Dragon's Jaw : an epic story of courage and tenacity in Vietnam / Stephen Coonts & Barrett Tillman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Coonts, Stephen, 1946- author.

Tillman, Barrett, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Campaigns--Vietnam--Thanh Hóa.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Aerial operations, American.

Bridges--Vietnam--Thanh Hóa--History--20th century.

Bridges.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Vietnam--Thanh Hóa.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Vietnam--Ma River Delta.

Vietnam--Ma River Delta.

Vietnam--Thanh Hóa.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xiii, 304 pages, 16 pages of unnumbered plates : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Da Capo Press, 2019.

Summary:

"For seven long years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam's formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire and enemy MiG planes. Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured and taken to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" POW camp. But after each air attack, when the smoke cleared and the debris settled, the bridge stubbornly remained standing. For the North Vietnamese it became a symbol of their invincibility; for US war planners an obsession; for US airmen a testament to American mettle and valor. Using after-action reports, official records, and interviews with surviving pilots, as well as untapped Vietnamese sources, Dragon's Jaw chronicles American efforts to destroy the bridge, strike by bloody strike, putting readers into the cockpits, under fire"-- Publisher's description.

Contents:

1 "We Will Pay Any Price..." p. 1

2 A Damned Tough Nut to Crack p. 10

3 The First Hammer Blow p. 24

4 "He Did Not Want Any More MiGs Shot Down" p. 34

5 A Grim Business p. 52

6 Enter the Navy p. 68

7 "Unlimited Losses in Pursuit of Limited Goals" p. 86

8 They Needed a Bigger Bang p. 102

9 Paying the Price p. 113

10 Fools, Drunks, and Lost Fighter Pilots p. 123

11 Carolina Moon p. 131

12 The Thanh Whore Bridge p. 148

13 The Bridge Claims Another Victim p. 159

14 "We Are Mired in a Stalemate" p. 171

15 "Courage Is Fear That Has Said Its Prayers" p. 186

16 Nixon and Kissinger p. 199

17 "You Ain't Hit the Target Yet" p. 208

18 Back to North Vietnam p. 218

19 Pounding the North p. 229

20 "We Dropped the Bridge" p. 247

21 The Violent Crescendo p. 257.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0306903474

9780306903472

OCLC:

1051137073