Chickenhawk

by Mason, Robert

Paperback, 400 pages

English language

Published by Corgi.

ISBN:: 978-0-552-16098-8

(6 reviews)

A stunning book about the right stuff in the wrong war.

As a child, Robert Mason dreamed of levitating.

As a young man, he dreamed of flying helicopters - and the U.S. Army gave him his chance.

They sent him to Vietnam where, between August 1965 and July 1966, he flew more than 1,000 assault missions. In Chickenhawk, Robert Mason gives us a devastating bird's eye-view of that war in all its horror.

He experiences the accelerating terror, the increasingly desperate courage of a man 'acting out the role of a hero long after he realises that the conduct of the war is insane,' says the New York Times.

'And we can't stop ourselves from identifying with it.'

A stunning book about the right stuff in the wrong war.

As a child, Robert Mason dreamed of levitating.

As a young man, he dreamed of flying helicopters - and the U.S. Army gave him his chance.

'And we can't stop ourselves from identifying with it.'

CHICKENHAWK contains the most vivid, astoundingly intense descriptions of flying ever written. It is a devastating account of men at war, of courage and cowardice, boredom and exhilaration, lasting friendship and sudden death. It is not a book for weak stomachs, but its powerful message will stay in the memory long after the last page is turned.

7 editions

David Hughes reviewed Chickenhawk by Mason, Robert

High quality Vietnam War memoir

4 stars

"American foreign policy is horrendous 'cause not only will America come to your country and kill all your people, but what's worse, I think, is that they'll come back 20 years later and make a movie about how killing your people made their soldiers feel sad" - Frankie Boyle. Given the above, Mason seems more decent, self aware and more switched on about the war from the get go than many others. Mostly compelling, but there's only so much helicopter talk one can take. Not a cheerful read - how could it be? - but not without humour, honesty or humanity.

Koven! reviewed Chickenhawk by Mason, Robert

Review of 'Chickenhawk' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I just finished re-reading this book. I thought it was amazing the first time I read it almost a decade ago, but this time around it just didn't work for me. Maybe its stark depiction of the horrors Vietnam was more jarring to me the first time I read it; I'm not sure. This time around it seemed mostly wearying.