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Vipers in the Storm: Diary of a Gulf War Fighter Pilot
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Descriptions of 30 combat missions from F-16 pilot during Operation Desert Storm
During Operation Desert Storm, Captain Keith Rosenkranz piloted his F-16 "Viper" in 30 combat missions. Here he recounts these experiences in searing, "you-are-there" detail, giving readers one of the most riveting depictions ever written of man and machine at war.
Descriptions of 30 combat missions from F-16 pilot during Operation Desert Storm
During Operation Desert Storm, Captain Keith Rosenkranz piloted his F-16 "Viper" in 30 combat missions. Here he recounts these experiences in searing, "you-are-there" detail, giving readers one of the most riveting depictions ever written of man and machine at war.
325 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 13, 2016
I thought the book was well-written and quite informative. The first couple of chapters have a lot of 'backhistory' in them that lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. The 'biggest detriment' was the small print; it did get a little hard to read in some places. But, overall, it had a good flow to it and it held my interest throughout the entire book.
I liked how it actually starts in the Western portion of the United States and follows the author's path across the States and then across the ocean around the globe to the Persian Gulf region. It was a fascinating [albeit, limited] description of the wing's flight halfway around the world. The author was instrumental in designing alternative forms of effective bombing for the Viper so that it would survive the insane AAA put up by the Iraqis. Despite having a lot of 'technical details' in it, I did not feel like it got bogged down by the 'technical stuff' in it.
On a side note, I may 'owe' Dale Brown an apology - this book has an equal amount of, if not more, 'checklists' in it than Dale Brown's fiction. hahahah Still, though, it was interesting to read how detail-oriented the various pilots were on each of their missions, as that attention to detail helped save their lives.
I will never say a military pilot is not a warrior; these men and women have done far more to serve, protect, and defend their country than I ever have, and they have given up far more than me in doing so. They have my utmost respect. The author sees himself and his fellow pilots as warriors, and rightfully so. But after reading several books 'recently' about Army personnel, Navy SEALs, and Special Forces operators, it did strike me as funny to hear him call himself and his fellow pilots 'warriors' in light of what the ground personnel have to go through when they are on their missions.
I also thought the author did a great job describing the F-16, how it handled, what its capabilities were. I have always loved this warplane when I first read about it back in the late 1970s, and my fascination with it has grown over the years. It is a remarkable airplane, and it was fascinating to read about the author's impressions of it, as he had flown it for quite some time.
It was a good book, and I am glad I finally got around to reading it.
I liked how it actually starts in the Western portion of the United States and follows the author's path across the States and then across the ocean around the globe to the Persian Gulf region. It was a fascinating [albeit, limited] description of the wing's flight halfway around the world. The author was instrumental in designing alternative forms of effective bombing for the Viper so that it would survive the insane AAA put up by the Iraqis. Despite having a lot of 'technical details' in it, I did not feel like it got bogged down by the 'technical stuff' in it.
On a side note, I may 'owe' Dale Brown an apology - this book has an equal amount of, if not more, 'checklists' in it than Dale Brown's fiction. hahahah Still, though, it was interesting to read how detail-oriented the various pilots were on each of their missions, as that attention to detail helped save their lives.
I will never say a military pilot is not a warrior; these men and women have done far more to serve, protect, and defend their country than I ever have, and they have given up far more than me in doing so. They have my utmost respect. The author sees himself and his fellow pilots as warriors, and rightfully so. But after reading several books 'recently' about Army personnel, Navy SEALs, and Special Forces operators, it did strike me as funny to hear him call himself and his fellow pilots 'warriors' in light of what the ground personnel have to go through when they are on their missions.
I also thought the author did a great job describing the F-16, how it handled, what its capabilities were. I have always loved this warplane when I first read about it back in the late 1970s, and my fascination with it has grown over the years. It is a remarkable airplane, and it was fascinating to read about the author's impressions of it, as he had flown it for quite some time.
It was a good book, and I am glad I finally got around to reading it.
May 28, 2014
He does a great job of going in depth into the F16 and I truly felt like I was flying the aircraft from time to time. He makes the reader feel like they are the pilot and truly expresses his story in an amazing fashion. I love aviation and this book just stoked the fire. Highly highly recommend to anyone who likes flying or aviation.
July 20, 2012
Great book on how the life was for a Viper pilot during Desert Storm. A lot of technical flying details, tension, true feelings and anecdotes. Would get 5 stars if it would be a little less "America is great" minded
December 17, 2011
This is a really enjoyable book to read. Rosenkranz provides great detail and insight, really wrote a book that doesn't blatantly glorify war and writes in a way that creates a great visual.
January 14, 2014
Great account of life as a pilot during the Gulf War. The tiny font size used to print the book made it hard to get through; a larger typeface would have meant a better review.
April 12, 2023
Definitely one of the better military memoirs that I've read though it does the have the usual spate of giga patriotism that I could do without. It also gets bogged down in a lot of jargon that I understand but is definitely not for everyone
November 27, 2022
Good book.
October 19, 2023
Interesting personal account of flying during the first gulf war. Some additional material about background to the conflict. What I really liked is that the author mentioned the specific functions he employed such as CZ, TMS switch, UFC etc which DCS players could relate to. The strange bit is the author kept saying green flag and locking up GMT .…not sure if this was back in the time when red flag was sensitive? This also brings some doubt to the technical accuracy of other information in this book, either due to memory lapse or the need to protect what was then sensitive information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2021
Best book ever written by Viper pilot, a lot of technical and operational background details. Interesting and gripping story that happened during Desert Shield & Desert Storm operations, including Package Q strike, highway of death etc. It's great the author stayed with 421 Black Widows.
If compared to another very good book "Viper Pilot" by Dan Hampton this one is different style written/ not so cool and cocky but filled up with details. Both are different but very enjoyable.
If compared to another very good book "Viper Pilot" by Dan Hampton this one is different style written/ not so cool and cocky but filled up with details. Both are different but very enjoyable.
February 22, 2016
The most detailed account of aerial operations in the Persian Gulf War from the personal level that I have read to date. Very comprehensive from both the technical and personal viewpoints. Rosenkranz also pulls no punches and gives refreshingly frank assessments that may not always be what readers who think everything went perfectly may expect.
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