Pucker Factor 10

Memoir of a US Army Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam

“In 1963...there was no way I could have known, sitting in a classroom on that beautiful campus in Ohio, that by raising my hand I would be going to war in Vietnam and that I would see things, hear things, and do things that most people cannot imagine.” (James Joyce)

The author was drawn into the United States Army through ROTC, and he went through training to fly helicopters in combat over Vietnam. His experiences are notable because he flew both Huey “Slicks” and Huey “Gunships”: the former on defense as he flew troops into battle, and the latter on offense as he took the battle to the enemy. Through this book, the author relives his experiences flying and fighting, with special attention given to his and other pilots’ day-to-day lives - such as the smoke bombing of Disneyland, the nickname given to a United States Army-sponsored compound for prostitution. Some of the pilots Joyce served with survived the war and went on to have careers with commercial airlines, and many were killed.

©2003 James Joyce (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

An excellent reading of a great story

First of all, this is an excellent, down to earth, first hand account of life as a Huey pilot in Vietnam. And the narrator of this audible version really captures the feel of the story’s author and his way of doing things. I haven’t enjoyed an audible book this much in a long time.

Great Book

I prefer to listen to non-fiction military books, because some of the stories are far more interesting than what a fiction author could dream up.

Excellent

Excellent. Normal life on the Frontline said as it is. Definitely worth the read and the narrator makes it easy to listen to.

A+

Captain Joyce does a phenomenal job recounting his time in Vietnam,, what led up to it, and what followed. Always interesting, funny, and sad, this thrilling account won't leave you disappointed.

Traber Burns is a joy as always and narrates beatific
beautifully.

Great story telling

This book was much more interesting than I had expected. Definitely worth a listen. If you’re the least bit interested in the Vietnam war and the helicopter operations, this book is for you.