Pararescue: The Skill and Courage of the Elite 106th Rescue Wing--The True Story of an Incredible Rescue at Sea and the Heroes Who

by Michael Hirsh

Book Overview

"So That Others May Live"In December 1994, two gargantuan rogue waves struck the Salvador Allende, knocking down the 450-foot cargo ship in the mid-Atlantic. In the darkness and howling winds, in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380810700
• ISBN13: 9780380810703
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

An Inspirational Pararescue

The book really gave me an idea of the training and gratification that goes along with military rescue forces. Perhaps if you are not very interested in military, you will not find the same respect as I did for "Pararescue." If you are a military buff, read it!! I've been on the phones with the 106th talking about a flight slot!

Gripping true adventure superbly told

This true story of a single adventure raised my concepts of courage and heroism to new levels. As a former journalist myself, I marveled at the author's attention to detail in exposing the gritty work of a group of men who dedicate themselves to saving lives through airborne rescue missions. The description of their elite training is worth the price of admission alone. But the tale of the rescue that is the focus of this book takes it over the top; it rivals the best adventure fiction you'll ever experience. Another reviewer said Clint Eastwood will have a starring role in the movie they make from this book. My bet is that Harrison Ford will buy the rights to this All-American five-star thriller. Anyhow, read it now. Hollywood can't make the story any better.

Sunken Ship - Culture Clash

Great Read!Pararescue, by Michael Hirsh, is one of the most thoroughly researched contemporary military history novels I have read. As a Marine officer, I am critical of books, movies, and articles about the military when they don't "get it right." I couldn't find one obvious inaccuracy in this book, which tells me Mr. Hirsh was very careful in his examination of the Air Force Pararescue community, and of the little-known USMC KC-130 aerial refueling tanker community. Most interesting to me was the comparison of the philosophies of the helicopter crews of the 102nd Rescue Squadron, and that of the Marines of Yanky 03 - the Marine tanker crew from VMGR-452. Their attitudes and beliefs seemed to be identical - "Whatever it takes to get the job done." By contrast, the mind-set of the Air Force C-130 tanker crews seemed to be "Whatever excuse we can find to get out of this dangerous mission" and "What about our crew rest?" Strange that the "factions" mentioned in this story would be Air Force Helicopter crews and Marine on one side, and Air Force C-130 crews on the other. Air Force LtCol Fleming, the Flight-lead of the 102 Rescue Squadron's H-60 Blackhawk rescue team, and the true hero of the book, should have been a Marine. Coming from a Marine, that is the ultimate compliment. Clint Eastwood should play his part in the movie version of this book.

Forget Perfect Storm....GO PARARESCUE!

Pararescue is a powerful, intense, nail-biting thriller that takes the reader along on one of the most daring rescues ever attempted. The suspense will keep you at the edge of your seat from the very first page. I highly recommend it!

Another "Perfect Storm"

"Pararescue" is a one-sitting book, a lightning-fast, can't-put-down, edge-of-your-chair read about a rescue that in complexity, excitement, and accomplishment makes "The Perfect Storm" aviation sequences seem like a lap around the flagpole. In many senses, it is a perfect followup to "The Perfect Storm," even involving the same unit and one of the same men who was involved in that tragic attempt to rescue sailboaters caught in the same storm as the doomed swordfishermnen. The Air Rescue service's motto is "That others may live' and never has it been on display more than in this undertaking. With helicopters pushed well beyond design limits, with amazing air to air refuelings in raging storms, with drama and conflict between elements of the unit, this is a tale demanding to be made into a movie. A true story, no one would believe it if it hadn't actually happened. A freighter has sunk, and 26 sailors are in the sea in a storm with hurricane strength winds some 900 miles from the 106th Rescue Wing's home base. Without hesitation, the pilots and pararescuemen of the unit are ready to make the risky rescue. Soon command reluctance to risk a dangerous mission--remember the unit lost a chopper and a parajumper in "The Perfect Storm" mission--postpones the flight. Will they make it on time? How can the sailors, some in deteriorating lifeboats, some alone in the water, survive? Michael Hirsch has had unlimited access to the crewmen who made the mission, plus a rescued sailor, who's own survival is amazing in its own right. Hirsch keeps the book moving at breakneck speed, but with a technical accuracy and attention to the human detail rarely seen in such action adventures. "Pararescue" has it all. Tension, storms, heroic pilots and parajumpers, moments of humor under enormous stress, shark attacks, and amazing flying and mission coordination. Most highly recommended.