In the hot seat ! (Apache - Ed Macy)

Member Name: tallpete33

Product:	Apache - Ed Macy
Date:	15/07/09 (25 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very intense action, informative and a good writing style

Disadvantages: modesty is not Mr Macy's forte !

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 into action. Initially a lot of their work is routine escorts or casevacs (casualty evacuations) but later in the tour, the author and his weaponry go on the offensive in Operation Glacier a huge plan to destroy Taliban bases and cut of their supply lines. We really do get "access all areas" from the controls in the Apache to the radio transmissions between JTAC (Joint Terminal attack Controller), other pilots, marines on the ground and other air support. It's a great insight how the operations are run and the pressures the pilots are put under in testing terrain.

Most of the second half of the book is concerned with the famous Jugroom Fort offensive and the subsequent evacuation of the unfortunate Lance Corporal Matthew Ford. Encountering much more Taliban resistance than expected, Ford was left behind in the fort, and the thermal imaging cameras showed he was alive but surrounded by Taliban only yards from him. With comms down, commands never reached their intended recipients and with two marine volunteers strapped to the stub wings or missile rails, two £40 million Apache's entered the fort and flew him out whilst the other two aircrew and the ground force laid down serious covering fire. Balls of steel the lot of them. The inquest afterwards made satisfying reading, the brass deciding not to take any disciplinary action....

The book itself also has an excellent glossary, lots of maps of Helmand and the Jugroom Fort, excellent photos and cutaway drawings of the beast itself. It goes into a lot of weaponry and flight ops details, but trust me this does not make it a dull read. Macy tells it as it is, as the man on the ground (sorry, in the air) and there was never a dull moment. Special mention goes to the "groundies" who re-arm, refuel and work around the clock to keep them flying, true unsung heroes.

With respect to Damian Lewis, this is a far more informative and enjoyable book than Apache Dawn, if you're unsure which to get, make it this one. If you can afford it, get the hardcover which gets top marks for the iconic cover photo and illustrations. You won't regret it.

(also reviewed on amazon)

Summary: A great insight into the role of the Apache pilot