Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

My rating:

add to my books

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

by Robert Coram, Bernard Klein (Designed by)

4.39 · rating details · 256 ratings · 48 reviews

John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest U.S. fighter pilot ever -- the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than forty seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft -- the F-15 and F-16. Still others think of Boyd a...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published November 21st 2002 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 493)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 31, 2007

Phil rated it

· review of another edition

Great bio of John Boyd, the fighter pilor who pioneered the use of Energy Maneuverability theory that dominates fighter design. He then went on to become a force for reform within the Pentagon, influencing the F-15, F-16, and A-10 programs. His final contribution was on the overall theory of learning and operations, including the now-famous OODA loop. A fascinating iconoclast-I normally don't like biographies that much, but this one was very good.

like 3 likes

· see review

Apr 03, 2011

Bennet rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history-politics-war

John Boyd, a fighter pilot who commanded an air base during the Vietnam War, once set a general's tie on fire by jabbing it with a lit cigar in a Pentagon hallway while telling him how fucked up the air force was.

You gotta love John Boyd, contentious grump and royal asshole or no, at least I do, because when it comes to the art and craft of air war he was the working man's (combat pilot's) genius. If you don't know, asshole is the standard air force appellation for fighter pilots, and ...moreJohn Boyd, a fighter pilot who commanded an air base during the Vietnam War, once set a general's tie on fire by jabbing it with a lit cigar in a Pentagon hallway while telling him how fucked up the air force was.

You gotta love John Boyd, contentious grump and royal asshole or no, at least I do, because when it comes to the art and craft of air war he was the working man's (combat pilot's) genius. If you don't know, asshole is the standard air force appellation for fighter pilots, and Boyd considered it higher praise than any commendation or promotion the powers-that-be might bestow. He had no interest in anything other than doing what needed to be done, and only what needed to be done, and doing it right the first time.

As Boyd saw it, "right" was not happening until the air force returned to the basic precepts and tactics and technology of fighter warfare. He was appalled by how bloated and ineffective and outright corrupt the air force had become under the tyranny of Strategic Air Command, which believed in nothing but bombing. Bomber pukes, Boyd called them, though he was hardly the only fighter pilot to do so.

Even among his detractors he earned respect because he was so damn smart, plain spoken, and in his way, noble, though his family life suffered; he was a man on a mission, with rarely a waking hour to spare on anything else. He took on what amounted to the entire military-industrial complex when he challenged production of an alleged fighter aircraft known as the F-111. A Pentagon briefing for a general and his staff went as follows.

"Boyd gave them the numbers that showed how at any altitude, any speed, any G-load, any part of the flight-performance envelope, the F-111 was inferior to the Soviet threat. If the F-111 faced a MiG, it would be shot down. Period. End of story. The F-111 was, in the traditional phrase of the fighter pilots, a dog. The general thought for a moment. Maybe there was something the charts did not reveal, something he could salvage. "Major, based on your extensive research, do you have any recommendations regarding this aircraft?" Boyd did not miss a beat: "General, I'd pull the wings off, install benches in the bomb bay, paint the goddamn thing yellow, and turn it into a high-speed taxi."

Charming or no, his commitment and intelligence won him a comparably committed and intelligent following that became known as the fighter mafia; in the 1980s they made the cover of Time magazine. Coram does a fascinating job of telling Boyd's personal and professional stories. He's also good at explaining the technicalities of Boyd's schematics and formulas, such E-M Theory and P=[T-D over W]V, which added up to unprecedented breakthroughs in the potential for effective and efficient air warfare.

John Boyd had an advocate in then congressman Dick Cheney. Subsequent attempts by Vice President Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld to appropriate Boyd's ideas rang false, however. Boyd was not around to defend himself against their machinations, but one of his closest associates, Pierre Sprey, has and continues to set that record straight. See the following link to Bill Moyer's Journal for more info: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/013020...

(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Apr 13, 2007

Gene rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science, management, good

I loved this book, as well. There's a phrase in there that frames the type of paradigm breakthrough that occurs about once per century -- the author describes what Boyd did with analysis of fighters as moving the world from "Copernican to Newtonian."

I was stunned at how much Boyd achieved, and where he ultimately took his research, but at the cost of neglecting his family and potentially a little bit of his sanity as well.

An amazing book, for sure.

like 2 likes

· see review

Mar 23, 2009

Rachel rated it

· review of another edition

This was an excellent portrayal of John Boyd's life, influence, and theories. It details his personality, his contributions to military theory (as well as to the US Military itself) and covers his personal as well as professional life. Boyd is one of the great military theorists, as the developer of Maneuver Warfare, the OODA cycle, the Energy-Maneuverability Theory, and a major contributor to the design of the F-15 and F-16. Because of his abrasive personality, he was not widely credited for...moreThis was an excellent portrayal of John Boyd's life, influence, and theories. It details his personality, his contributions to military theory (as well as to the US Military itself) and covers his personal as well as professional life. Boyd is one of the great military theorists, as the developer of Maneuver Warfare, the OODA cycle, the Energy-Maneuverability Theory, and a major contributor to the design of the F-15 and F-16. Because of his abrasive personality, he was not widely credited for the work he did for several decades, and this book is part of the effort to broaden recognition of his enormous contributions to the theory of conflict.

The book suffers from a few faults. The author is clearly not familiar with some aspects of the military, and his explanations and opinions sound oddly prompted and one-sided in areas, as if he asked Boyd's closest friends, and felt no need to verify their comments with anyone else. I'm also somewhat uncomfortable with Coram's insistence that Boyd's obsession with military theory caused all his children to suffer severe emotional problems. In my experience, emotional problems are generally caused by a combination of environmental and genetic causes, and are very rarely directly and solely the fault of a preoccupied but loving father. I understand that the author had to get the views of Boyd's family, and felt a need to represent them in print in return for the work they did to help him acquire papers and background for the book, but like other aspects of the book, some of the opinions sound one-sided and much like personal gripes rather than researched fact. There is no doubt that Boyd was not an ideal father, but he was far from the opposite, and I came away with a poor impression of the rest of his family as well. Finally, the style of the book is common to military biography in that it is somewhat melodramatic and overblown. I've gotten used to that after innumerable books on Patton, but it might take the casual reader by surprise.

Still, I thought the important points were conveyed clearly and understandably, and I was fascinated by the glimpse into Boyd's life. I was aware of some of the work he had done, but some of it was new, and my opinion of his work is even higher than it was. He was a brilliant and dedicated man, with a true hunger for knowledge and understanding of what he experienced. His conclusions have advanced the theories of conflict to new levels, and have changed the face of warfare worldwide.(less)

· see review

Sep 25, 2011

Rich rated it

· review of another edition

A very detailed biography of a vastly misunderstood man. Coram's description is mostly of the man himself, rather than his ideas. Boyd was an extremely flawed husband, father, and yes even officer. But despite his lumps he was a morally courageous officer and brilliant thinker.

Coram only gives you a basic overview of his theories (of which his minor theory is the oft-quoted mostly misunderstood OODA loop), but really this is only enough to pique your interest. Hammond's "The Min ...more

· see review

Dec 31, 2010

Relstuart rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Jonathan Jessup

Shelves: history, military, biography

I got this book in the mail yesterday and finished about 2:30 this morning. John Boyd had many personal flaws. He was arrogant, loud, profane, rude, and uncouth. (And the book reflects that.) He sacrificed his family to his job. Not acceptable. However, his greatest characteristic was that he was willing to do what was right for the Air Force and the military no matter what it took or who disagreed. When he knew he was right he stood on it, waiving his cigar, and preached. My favorite quote: "...moreI got this book in the mail yesterday and finished about 2:30 this morning. John Boyd had many personal flaws. He was arrogant, loud, profane, rude, and uncouth. (And the book reflects that.) He sacrificed his family to his job. Not acceptable. However, his greatest characteristic was that he was willing to do what was right for the Air Force and the military no matter what it took or who disagreed. When he knew he was right he stood on it, waiving his cigar, and preached. My favorite quote: "Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road, and you're going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go. If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments. Or you can go that way and you can do something - something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors but you won't have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That's when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do? Which way will you go?"

His contributions to the American fighting man and the Armed Forces are so significant that he did indeed change the face of war. And his contributions often had to be shoved down the throat of the military as they resisted kicking and screaming. He wrote the book on fighter tactics. On his own initiative He created the Energy-Maneuverability Theory (E-M Theory) for the first time using mathematical principles to create an accurate grading system for the overall performance of airplanes resulting in winning the highest awards for scientific achievement the Air Force gives out. (The Air force was and still does spend millions on some of the brightest scientific minds to further American Air Power. You can bet they were red faced when a nobody Fighter pilot created a new theory that changed the face of air war forever and he did it without any help from the bureaucracy.) He developed and re-emphasized Sun Tzu's Maneuver Warfare possibly becoming the greatest influence in winning the Panama conflict and Desert Storm. He invented the OODA loop* which is used not just by the military but has broad application to all human interactions and endeavors. The Marines re-wrote their war fighting manual because of him. The remember and honor him and his contribution though the Air Force while teaching his discovery and application of his E-M Theory are doing their best to keep him one of the most influential forgotten men in recent history. His work was directly responsible for the F-15, F-16, and the A-10. The main portion of the AF brass at the Pentagon fought very hard against these planes for various reasons.

This book is worth reading especially if you are part of the military industrial complex, interested in the military acquisitions process, care about how tax payer monies are spent in the military, are interested in the history of fighter pilot tactics, or are interested in the OODA loop* which can be easily applied to business. Because Col Boyd was a very controversial person and not a great team player I doubt this book will be on the CSAF's recommended reading list. But Perhaps it should be.

It takes about a third of the book before you get beyond the man to the legend.

* See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop (less)

· see review

Apr 02, 2008

Bradley Nolden rated it

· review of another edition

One of the best biographies I have read.

This was my first introduction into Boyd and I'm hooked. I really liked how deeply this book delved into Boyd's personal life and how it affected his work. The explanations of his major contributions were excellent primers for beginning to read the briefings on my own. It made me especially interested in the application of the OODA Loop to business strategy.

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 23, 2010

Tom rated it

· review of another edition

I became familiar with Boyd through studying quality improvement and performance management and thought this going to be a dry, dry, treatise on improving workflows.

I feel somewhat stupid for having had that opinion as I clearly neglected the most bad ass portion of Boyd's life:

He was a FIGHTER PILOT.

A very compelling story. Subverting Pentagon bureaucracy may not seem a premise for good reading, but I literally laughed out loud a few times at Boyd's maneuve...more

· see review

Apr 08, 2007

TK rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: thinkingtools, heroes, gametheory

Boyd was one of the greatest thinkers and his OODA loop is referenced today by many diciplines. This book captures who he was and how he approached problems. It is behind the scenes with a person who wanted to understand the strategy of strategy.

like 2 likes

· see review

Jun 01, 2009

Skip rated it

· review of another edition

Bale and Brendan would especially enjoy this book. A description of the contributions to Aviation and the development of military aircraft by a renegade air force pilot who pushed the envelope both as a fighter pilot in Korea and FWS instructor at Nellis AFB as well as inside the Pentagon as he and his apostles worked at odds with their superiors to develop a light attack aircraft. A history of Energy Maneuverability Theory, the OODA Loop, and utilization of actual combat maneuvers as a guide to...more

· see review

Dec 13, 2007

Beth/Chuck rated it

· review of another edition

Didn't realize how much his theories changed aerial warfare and also how they were successfully applied during Desert Storm.

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 12, 2011

D.C. Musgrove rated it

· review of another edition

John Boyd changed the world of fighter pilots everywhere when he proved his theories of energy management in a dogfight, by beating any challenger to his perfect record of conquest. He literally wrote the book on modern air engagement tactics, which were later taught at Top Gun school. Coram chronicles Boyd's colorful and eclectic life as a genius in applied aerodynamics, but also revealed the haunted man who's single-minded quest for recognition of his unconventional theories were never fully r...more

· see review

Mar 05, 2011

Robert Bor rated it

· review of another edition

An autobiography on the father of the Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) loop. A man with an impressive career, overflowing with brilliant innovations in the military field. Very extravertive in his communication, relying for a large part on other people to build his ideas.

Most interesting are two of his ideas a) a singular focus on strategy -- do one thing and do it well and b) the OODA loop. The latter, if mastered, is intended to get you inside the decision cycle of the enemy, effec...more

· see review

May 09, 2010

Chris McClinch rated it

· review of another edition

Fairly hagiographic biography of a highly controversial subject, for which I deducted one star. That said, this is a fascinating look at the fighter pilot who was the father of modern fighter tactics, the energy-maneuverability theory, the F-16, the OODA loop, the ground strategy in the first Gulf War, and the Marine Corps Warfighting manual. Boyd is nowhere near a household name, but the author makes a convincing case for him as the most important strategic thinker since Von Clausewitz. You may...more

· see review

Mar 13, 2007

sinamatrix rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: who love flying

it's a good book ,, but a bit hard to underestand,,

like 1 like

· see review

Mar 28, 2011

Otis Chandler rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Otis by: John Hering

Shelves: biography, war

A very interesting book about John Boyd, who was a crack fighter pilot, and then later military strategist and reformer. Boyd flew as an instructor in the real life version of Top Gun, and beat everyone in 40 seconds or less. But later in his life he really studied military strategy, and this is where the interesting parts of this book are.

Boyd was literally the designer of the F-15, and a theory of maneuvering called Energy-Manueverability (E-M), which mathematically gave a chart ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 15, 2009

Nicholas rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, war-theory, history, politics, lifestyle, management

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the story of a man who bucked the system and made the world a better place because of it. The book is written well and does not immortalize Boyd or gloss over his failings.

Give this book to anyone who says that "the System is too big to fight" or "the Man's too strong."

Johnathan Boyd was America's greatest fighter pilot. He also happened to revolutionize warfare.

F-15, F-16, F-18, "Aerial Attack Study", Energy-Maneuverabi...more

· see review

Dec 08, 2008

Andrew rated it

· review of another edition

This is one of the best biographies I have ever read, right up there with "John Adams" and "The Autobiography of Malcolm X". This is about a man who went from the greatest pilot in aviation history, to physics theorist, to military strategist, and became a philosopher. He came as close as anyone to changing the culture of the armed forces leadership. It's hard to believe this has not been a film, or a widely told yarn! Buy this book for someone who's into military history, th...more

· see review

Nov 20, 2009

Alex rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: biography, non-fiction

While Boyd might have been able to have accomplished a lot more if he wasn't such a hard ass, he also may have never gotten anything done at all. For such an abrasive personality he certainly managed to circumvent the traditional Air Force dichotomy to force changes to their training regime and to their airplane design. His biography offers a different perspective on how one can accomplish great things by being an uncompromising asshole.

· see review

Feb 21, 2010

John rated it

· review of another edition

Well-written biography about an amazing man. I really liked that the author explained military processes, procedures, and conventions of the time. I have minimal understanding of the military and I was still able to follow everything. The one thing I would ding the author on is the implication that Boyd's work was the cause of the children's mental health issues. (See Rachel's Mar 23 2009 review for a more thorough critique.)

· see review

Apr 01, 2011

Steve rated it

· review of another edition

Interesting story but really could not get over how he abandoned his family obligations.
Was impressed with his dogfight tactics and his tenacity to shape the development of future fighter aircraft and dogfight tactics in the U.S. Air Force. However I am less convinced of his influence on other military aspects and the application of OODA loop to business practices.
Then again, what do I know?

· see review

Mar 24, 2009

Dianna LeFevre rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, non-fiction

This was fantastic. The writing was not great, but it wasn't intrusively bad. Boyd was just such a fascinating man (which, of course, also means that he was seriously flawed) and a brilliant thinker. This biography could have used a bit more analysis of that thinking.

· see review

Oct 26, 2010

David rated it

· review of another edition

If you want to read a book about a guy that gave the finger to anyone that challenged his intellect this is for you. Shaped more of our world than anyone you have never heard of, at least militarily. Good read that you can learn a lot form.

· see review

Aug 21, 2011

Bud Winn rated it

· review of another edition

Outstanding - I've always been interested in Boyd, and this book didn't disappoint. I think this will be a good foundation for the future - learned a lot of interesting things here.

· see review

Jan 31, 2011

Philippe rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: systems-thinking, militaria

Great read! 'Boyd' traces the evolution of a fascinating reconceptualisation of military strategy and the epic battles with the Pentagon bureaucracy to have them accepted.

· see review

Mar 06, 2010

Brian Evans is currently reading it · review of another edition

This is a easy read illustrating how an ordinary man accomplished extraordinary things. John Boyd is clearly one of the greatest American heroes most have never known.

· see review

May 10, 2009

Shriram Narayanan rated it

· review of another edition

I really liked this book, iconoclastic good read and one good argument for doing the right thing versus doing what is right for oneself.

· see review

Dec 08, 2008

Ryan rated it

· review of another edition

An amazing work around an extraordinary individual. School children should be made to read about Boyd.

· see review

Nov 16, 2009

Chris rated it

Great bio of an amazing fighter pilot turned engineer turned military strategist. Great read.

· see review

Jun 04, 2011

William rated it

· review of another edition

This book is the best I ever read. I wish I learned about him when I was in school.

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 16 17 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

History

16 users

Non Fiction

14 users

War > Military

14 users

Biography

13 users

War

3 users

Military > Military History

3 users

Biography Memoir

3 users

Business

2 users

Philosophy > Theory

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Robert Coram

Robert Coram is the author of three nonfiction books and seven novels. He lives in Atlanta.

More about Robert Coram...

Books by Robert Coram

American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day

Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine

Caribbean Time Bomb: The United States' Complicity in the Corruption of Antigua

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About Boyd: The Fighter...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Boyd: The Fighter Pilo...

“Thinking about operating at a quicker tempo - not just moving faster - than the adversary was a new concept in waging war. Generating a rapidly changing environment - that is, engaging in activity that is quick it is disorienting and appears uncertain or ambiguous to the enemy - inhibits the adversary's ability to adapt and causes confusion and disorder that, in turn, causes an adversary to overreact or underreact. Boyd closed the briefing by saying the message is that whoever can handle the quickest rate of change is the one who survives.” — 1 person liked it

“Understanding the OODA loop enables a commander to compress time - that is, the time between observing a situation and taking an action. A commander can use the temporal discrepancy (a form of fast transient) to select the least-expected action rather than what is predicted to be the most effective action. The enemy can also figure out what might be the most effective. To take the least-expected action disorients the enemy. It causes him to pause, wonder, to question.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
avg rating	preview: Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War Goodreads rating: 4.39 (256 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38841.Boyd?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169199152m/38841.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38841.Boyd?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram[/url]

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website