Punk's War

An F-14 aviator takes his readers into the cockpits, ready-rooms, and bunkrooms of the U.S. Navy to show what it's like to fight in today's wars. From the opening chapter where a Tomcat fighter squadron's commanding officer botches an intercept of a hostile Iranian F-4 to the final uplifting scene, Ward Carroll's novel reveals the inner workings of the military as only an insider can. Seldom has fiction been so real.

Adopting the tone of the quixotic lieutenants who populate its pages, the novel helps us understand the pressures on a new generation of warfighters through an engaging cast of characters. Unlike other stories about the business of flying from aircraft carriers, this work provides serious food for thought about what motivates young people to keep doing what they do despite the dangers, disappointments, and personal sacrifices.

An F-14 aviator takes his readers into the cockpits, ready-rooms, and bunkrooms of the U.S. Navy to show what it's like to fight in today's wars. From the opening chapter where a Tomcat fighter squadron's commanding officer botches an intercept of a hostile Iranian F-4 to the final uplifting scene, Ward Carroll's novel reveals the inner workings of the military as only an insider can. Seldom has fiction been so real.

Adopting the tone of the quixotic lieutenants who populate its pages, the novel helps us understand the pressures on a new generation of warfighters through an engaging cast of characters. Unlike other stories about the business of flying from aircraft carriers, this work provides serious food for thought about what motivates young people to keep doing what they do despite the dangers, disappointments, and personal sacrifices.

Publishers Weekly

With suspense, drama and action as hot as a fighter jets afterburner, Carroll's account of modern naval aviation reads like Top Gun on steroids. The formula of jet pilots in conflict with superior officers and enemy MiGs will delight the military-techno audience.