Airlift Books

Several books have been published about the C-130 over the years. Here are several, arranged by category, with my thoughts on each:

LOCKHEED HERCULES, by Lars Olausson, Self-published - Lars has produced several production lists of the C-130/L-100 series. Contact him at PO Box 142, S-530, 32 Satenas, Sweden - Email larso@alfa.telenordia.se

C-130, The Hercules, by M.E. Morris, Presidio Press, 1989 - An excellent C-130 profile book written by author Mo Morris, who flew C-130s with the Navy.

C-130 HERCULES, by Arthur Reed, MotorBooks, 1984 - Profiles the airplane from development to the early 1980s. Has many excellent pictures.

LOCKHEED HERCULES, by Francis K. Mason, Patrick Stephens, 1984 - Describes all aspects of the development and deployment of the Hercules. Many pictures, some historic.

New! Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Its Variants, Chris Reed, Schiffer Military Publications - Basically, Chris has written another airplane profile book. There is some information not contained in previous books of a similar nature. If you like to see color pictures of C-130s, buy it.

New! LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES, The World's Favourite Military Transport, by Peter C. Smith, Airlife Publishing Ltd. - A C-130 profile book by a British author. Has a lot of information on the various variants, including tail numbers of airplanes converted to gunships, etc.

HERK, HERO OF THE SKIES, by Joe Dabney, Cobblehouse Books - Joe Dabney was in public relations with Lockheed. His book is undoubtedly the best of the C-130 books in terms of the airplane's many uses.

THE LONG ARM OF AMERICA, by Martin Caidin, E.P. Dutton & Co, 1963 - The first book about the Hercules, it is an excellent chronicle of the development of the C-130 and the troop carrier mission to which it was assigned. A MUST for tactical airlifters.

The C-130 HERCULES, Tactical Airlift Missions, 1956-1975, by Sam McGowan, Tab/Aero, 1988- Written by a former tactical airlifter (me!), this book describes the mission which made the reputation of the C-130, the troop carrier/tactical airlift mission of through the end of the Vietnam War. Currently out of print, several copies are in the hands of airlifters throughout the world. At present I am in the process of revising the original manuscript and hope to have a revised version out by the end of 2002.

TACTICAL AIRLIFT, by Ray Bowers, Office of Air Force History - The official history of the US Air Force tactical airlift mission in Southeast Asia, written by a former C-130 navigator. A MUST for all professional airlifters and military historians. (Note - Similar volumes were published about the Fixed-wing Gunship and Rescue missions.)

The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, from the Office of Air Force History - An overview of USAF operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

AIRWAR, VIETNAM, Arno Press for the Office of Air Force History, 1978 - Official USAF histories from the Vietnam War. Includes C-130 operations at An Loc and the legendary Carolina Moon C-130 attack on the Thanh Hoa Bridge.

AIR AMERICA, Christopher Robbins, Chronicles the clandestine airline, Air America, and its derivatives. Includes the covert C-130 mission of E-Flight, and the BirdAir operations in Cambodia during the final days of the Vietnam War.

AIRPOWER AND THE AIRLIFT EVACUATION OF KHAM DUC, by Lt. Col. Alan L. Gropman, Air War College - Volume V, Monograph 7 of the USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series - A comprehensive account of the events of May 12, 1968 when C-130s and C-123s participated in the evacuation of the camp at Kham Duc, RVN.

BLIND BAT, C-130 Forward Air Controllers Over The Ho Chi Minh Trail, by Fred Nyc - A personal narrative of a Blind Bat pilot's experiences.

David Kirk Vaughan / Paperback / McFarland & Company, Incorporated - David Vaughan flew C-130s with the 314th Tactical Airlfit Wing at CCK.

GUNSHIP, SPECTRE OF DEATH, by Henry Zeybel, Pocket Books - A fictionalized account of AC-130 gunship operations over Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

The Cave, by Sam McGowan, IstBooks Library - The Cave tells the story of Toby Carter, a young loadmaster who is shot down over Laos on a Blind Bat mission.

SAVE THE HOSTAGES, originally published as 111 Days in Stanleyville, by Readers Digest Books - A chronicle of the events of August-November, 1964 when Simba rebels in the Congo held white hostages until they were rescued by a joint US/Belgian team of USAF C-130s and Belgian paratroopers.

DESERT SHIELD by Robert F. Dorr, Motorbooks, International - Describes the American buildup in the Persian Gulf, with emphasis on USAF airlift.

GUNSHIPS, A Pictorial History of Spooky, by Larry Davis, Squadron/Signal Publications - A pictorial history of the USAF fixed-wing gunship mission, including the development of the AC-130.

ANY TIME, ANY PLACE, by Philip D. Chinnery, Naval Institute Press, 1994 - A history of USAF special operations, with primary emphasis on the Army Air Forces Air Commandos of WW II and their successors in Southeast Asia. Also includes the role of USAF SOF forces in Iran, Grenada, Panama and the Gulf War. The book is a bit fanciful, as Chinnery follows too closely the SOF line. Glaringly absent is mention of the US/Belgium rescue in the Congo, which depended heavily on C-130s, though the less-difficult Israeli mission to Entebbe is mentioned. It is obvious that the author lacks familiarity with airlift history.

New Addition! GREAT RAIDS IN HISTORY, From Drake to Desert One, edited by Samuel A. Southworth, Sarpedon - A collection of stories about great military raids, including the Dragon Rouge rescue mission in the Congo and the attempted rescue of US hostages held in Tehran.

Airlift/Troop Carrier Reading -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-130 Books Several books have been published about the C-130 over the years. Here are several, arranged by category, with my thoughts on each: PRODUCTION LISTS LOCKHEED HERCULES, by Lars Olausson, Self-published - Lars has produced several production lists of the C-130/L-100 series. Contact him at PO Box 142, S-530, 32 Satenas, Sweden - Email larso@alfa.telenordia.se PROFILE BOOKS C-130, The Hercules, by M.E. Morris, Presidio Press, 1989 - An excellent C-130 profile book written by author Mo Morris, who flew C-130s with the Navy. C-130 HERCULES, by Arthur Reed, MotorBooks, 1984 - Profiles the airplane from development to the early 1980s. Has many excellent pictures. LOCKHEED HERCULES, by Francis K. Mason, Patrick Stephens, 1984 - Describes all aspects of the development and deployment of the Hercules. Many pictures, some historic. The C-130, by Lou Drendel, Squadron Publications - Mostly pictures, with brief narrative. New! Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Its Variants, Chris Reed, Schiffer Military Publications - Basically, Chris has written another airplane profile book. There is some information not contained in previous books of a similar nature. If you like to see color pictures of C-130s, buy it. New! LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES, The World's Favourite Military Transport, by Peter C. Smith, Airlife Publishing Ltd. - A C-130 profile book by a British author. Has a lot of information on the various variants, including tail numbers of airplanes converted to gunships, etc. HISTORICAL HERK, HERO OF THE SKIES, by Joe Dabney, Cobblehouse Books - Joe Dabney was in public relations with Lockheed. His book is undoubtedly the best of the C-130 books in terms of the airplane's many uses. THE LONG ARM OF AMERICA, by Martin Caidin, E.P. Dutton & Co, 1963 - The first book about the Hercules, it is an excellent chronicle of the development of the C-130 and the troop carrier mission to which it was assigned. A MUST for tactical airlifters. The C-130 HERCULES, Tactical Airlift Missions, 1956-1975, by Sam McGowan, Tab/Aero, 1988- Written by a former tactical airlifter (me!), this book describes the mission which made the reputation of the C-130, the troop carrier/tactical airlift mission of through the end of the Vietnam War. Currently out of print, several copies are in the hands of airlifters throughout the world. At present I am in the process of revising the original manuscript and hope to have a revised version out by the end of 2002. JUVENILE THE MIGHTY HERCULES, by Martin Caidin, E.P. Dutton & co, 1964 - A juvenile version of The Long Arm of America. VIETNAM HISTORY TACTICAL AIRLIFT, by Ray Bowers, Office of Air Force History - The official history of the US Air Force tactical airlift mission in Southeast Asia, written by a former C-130 navigator. A MUST for all professional airlifters and military historians. (Note - Similar volumes were published about the Fixed-wing Gunship and Rescue missions.) The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, from the Office of Air Force History - An overview of USAF operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. AIRWAR, VIETNAM, Arno Press for the Office of Air Force History, 1978 - Official USAF histories from the Vietnam War. Includes C-130 operations at An Loc and the legendary Carolina Moon C-130 attack on the Thanh Hoa Bridge. THE RAID, by Benjamin Schemmer, Avon Books - Describes the unproductive USAF raid on the POW camp at Son Tay, NVN. AIR AMERICA, Christopher Robbins, Chronicles the clandestine airline, Air America, and its derivatives. Includes the covert C-130 mission of E-Flight, and the BirdAir operations in Cambodia during the final days of the Vietnam War. AIRPOWER AND THE AIRLIFT EVACUATION OF KHAM DUC, by Lt. Col. Alan L. Gropman, Air War College - Volume V, Monograph 7 of the USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series - A comprehensive account of the events of May 12, 1968 when C-130s and C-123s participated in the evacuation of the camp at Kham Duc, RVN. BLIND BAT, C-130 Forward Air Controllers Over The Ho Chi Minh Trail, by Fred Nyc - A personal narrative of a Blind Bat pilot's experiences. RUNWAY VISIONS: An American C-130 Pilot's Memoir of Combat Airlift Operations in Southeast Asia, 1967-1968 by David Kirk Vaughan / Paperback / McFarland & Company, Incorporated - David Vaughan flew C-130s with the 314th Tactical Airlfit Wing at CCK. FICTION ICEMEN, by ME Morris, Presidio Press - A novel about the US Navy's VXE-6, who fly ski-equipped C-130s in Antarctica. GUNSHIP, SPECTRE OF DEATH, by Henry Zeybel, Pocket Books - A fictionalized account of AC-130 gunship operations over Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War. The Cave, by Sam McGowan, IstBooks Library - The Cave tells the story of Toby Carter, a young loadmaster who is shot down over Laos on a Blind Bat mission. OTHERS SAVE THE HOSTAGES, originally published as 111 Days in Stanleyville, by Readers Digest Books - A chronicle of the events of August-November, 1964 when Simba rebels in the Congo held white hostages until they were rescued by a joint US/Belgian team of USAF C-130s and Belgian paratroopers. DESERT SHIELD by Robert F. Dorr, Motorbooks, International - Describes the American buildup in the Persian Gulf, with emphasis on USAF airlift. GUNSHIPS, A Pictorial History of Spooky, by Larry Davis, Squadron/Signal Publications - A pictorial history of the USAF fixed-wing gunship mission, including the development of the AC-130. ANY TIME, ANY PLACE, by Philip D. Chinnery, Naval Institute Press, 1994 - A history of USAF special operations, with primary emphasis on the Army Air Forces Air Commandos of WW II and their successors in Southeast Asia. Also includes the role of USAF SOF forces in Iran, Grenada, Panama and the Gulf War. The book is a bit fanciful, as Chinnery follows too closely the SOF line. Glaringly absent is mention of the US/Belgium rescue in the Congo, which depended heavily on C-130s, though the less-difficult Israeli mission to Entebbe is mentioned. It is obvious that the author lacks familiarity with airlift history. New Addition! GREAT RAIDS IN HISTORY, From Drake to Desert One, edited by Samuel A. Southworth, Sarpedon - A collection of stories about great military raids, including the Dragon Rouge rescue mission in the Congo and the attempted rescue of US hostages held in Tehran. This list is far from complete; if you know of others that should be added, Email me at sam@sammcgowan.com Many of these books are available through Amazon - go to my Associates Page to order. urn.