

This vivid paean to the American fighting man in Vietnam engages all the reader's senses: one can practically see the expertly choreographed catapult launches from an aircraft carrier, smell the stink of unwashed bodies saving precious water during a siege and feel the smashing jolt of a parachute opening after ejection from a ruined airplane. Commander Jim Hogan, an experienced Navy pilot, is suddenly thrust into command as the leader of the Ghostriders, a squadron of intrepid A-4 aircraft. Hogan, his F-4 counterpart Commander Chris Scott, their buddy Marine Corps Major Dick Averitt and Marine Sergeant Major Gorton experience the blood, terror and lethal beauty of the siege of Khe Sanh, a historic moment in the Vietnam War captured by Carroll ( North S*A*R ) in a narrative that converges, as did the various forces involved, from many different directions. Himself a decorated Navy aviator, Carroll creates authentic dialogue rich in military slang; he has less success with his characters, all of whom are well-intentioned and most of whom are noble. But his straightforward plot, enlivened with carefully detailed descriptions and wry humor, will speak directly to those touched by combat experience in Vietnam. (Nov.)