281st Review Hawkeye: The Enthralling Autobiography of the Top-Scoring Israel Air Force Ace of Aces- Brigadier General Giora Even-Epstein

Stories of a modern was ace

After reading this book I can describe it in short: A pilot’s book especially for those that love reading stories of modern war aces. Giora, the author, is a persistent and dynamic man raised in the kibbutz and always with one goal in his mind becoming a jetfighter pilot. Despite several setbacks, like the several rejections of his requests because of medical reasons,  he became one of the most successful and oldest IAF (Israel Air Force) top ace in the several wars that took place in 1967 and 1973 in the Middle East.

Stories that keep you on the edge of your chair

It is a book filled with stories about his time as a paratrooper and jet pilot that keeps you on the edge of your chair. His in real time descriptions of the dogfights with Egyptian and Syrian Migs and the many narrow escapes during his missions are  fascinating reading. The reader gets to know also more about the Israelian war machine in general  that saved Israel from getting overrun  by the Arab countries supported by Russia.

17 victories

Giora is not a modest author in his stories about how he achieved 17 victories but he is surely very entertaining.  In 1977 (after the Yom Kippur War) he became a captain flying for ELAL and commander of a reservist squadron flying the Kfir (an Israelian version of the Mirage). After a couple of years flying for ELAL he returned to the Air Force and his career ended flying the F-16 when he aged 59, an amazing age for a fighter pilot.

I liked this book very much because the contents is all about flying, fighting and life in the Air Force.  Just plane flying stories alternated with stories of his time as a staff officer in the air operations.

A hard cover book with 192 stories and 16 pages with original photo’s of Giora Even-Epstein flying years and good reading material for pilot’s and pilot’s to be.