Dragon's Jaw

An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam

A riveting Vietnam War story--and one of the most dramatic in aviation history--told by a New York Times bestselling author and a prominent aviation historian

Every war has its "bridge"--Old North Bridge at Concord, Burnside's Bridge at Antietam, the railway bridge over Burma's River Kwai, the bridge over Germany's Rhine River at Remagen, and the bridges over Korea's Toko Ri. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon's Jaw.

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. The story of the Dragon's Jaw is a story rich in bravery, courage, audacity, and sometimes luck, sometimes tragedy. The "bridge" story of Vietnam is an epic tale of war against a determined foe.

Not what I expected

Enjoyed this account of the air war in Southeast Asia. This will be a nice addition to my collection.

Great Story

5 stars all the way around. Worth listening to more than once. Learned many new things about the war.

Excellent Book

A well written and thorough analysis of one small part of the Air War over North Vietnam, pretty much encapsulating the reasons we failed. Coonts and Tillman pull no punches, and lay put the cases against both LBJ, as well as Robert McNamara and his "Whiz Kids"

Excellent.

Well written and informative. I’ve read a lot of different books on the Vietnam War, and the air war in particular. I knew this was a difficult bridge to take down, but hadn’t appreciated just how difficult. Also good to see the author’s not shy away from shining a light on LBJ’s & McNamara’s absolute incompetence.

Not what I expected

Steven Coonts writes page turners. I was looking for a story informed by history. Instead this is a dry historical account of the blunders of Viet Illustrated by a bridge. Refund please.