Customer Review :
Wing of the Eagle : Wings of the Eagle
Wings of the Eagle is a great book that you cannot put down. I have read many Vietnam era books, about two dozen and this was my first about a helicopter pilot. The writing is pretty linear; pilot arrives in Vietnam; meets his new company; becomes a green peter-pilot to a heroic WO in his tour and then comes home. What separates this book from a lot of the others is W.T. Grants focus and description of the characters, the area, and the battles seen from a helicopter pilot's perspective. Another thing Grant does extremely well is dialogue. The interaction with LRRP's on the ground and fellow pilots back at base is very realistic, giving the book a great feel. The book was amazing but the only reason I did not give it a 5 out of 5 was the fact that the story line was predictable and linear. An astute reader could easily guess what was to happen next. Besides this minor criticism, I think the book is great and would suggest it to everyone looking to read a book about helicopters and the pilots that flew them. I also would suggest it readers that are interested in the Vietnam War and Vietnam era books. Wings of the Eagle gives you a great new perspective on the pilots who flew Huey's in Vietnam. The book gives a face to these enigmatic soldiers. For the people that are interested in Vietnam but want a book that is unique, creative and distinct I would turn away from this book try Tim O'Brien or John Del Vecchio, both have interesting writing styles that are worth checking out.
