Flight of the Intruder: A Jake Grafton Novel

Stephen Coonts

Jun 2006 · Jake Grafton Novels Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

A smash bestseller that spent over six months on the New York Times bestseller list, Flight of the Intruder became an instant classic.

No one before or since ever captured the world of Navy carrier pilots with the gripping realism of Vietnam veteran Stephen Coonts, who lived the life he wrote about. More than a flying story, Flight of the Intruder is also one of the best novels ever written about the Vietnam experience. It's all here—the flying, the dying, the blood and bombs and bullets, and the sheer joy—and terror—of life at full throttle.

"Gripping...Smashing. —The Wall Street Journal

Grazing the Vietnam treetops at night at just under the speed of sound, A-6 Intruder pilot Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton knows exactly how precarious life is. Landing on a heaving aircraft carrier, dodging missiles locked on his fighter, flying through clouds of flak—he knows each flight could be his last. Yet he straps himself into a cockpit every day.

"Extraordinary!"—Tom Clancy

Then a bullet kills his bombardier while they're hitting another ‘suspected' truck depot. Jake wonders what his friend died for—and why? Hitting pointless targets selected by men piloting desks just doesn't make sense. Maybe it's time to do something worthwhile. Something that will make a difference...

"Superbly written." — Washington Times

Jake and his new bombardier, ice-cold Tiger Cole, are going to pick their own target and hit the enemy where it hurts. But to get there and back in one piece is going to take a lot of nerve, even more skill, and an incredible amount of raw courage. Before it's over, they're going to fly into hell.

Ratings and reviews

An absolute fantastic read... especially if you have an interest in military aviation or military aviation history. As usual...the movie is good...but the book is so much more. Enjoy!

Unpredictable but at times uninteresting bus shephen coonts aways seems to amaze

And many times since (I'm 38). Greatest novel about warriors in the sky.

About the author

Stephen Coonts is the author of The Disciple, The Assassin, and the Deep Black and Saucers series, among many other bestsellers. His first novel, the classic flying tale Flight of the Intruder, spent more than six months at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. A motion picture based on the book was released in 1991. His novels have been published around the world and translated into more than a dozen languages. In 1986, he was honored by the U.S. Naval Institute with its Author of the Year Award. He is also the editor of several anthologies, Combat, On Glorious Wings, Victory and War in the Air. Coonts served in the Navy from 1969 to 1977, including two combat cruises on the USS Enterprise during the last years of the Vietnam War.