Topgun: An American Story

by Dan Pedersen

Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER




"If you loved the movie, you will love the real story in the book." — Fox & Friends

On the 50th anniversary of the creation of the "Topgun" Navy Fighter School, its founder shares the remarkable inside story of how he and eight other risk-takers revolutionized the art of aerial combat.

When American fighter jets were being downed at an unprecedented rate during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy turned to a young lieutenant commander, Dan Pedersen, to figure out a way to reverse their dark fortune. On a shoestring budget and with little support, Pedersen picked eight of the finest pilots to help train a new generation to bend jets like the F-4 Phantom to their will and learn how to dogfight all over again.

What resulted was nothing short of a revolution — one that took young American pilots from the crucible of combat training in the California desert to the blistering skies of Vietnam, in the process raising America's Navy combat kill ratio from two enemy planes downed for every American plane lost to more than 22 to 1. Topgun emerged not only as an icon of America's military dominance immortalized by Hollywood but as a vital institution that would shape the nation's military strategy for generations to come.

Pedersen takes readers on a colorful and thrilling ride — from Miramar to Area 51 to the decks of aircraft carriers in war and peace-through a historic moment in air warfare. He helped establish a legacy that was built by him and his "Original Eight" — the best of the best — and carried on for six decades by some of America's greatest leaders. Topgun is a heartfelt and personal testimony to patriotism, sacrifice, and American innovation and daring.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316416283
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	151,663
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dan Pedersen entered the U.S. Navy in 1953. He was the senior officer in the group of nine men who formed the Navy's legendary "Topgun" program at Naval Air Station Miramar in March 1969. He served in combat during the Vietnam War, with a flying cruise on USS Hancock (CVA-19) and three on USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He retired as a captain, having accumulated 6,100 flight hours and 1,005 carrier landings while flying 39 types of aircraft. He lives with his wife in Palm Desert, CA.

Table of Contents

Foreword Darrell "Condor" Gary xi

Prologue Palm Desert, California, 2018 1

1 Admission Price: Over Southern California, December 1956 9

2 First Tribe: Texas to Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Spring 1957 24

3 The Navy Way: North Island, June 1958 32

4 Fight Club: Off San Clemente Island, California, 1959 41

5 Where Are the Carriers?: Off the Saigon River, South Vietnam, November 3, 1963 52

6 The Path to Disillusionment: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, January 1967 63

7 Yankee Station Education: Yankee Station, off the coast of Vietnam, Early 1968 78

8 Starting Topgun: Naval Air Station Miramar, California, Fall 1968 98

9 The Original Bros: Miramar, 1969 116

10 Secrets of the Tribe: Miramar, 1969 137

11 Proof of Concept: Miramar, 1969 148

12 Topgun Goes to War: Yankee Station, Spring 1972 164

13 The Last Missing Man: Yankee Station, January 1973 177

14 The Peace That Never Was: Yankee Station, February 1973 182

15 End of the Third Temple: Tel Nor Air Base, Israel, October 6, 1973 195

16 Return with Honor: Forty miles off South Vietnam, April 29, 1975 207

17 Topgun and the Tomcat 220

18 Black Shoes: Aboard USS Wichita, 1978 234

19 The Best and the Last: Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, November 1980 244

20 One More Goodbye: Somewhere in the Pacific, Spring 1982 255

21 Saving Topgun 267

22 Will We Have to Lose a War Again? (or, Back to the Future in an F-35) 275

Acknowledgments 287

Glossary of Acronyms and Terms 291

Topgun Officers in Charge and Commanding Officers 295

Index 297

Photo Credits 305

What People are Saying About This

New York Times bestselling author Ghost Soldiers and On Desperate Ground - Hampton Sides

“If an institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man, then the history of modern naval aviation might well be described as the lengthened shadow of Dan Pedersen. Here, in direct, vivid, and unvarnished prose, is the high-flying, supersonic tale of the Topgun program and its extraordinary founder. Through it all, Pedersen’s innovative spirit, as well as his essential modesty, shines through.”

Former Secretary of the Navy and author of Oceans Ventured: Winning the Cold War at Sea - Jr. John F. Lehman

“This great adventure tale is everything an important book should be. The legendary ‘Topgun’ Navy Fighter Weapons School made famous in the movie really did change history and tactical aviation. It was brought about by nine bright, young but experienced pilots led by Dan Pedersen, a forceful leader willing to risk his career by challenging the brass and the bureaucrats. His book is full of lessons, at many levels, about leadership, intelligence, savvy, and persistence. Pedersen and his boys proved that constancy of purpose can win out against accepted unwisdom even in vast hierarchical bureaucracies. They enabled the Navy to learn, adapt, and win at the tactical level, and their success led to a transformation of tactics and training in all of the services.”

New York Times bestselling author of The Warrior Elite and Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch

“Teeming with white-knuckled action and the dynamic personalities who would come to define a generation of combat pilots, Topgun brings the deadly dance of air warfare alive.”

Editorial Reviews

"If you loved the movie, you will love the real story in the book."—Pete Hegseth, Fox & Friends

"If an institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man, then the history of modern naval aviation might well be described as the lengthened shadow of Dan Pedersen. Here, in direct, vivid, and unvarnished prose, is the high-flying, supersonic tale of the Topgun program and its extraordinary founder. Through it all, Pedersen's innovative spirit, as well as his essential modesty, shines through."—Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author GhostSoldiers and On Desperate Ground

"It's hard to read Dan Pedersen's Topgun and not think of Tom Cruise rock-'n'-rollin' through the California mountains in the similarly named motion picture more than 30 years ago...a pleasure to read."—Wall Street Journal

"Pedersen's bold, white-knuckle action and passion to be the best make this an exciting book from beginning to end."—Christian Science Monitor, Best Books of the Month

"Goose and Maverick, move over — this is the true heart of Topgun, told with energy, style, humor, and tactical brilliance...a masterpiece that captures the essence of naval aviation in all its complexity and beauty. Dan Pedersen takes us on a high-speed jet ride through the fast times of Topgun, the Navy, and the need to fight our enemies from a position of superiority."—Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.),Supreme Allied Commander of NATO (2009-2013), chairman of the U.S. Naval Institute,and author of Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans

"With the hot-seat velocity and cockpit realism of a military combat thriller, the author delivers exacting details and emotional acuity....A noble, thrillingly realized combat aviation memoir from one of America's finest."—Kirkus Reviews

"Capt. Dan Pederson became one of a handful of aviators who convinced Navy brass that a change in tactics was essential....The lives he saved though Topgun training earn him the title of American Hero."
—Washington Times

"A superb read...Dan Pedersen's Topgun is a riveting, seat-of-the-pants flight into the lethal world of the fighter pilot told by the man who started it all!"
—Dan Hampton, New York Times bestselling author of Viper Pilot and Lords of the Sky

"[A] fast-paced memoir...This remembrance of aerial derring-do is sure to appeal to military aviators and fans of the world of fighter pilots, past and present."—Publishers Weekly

"Teeming with white-knuckled action and the dynamic personalities who would come to define a generation of combat pilots, Topgun brings the deadly dance of air warfare alive."—Dick Couch, New York Times bestselling authorof The Warrior Elite and Chosen Soldier

"An exciting and well-written journey through more than five decades of naval and air-combat history and the service to which Pedersen devoted most of his life."—Booklist

"Forget the movie...This book soars...[A] remarkable inside story of how [Pedersen] and eight other risk-takers revolutionized the art of aerial combat."—Military Press

"A powerful insider's account of an important and uniquely American institution."
—The Naval Historical Foundation

"For those who will never experience the thrilling privilege of soaring at Mach 2 in the back seat of a Navy F-4 Phantom fighter, Dan Pedersen's superb memoir is the next best thing....Many aviators-turned-authors lose readers in jargon and procedures, but Pedersen's full-hearted personal narrative engages them with maverick charm, showing how he and his innovative team reinvented the art of air-to-air combat in the jet age. Topgun: An American Story is as revelatory as a freshly declassified briefing, written with the flair and insight of Tom Clancy."—Michael Fabey, author of Crashback: The Power Clash Between the U.S. and China in the Pacific

"This book is an enthralling read at a breakneck pace, capturing the speed of aviation development from the late '50s through the early '80s....It is in the end a story about renewal and hope for all who dare to be the best of the best and in so doing, improve the world around them."—U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine

"Pedersen's soaring new memoir details the roots of America's aerial combat crisis in Vietnam and the stunning response that resurrected American primacy in the skies...[Pedersen] often writes with the precision and artistry of a skywriter, especially when he describes his love of flight....[A] spellbinding memoir."—The Charleston Post and Courier

"One of the great turnarounds in modern military history."—CBN

"Thrilling, masterful, and meticulously detailed...Outstanding...Riveting...One of the best written, and most historically significant aviation books of the last three decades."—The Aviationist

From the Publisher

01/28/2019

In this fast-paced memoir, Dan “Yank” Pedersen, who cofounded the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (widely known by its nickname “Topgun”) in 1969, looks back at his 29-year Navy aviation career. Pedersen and the men who worked for and with him in Topgun developed innovative aerial combat tactics and techniques that significantly increased the effectiveness of American jet fighter pilots in the Vietnam War. Full of reflection and blow-by-blow accounts of wartime air combat action, the book is a paean to the “brotherhood” of “committed, driven,... crisp, smart, quick, deadly and confident” Topgun Navy fighter jet pilots. Pedersen includes a sharp critique of how the Johnson administration managed the air war in Vietnam, blasting LBJ and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara for micromanaging and for imposing stifling rules of engagement, and a word of praise for Tom Skerritt’s character in the movie Topgun, who “captured the character of Topgun leadership.” He also includes details of his two broken marriages and the large chunks of time he spent away from his three children—the “one regret” of his military career. This remembrance of aerial derring-do is sure to appeal to military aviators and fans of the world of fighter pilots, past and present. Agent: Jim Hornfischer, Hornfischer Literary Management. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

2019-01-06

A seasoned airman shares his legacy as a Navy fighter pilot.

Pedersen, a distinguished military veteran known as the "Godfather of Topgun," is credited with establishing the Navy Fighter Weapons School. His memoir, a collection of captivating, action-packed anecdotes and pivotal events in his naval career, moves briskly through time spent with committed men dedicated to their "monastic calling." The author enlisted in 1956, and he covers his early years before moving into tales of Vietnam. As mounting losses and ineffective artillery, tactics, and leadership weakened America's defensive strategies in the 1960s, Pedersen recalls craving a fresh master plan to even the odds. Recognizing Pedersen's excellence in aerial gunnery and overall flight and defensive precision, the Navy selected him, then stationed at Miramar, California ("Fightertown USA"), to head up an air combat graduate school featuring eight other passionate and talented officers known as the "Original Bros." In describing the founding days of Topgun, the author details his selection of veteran pilots and a procedural curriculum to utilize the new MiG fighter jets. He also highlights the toll their call of duty took on marriages and families; regrets aside, "for us, flying always came first." Throughout the book, Pedersen ably conveys the immense camaraderie among the courageous brotherhood of American fighter pilots and conjures the excitement of daring aerial combat and weaponry maneuvers. He proudly notes that, at its 50th anniversary, the Topgun course remains the standard of excellence for providing air combat and weapons systems training. With the hot-seat velocity and cockpit realism of a military combat thriller, the author delivers exacting details and emotional acuity. Now 83, he admits to still experiencing the same visceral rush when seeing fighter aircraft zooming overhead as he did when he was a wartime naval aviator: "I can't fly anymore," he writes, "but my heart is still up there." Pedersen also includes a helpful glossary of terms and acronyms.

A noble, thrillingly realized combat aviation memoir from one of America's finest.

Kirkus Reviews