Title

Boyd : the fighter pilot who changed the art of war

Description

John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest U.S. fighter pilot ever - the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than forty seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft - the F-15 and F-16. Still others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story. "Boyd, more than any other person, saved fighter aviation from the predations of the Strategic Air Command. His manual of fighter tactics changed the way every air force in the world flies and fights. He discovered a physical theory that forever altered the way fighter planes were designed. Later in life, he developed a theory of military strategy that has been adopted throughout the world and even applied to business models for maximizing efficiency. And in one of the stories of modern military history, the Air Force fighter pilot taught the U.S. Marine Corps how to fight war on the ground. His ideas led to America's swift and decisive victory in the Gulf War and foretold the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001"--Jacket.

Identifier

1068745

316881465

Creator

Coram, Robert

Format

1st ed.

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

2002

Program air date: January 26, 2003

Publisher

Little, Brown

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Notes on front and back endpapers consist of biographical information on John Boyd, notes on his family and his military career, his service in Korea, and a manual he wrote for fighter pilots with the title "Aerial attack study". Also mentioned is his love of Wagner, his desire to have a light-weight combat plane built, which was opposed by the Pentagon Generals who wanted to have a heavy, much more expensive plane developed. Other notes refer to a lengthy briefing by Boyd, the OODA-Loop - Observe/Orient/decide/Act - which was considered "one of the most influential briefings ever to come from a military man" (p. 334), and his E-M Theory. Three other briefings by Boyd are also mentioned: 1) Patterns of conflict; 2) Destruction and Creation; 3) Organic design for command and control. Boyd's theories regarding manoeuver warfare were adopted by the Army and the Marines. Several notes refer to the Acolytes, a group of his friends who shared his views: Franklin Spinney, Pierre Sprey, Raymond Leopold, Thomas Christie, James Burton. His testimony in front of the Armed Services Committee regarding his relationship with Dick Cheney is also noted. These questions and statements are part of the notes: "Entropy"; "the dialectic engine". - "How much oral history is there?" - "How did you get to see his ER's?" - "Is it good that the services compete - F-15 vs. F-14?" - "Have you seen or read the briefing?" - "What is it to hose an enemy?" - "What's a pepper?" -- Annotations by Brian Lamb in the margins and underlining of pertinent phrases throughout the book.

Subject

"Boyd, John, 1927-1997."

"United States. Air Force--Officers--Biography."

"Fighter pilots--United States--Biography."

"Fighter plane combat."

"Aeronautics, Military--United States--History--20th century."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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