Apache - Ed Macy

I took a chance with this since I hadn't previously read any of the reviews and I had just finished reading Sniper One by Dan Mills and previous to that Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell both excellent books but both which were about combat on the ground. What strikes you with Macy's book is the sheer level of detail, he gives an amazing overview of the Apache Attack helicopter, its capabilities and the level of concentration and training required to keep the thing in the air over the skies in Afghanistan. From a technical standpoint Macy knows every inch of the aircraft and for a machine that is predominantly used by the U.S armed forces it was an informative ...  Read the complete review

I'm not what you'd call a prolific reader of military books but having read and enjoyed war reporter Damian Lewis' Apache Dawn, my appetite was whetted and this one then filled me up. The main reason that this is a better read is that it was written by one of the pilots themselves; the man who flew the aircraft, fired the missiles and sat in the (very) hot seat for many many hours. This makes it different gravy and a far better read IMO, reminiscent of Dan Mills' excellent Sniper One. After a brief bio, we are quickly taken to the Helmand Province where Ed Macy teams up with the rest of the Apache crew, Flight Ugly (four Apaches), and they are soon called ...  Read the complete review

The Blurb - The Man - Ed Macy (elite pilot) The Machine - Apache AH MK1 (The worlds deadliest fighting machine) The Mission - Inpenatrable enemy fort, 200 Taliban, 1 Marine MIA Apache is the bestseller from Ed Macy, a veteran Apache pilot in the army air corps (656 Squadron) who left the army in 2008. according to the official figures he lists in the book, he flew a total of 3,930 hours, of which 645 were in the apache. The book covers the historic and much publicised 'Jugroom Fort' episode, where Matthew Ford, a Royal Marine Commando, lost his life fighting for his country, as well as many other missions, and the build up and ...  Read the complete review