In September 1976, Viktor Belenko defected to Japan in his MiG-25 Foxbat jet fighter, one of the most well-known defections from the Soviet block. But in that same year, there was another defection so embarrassing to the Soviets that its particulars remained a secret for more than twenty-five years. All media accounts of Soviet TU-95 flights participating in the Okean 76 naval maneuvers mention only two planes. Whenever they were confronted in private, however, the Soviets acknowledged that in reality, "three" planes took off from Russia, with the third aircraft crashing at sea, killing everyone aboard. Since it sank in deep waters, no one attempted to salvage the wreck.
But what the Soviet authorities never acknowledged publicly or privately was that the third TU-95 made a bold and risky flight from the USSR to Canada. Because its crew defected, the Soviets never admitted that such an event happened. "Bear: Flight to Liberty" tells the third crew s thrilling story.
"BEAR" is the product of Vargas-Caba s meticulous research into the Soviet Armed Forces and provides an authenticity few books on the subject can match. His careful marshalling of real-world facts to develop his work of fiction makes "BEAR" an exciting read for anyone who wants to remember how much was at stake during the Cold War.
Nate Braden, co-author of "The Last Sentry"
After years of distinguished service for the country s air force Mikhail is court-martialed, demoted and sent to finish his career in the backwaters of the mother country. Deemed politically unreliable, Mikhail forever a Russian but never a Communist Party member bridles under Soviet rule and eventually plans a daring airborne escape. To do so, he must convince his crew to leave with him, develop a viable flight plan and avoid the potentially fatal attention of innumerable Soviet military officers and KGB stooges. The author tells Mikhail s tale with meticulous care; his account is thoroughly detailed and filled with the depth of research that turns rough histories into credible recreations. Kirkus Discoveries"