This book gave me an enlightening view of the evolution and procurement of American jet fighter aircraft. John Boyd thought of himself as the best fighter pilot ever; and Robert Coram's book about him makes me believe that Boyd might have been correct. He was not only highly skilled but he also created a model of the physical characteristics of jet combat. Coram shows how Boyd's Energy-Maneuverability Theory explained many puzzles in jet warfare since the first battles in Korea. Questions such as why was the F-86 successful against the Migs in Korea but the F-100 suffered against the Soviet aircraft in Viet Nam and why the F-15 was seriously inferior to the F-16.

Coram also gives us insight into Boyd's difficult and uninhibited personality. After a general had heard Boyd's analysis of the F-111 he asked for recommendations regarding the aircraft. Boyd answered: "General, I'd pull the wings off, install benches in the bomb bay, paint the g------ thing yellow, and turn it into a high-speed line taxi."

Biographies of military figures are a tricky business. The core audience for the books is so passionate that they are willing to forgive lousy books in their thirst for more information. For that reason there are a lot of mediocre war books. Because of the title and the subject, it's easy to glance at this book and think of it has a Costco war biography or a decent Christmas present for a military buff. Don't.

It is instead of a truly peerless book on military strategy. Coram's chronicle is artful, so well-researched and so informative that it brought John Boyd to the forefront of military strategy well after his death and many years of neglect. Compared to his fellow writers in this field, Coram is a god among men.

This book's strength is its ability to make complex, strategic theories that fundamentally shifted the art of war understandable to the average reader. Believe me, that is not an easy task. If the book inspires you to read some of Boyd's academic papers you will quickly discover how artful Coram has translated them. In journal form, Boyd's Creative Destruction is obtuse and confusing. Coram's book is the primer to its understanding for those of us who don't have ranking military professors to explain it.

Lastly, Coram doesn't shy away from the negative sides of Boyd's genius bubble. We see how it torn at his family life and how he bore little of the consequences. If it wasn't for the endless patience of his wife who subsidized and tolerated his lifestyle with her support, the world would have been deprived of his insights.

This is a superior book, in every respect, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough to readers interested in post World War Two military aviation. As a former B-52 navigator-bombardier (Vietnam War era) and USAF officer, I was particularly interested in the relationships and conflicts within the fighter community and even more interestingly how that group dealt with the often greater "threat" consistently coming from Curtis LeMay's Strategic Air Command. While the fighter community was fighting among itself, TAC as a whole was being constantly gnawed away by SAC, which consistently received so much of the nation's national defense dollars during the 1950s and 60s, much of it at the fighter's expense. The analysis of the shortcomings of that era's fighter tactics and armament is peerless. Many Vietnam USAF pilots came to believe that their relatively poor showing against the NVA (and compared to Naval Aviation) would not have happened if Boyd and men like him had been listened to. Coram handles all this material extremely well--not only does he give all the needed facts and figures, his prose stays extremely readable throughout--indeed I would call "Boyd" a real page-turner. This book has a special place in my aviation library--there are lessons included that need to be continually referenced even today, and beyond.

Excellent book! Great insight into the military-industrial complex and the hard time innovators have in the military bureaucracy.

Robert Coram's biography about the life and the legacy of John Boyd is a gripping, page-turning read.

Boyd's life and teachings over and over showcase his basic tenets of warfare: how frontal attacks and war-by-attrition are a loser's game. The smart strategist causes confusion in the opponent, gets into his mind, anticipates his moves and sidesteps strongholds of resistance. Its applications range far and wide to any level of human relationships. He always preaches that people come first, ideas second and hardware last. His message is as applicable as ever in today's society that looks to technological wizardry as the cure of all ills.

There is ample overlap and application to business, sadly Boyd died before he could expand upon his ideas outside of the military arena. The last chapter quotes Taiichi Ohno, the mastermind behind the fabled Toyota Production System that instilled fear into the US Auto industry and gave rise to lean manufacturing. For Boyd is was protecting his own and defeating overwhelming opponents, be it an army or Pentagon bureaucracy.

Boyd is shown to be of a rare breed of great warriors who were also intellectuals, or intellectuals who were also warriors and follows in a line that reaches far back to great historic figures such as Sun Tsu, Napoleon, and WWII generals of both sides.

Having been in the Air Force during the Vietnam era, and having served at the command level, I found this book to be rather insulting. I served with many fine staff officers, and flag officers, who were trying their very best to do what was right for this country and the Air Force. To try to lump these fine individuals into Robert Coram's classification of "Blue Suiters" is repugnant to me at the best.

The book is long, boring, repetitive and somewhat poorly written. As an Air Force veteran I have great difficulty finding John Boyd the savior of the Air Force and the country. Hero worship should be left to comic books.

I am still awaiting delivery of this book. The vendor assures me that he mailed it, but it has NOT arrived.

This book should be read by anyone who is concerned about the military-industrial complex. It is a sympathetic biography of a reformer who tries to change the Air Force against all odds, and while not succeeding directly on most issues, ends up establishing a legacy of critical strateguc thought that is very important. It magnifies the "warrior" vs "careerist" dichotomy within the Air Force and raisses many questions about the motivations of senior military leaders when it comes to making aircraft procurement decisions.

Boyd is a fascinating book because the man himself was truly remarkable. A combination of many contradictory personality traits, Boyd nevertheless attracted superior talent in support of his ideas. His unbounded determination guaranteed that his activities would have broad impact in the national defense area.

I am sure as you read you will appreciate the unfolding of his amazing career.