Blown Slick

This book was originally intended for a small group of former squadron mates, a few friends and family. Early private publication and sale of all 100 books ordered indicated the stories and excellent art work might be saleable on a larger scale. (Including discussion with John Stone.)
Blown Slick has historical, technical, and operational mission descriptions similar to the above but approaches the USS Midway's operations in the Gulf of Tonkin from a different approach. Chapters are individual stories but when taken in whole present a perspective. History is there but it is intended to provide a framework for a "jigsaw-like" view of the air war in the '72-'73 time frame. That final year is similar but with a great many differences from the Operation Rolling Thunder period.
Wanted enough tech/op stuff that the bubbas -would look back and remember when we were "god's gift in speed jeans," and smile a bit ya know? But I also wanted family, friends and folks that just like flying stuff to get a taste of the whole aviation-in-wartime environment – our own personal bubbles. That meant pictures and the illustrations by Peter Chilelli are superb. As example the Phu Ly Bridge work used real RF-8 stuff from Skip Leonard as background.
War stuff is there but hopefully so is the laughter, silly s..t, and most of all the deep friendships. Co-author Dave Kelly wrote really well from "an in the cockpit" viewpoint. Indeed, for me, if you step back just a bit, let the Intruder specific stuff kinda slide to the side, his chapters provide the perspective of combat flying whether you were a Phantom, Corsair or Crusader aviator, or also AF or USMC -talent to describe what we all saw and felt.
Part of our day-day was that we had to compartmentalize to focus in the manner necessary to survive combat and day and night traps, but whether admitted out loud or not, there were a lot more pieces to our personal bubbles – a key one being the "tin gods with their STEEL MAGNOLIAS."
I hope readers will see a more nuanced representation of us guys in speed jeans. We certainly blew a few things slick and we most certainly got blown slick ourselves on occasion