Robert Mason (1) (1942–)

Most first hand accounts of wars I have read are written by a somewhat amateur author. Not this one. Robert Mason infuses his terrifying tale with plenty of drama and humanity, and managed to write one of the best personal military history I have ever read.

Part of it is surely the subject matter, as I am a huge fan of aviation and its lore. And part of it is that I haven't yet read a lot about the Vietnam War.

But either way, I could not put this book down. Every mission seems to be even more dramatic than the last, and you can see Mason's flying and survival skills just barely keeping up with the challenge. You can also viscerally feel the surviver bias at work, with plenty of close calls and dead friends. It's terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

And towards the end, the book truly surprised me with a very frank account of PTSD and the life of a veteran, which I truly hadn't read anywhere else in this level of clarity.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Perhaps a bit depressing at times, but an utterly compelling story, and without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read.… (mere)

I finished Robert Mason’s Chickenhawk Back in the Real World: Life After Vietnam. I can’t say it was an good ad Chickenhawk p, but it clearly illustrates the struggles some vets have in reintegrating back into society after war service, a lesson no less valuable today.

Robert Mason honestly appraises his post war service and reintegration process. He discusses his personal and professionally successes and struggles, as well as the mistakes he made and the cost he paid in going to jail. Not a boo hoo story of how life was unfair but rather an honest assessment of his post Vietnam life.

Robert Mason should be applauded for first writing about his war service and later about his post war life. A shirt, quick and readable worthy read.… (mere)