Thud Ridge

Wings & Airpower Magazine, December 2006

“’Once a classic, always a classic,’ and this book is certainly no exception. Originally published in 1969 when the combat experiences of the Vietnam War were still happening in real-time, Thud Ridge tells the frustrating tale of Air Force strike pilots who were thrust into the war in its early stages, and who had to literally ‘write the book’ as they flew each dangerous and hair-raising mission. Jack Broughton is not only a fighter pilot’s fighter pilot, but a gifted write who can put you right into the hot sweaty cockpit of a Republic F-105 Thunderchief flying its payload of 750-lb. bombs right up Route Pack 6 and into the heavily defended piece of real estate that gives this book its name.

 

“Now enhanced by compelling and candid photographs running chronologically through the narrative, this book not only tells the story of aerial bravery during the early phases of Vietnam, but gives the reader a veritable encyclopedia of information on all the combat hardware employed in the conflict. An appendix showing aircraft flown and equipment used in Southeast Asia offers the kind of detail that really puts this book into proper historical perspective. Whether or not you were captivated by the original, this new release serves as a valuable re-visit to a pivotal era in military history that changed the face of aerial combat as we knew it. There are few people on this earth better suited to tell the story than Col. Jack Broughton.”

Colonel Jack Broughton, was awarded the Air Force Cross (second only to the Medal of Honor) for his service in the Vietnam air wars. He served in Korea and for three years commanded the Air Force demonstration team, the Thunderbirds. He has flown virtually all the US Air Force’s operational aircraft and was combat-ready in every fighter from the P-47 to the F-106. He currently lives in California.
Hanson W. Baldwin, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, military affairs reporter and editor for the New York Times from 1929-1968, and editor for Reader's Digest, 1968-1976