Warning: This novella does contain strong language, so if swearing offends you, you may not want to read this novella.

This is the first in a trilogy, and when I say trilogy I don’t mean three separate stories but one story cut into three parts. It’s also a short read at only 268 pages in length so can be easily finished in one sitting.

Set during the Viet Nam war this novella at times read more like an Air Force procedural manual than a piece of fiction, with more military acronyms than any one non-military person could possibly keep track off. However, don’t let you dissuade you from reading this, it is a fascinating read. Although the plot ambles along at a very pedestrian pace, it is full of well researched and authentic detail about the war it is set in and the role of the combat pilot during these times. This would be an education to all those of a younger age who think the Viet Nam war was just fought on the ground.

The story is told in the first person narrative and, although all the details are spot on the story itself is a work of fiction based on actual events. The military was using the same ‘hurry up and wait’ tactics it uses now and this, plus many other pieces of the way the military works made me chuckle to see things never change. I found it to be a highly enjoyable read, and completed it in one sitting.

If you’re looking for a factual account of combat pilots in Viet Nam, this may not be the book for you, but if you don’t mind a mix of factual detail and fictional storyline, then I highly recommend you pick this one up. I will be reading the remainder of the trilogy as I am eager to find out what happens to Hamfist.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/01/03/review-hamfist-over-the-trail-the-air-comb...




This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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Warning: This novella does contain strong language, so if swearing offends you, you may not want to read this novella.

This is the first in a trilogy, and when I say trilogy I don’t mean three separate stories but one story cut into three parts. It’s also a short read at only 268 pages in length so can be easily finished in one sitting.

Set during the Viet Nam war this novella at times read more like an Air Force procedural manual than a piece of fiction, with more military acronyms than any one non-military person could possibly keep track off. However, don’t let you dissuade you from reading this, it is a fascinating read. Although the plot ambles along at a very pedestrian pace, it is full of well researched and authentic detail about the war it is set in and the role of the combat pilot during these times. This would be an education to all those of a younger age who think the Viet Nam war was just fought on the ground.

The story is told in the first person narrative and, although all the details are spot on the story itself is a work of fiction based on actual events. The military was using the same ‘hurry up and wait’ tactics it uses now and this, plus many other pieces of the way the military works made me chuckle to see things never change. I found it to be a highly enjoyable read, and completed it in one sitting.

If you’re looking for a factual account of combat pilots in Viet Nam, this may not be the book for you, but if you don’t mind a mix of factual detail and fictional storyline, then I highly recommend you pick this one up. I will be reading the remainder of the trilogy as I am eager to find out what happens to Hamfist.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/01/03/review-hamfist-over-the-trail-the-air-comb...




This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
( )

I found "Hamfist - Over the Trail" both enjoyable and educational - allowing me to learn more about the day to day lives of those aviators in Vietnam. As a former grunt during the war, I have the utmost respect and gratitude for those "Sky Drivers" and "Zoomie Pilots" - they always came to our rescue when we were desperately in need of their help. The book is an easy read, following an Air Force Academy graduate (Hamilton aka "Hamfist") through his flight training and eventual deployment to Vietnam as an O-2 FAC pilot.

Mr. Nolly's work gave me a glimpse into what it takes to become a pilot, how he thinks, what he must know and what he must do to survive. Some "drivers" are superstitious and follow certain rituals prior to taking off. Others are fatalistic and simply believe in fate and when your number is pulled - it's time to die!

As the author of "Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel", I wrote about the scared, naive and innocent infantry soldiers and their "rite of passage" through the war. Newbies were always in awe, apprehensive, asked hundreds of questions and didn't take risks. It was surprising to see the same thing happening when new lieutenant pilots arrived in Vietnam. They were no different than those soldiers on the ground - all trying desperately to survive.

As soon as I finished the story, I was anxious for more and quickly downloaded the next book on my Kindle and began reading the continuation of the story. Great job Mr. Nolly. Thank you for the education and Welcome Home!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel ( )