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Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
by
Robert Coram
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
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Paperback, 504 pages
Published
May 10th 2004
by Back Bay Books
(first published 2002)
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It's been a loooonnnngg time since I read this book (11 or 12 years ago, back when I was a single man on the prowl in Manhattan...and this is how I spent my time); I came across it in a friend's feed today and remembered, "Ah! That's a quality book!"
It was one of those, "I have no idea who this guy is and turns out he's insanely fascinating"-type books. Not for everyone, but if you have a remote inclination toward military history and tactics, worth checking out.
It was one of those, "I have no idea who this guy is and turns out he's insanely fascinating"-type books. Not for everyone, but if you have a remote inclination toward military history and tactics, worth checking out.
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 Boyd consi ...more
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 consi ...more
Wow, this is an obnoxious book. There's no question that Boyd is an influential and important figure, but Coram has written this in his usual style--find a military man who can be painted as an under-appreciated, persecuted genius (punished for his straight-shooting and truth telling to the careerist brass), write in breathless hyperbole (Boyd is the greatest strategist since Sun Tzu) and use no citations, so no once can figure out who said what about Boyd when. The Amazon and Goodreads reviews
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Biographies of military figures are a tricky business. The core audience for the books is so passionate that they are willing to forgive lousy books in their thirst for more information. For that reason there are a lot of mediocre war books. Because of the title and the subject, it's easy to glance at this book and think of it has a Costco war biography or a decent Christmas present for a military buff. Don't.
It is instead of a truly peerless book on military strategy. Coram's chronicle is artfu ...more
It is instead of a truly peerless book on military strategy. Coram's chronicle is artfu ...more
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.
Awesome book covering the life and ideas of John Boyd. I profess to knowing nothing about this man prior to reading this book, and it seems I am in the majority in that respect unfortunately by planned intent. Boyd was a US Air Force fighter pilot turned engineer and scholar, who wrote the Aerial Attack Study that shaped the fighter tactics of not only the USAF but air forces all over the world, pioneered the Energy-Maneuverability Theory that impacted how fighter pilots fought and had a monumen
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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 Mind of War" is more ...more
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 Mind of War" is more ...more
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 for each aircr ...more
Boyd was literally the designer of the F-15, and a theory of maneuvering called Energy-Manueverability (E-M), which mathematically gave a chart for each aircr ...more
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.
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.
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.
A well-researched, remarkable book about an exceptional man and warrior, a man who is still shamefully unacknowledged or disrespected by the high-ranking managers of the Pentagon who spend careers protecting their turf and trying to squelch his ground-breaking work as an original thinker. Boyd devoted his life and career to improving the U.S. military forces' tactics, strategy and equipment. He gave us the O-O-D-A Loop ("Observe, Orient, Decide, Act"); "Aerial Attack Study"; the Energy-Maneuvera
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I only rated Boyd 3 out of 5 stars. The reason for this is that I think that the author has not done full due diligence on some of the material that he has been given, most likely in interviews, before writing it as fact. One particular 'fact' that really grated on me was Coram writing the F-4 Phantom off as a fighter because it did not meet Boyd's criteria for a fighter - the are numerous similar examples in the book which I believe are just the result of either inadequate research or a desire
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This book is about the life of John Boyd, a famous and talented Air Force fighter pilot. The authors purpose for writing this was to tell about how in some ways, the military can be pretty corrupt and that John Boyd was one of those who refused to conform to the corrupt system, even though it meant getting passed up for promotions once or twice. The only plot that there is in this book is the lifetime of Boyd and his great accomplishments. The very interesting part of how Robert Coram write this
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Excellent read.
A quote from Boyd's early childhood really pulls the human side together:
"[Boyd's] family was poor and bore the stigma of having a child with polio. John's clothes were so tatty that a teacher once asked him in front of the class if he could not wear more presentable clothes. He held back his tears until he could get home and tell his mother what happened. She wrapped her arms around him and said, "Don't let it bother you. Say it to yourself over and over, 'It doesn't bother me. ...more
A quote from Boyd's early childhood really pulls the human side together:
"[Boyd's] family was poor and bore the stigma of having a child with polio. John's clothes were so tatty that a teacher once asked him in front of the class if he could not wear more presentable clothes. He held back his tears until he could get home and tell his mother what happened. She wrapped her arms around him and said, "Don't let it bother you. Say it to yourself over and over, 'It doesn't bother me. ...more
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John Boyd was a superb fighter pilot who never had a single kill. He evolved into an analyst who developed an entirely new way of looking at war. His insights became important beyond just warmaking. Today they are studied as part of business strategy as well. Boyd's Observation-Orientation-Decision-Action (OODA) Loop lies at the hear of successful decision making. How he derived the OODA loop through his study of energy/maneuverability theory is at the heart of this fascinating book. Along the w
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A fun story about an amazing man. In his "interesting" ethical approach to life, as well as his game-changing thoughts on warfare and creativity, Boyd struck me as a thinker every bit as valuable as my other intellectual heroes, despite his own label as a "dumb fighter pilot".
Boyd's energy-maneuverability theory, and his later work on destructive creation, OODA loops, and maneuver warfare are the products of a brilliant mind not concerned with supporting the status quo, and his stories about "h ...more
Boyd's energy-maneuverability theory, and his later work on destructive creation, OODA loops, and maneuver warfare are the products of a brilliant mind not concerned with supporting the status quo, and his stories about "h ...more
Discussing the Air Force F111: The General Asked Major John Boyd, "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 line taxi." pg 176
The F-111 as it stood in Boyd's view was a high priced aircraft paid for by taxpayers that would not deliver what it said it would, and would cost more than they promi ...more
The F-111 as it stood in Boyd's view was a high priced aircraft paid for by taxpayers that would not deliver what it said it would, and would cost more than they promi ...more
John Boyd, an almost forgotten military strategist of the 20th century, have larger than life legacy influencing far beyond his traditional domain into sports, business, and litigation. His outstanding skills at fighter instructor created fear and admire from fellow pilots who never defeat his last chance move in simulated air combat. His early work on aircraft maneuvering attack revolutionises US Air Force training doctrine and evolve into the E-M theory which systematically analysed aircraft p
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As much as this is a celebration of the genius that was John Boyd, one of the most under appreciated heroes in military history, I was more struck by the undercurrent of the book which read more like a tragedy. Never mind the fact that the military is shown to be a place where you can have a successful career or do the right thing, but not both; "Boyd" tells the tale of a man who could have been so much more than he was if he wasn't just a glaring asshole. Coram attempts to explain Boyd's unwave
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I would never have imagined that I would read over 400 pages about a fighter pilot's life. I like military strategy (learned via alternative history books!) and some biographies. But sitting down and reading 400 pages about one guy? And non-fiction?! But Robert Coram is a great writer to make this topic into a delightful read. Don't get me wrong - its crammed full of military lingo and you can almost feel the military egos dripping out between the pages - but its solidly written and keeps the re
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An extremely well written biography of Col. John Boyd. Coram provides a comprehensive view of a Boyd's life and work spanning Boyd's difficult childhood, to the consummate fighter pilot "40 sec Boyd," to his Energy-Manuverability Theory whiched changed how fighter aircraft are designed and analyzed, to his trials and tribulations in trying to reform "The Building," and his work on military strategy - including maneuver warfare - which significantly impacted US doctrine in recent wars and undoubt
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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.
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.
Let me tell you why this book is terribly important for everyone to read. First it talks of Boyd the intellectual, the greatest military strategist since Sun Tzu. Boyd who along with his "Acolytes" transformed the way armed forces from the world over looked at war. His ideas on E-M theory and the patterns of conflict influenced the way the first gulf war was fought, he was instrumental in the design of the F-16, F-15 and the A-10 aircraft and his ideas give us a clear vision as to why America fa
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This bio is a 3-for. John Boyd was the top-gun US fighter pilot in the era between Korea and Vietnam. When his Air Force flying days were over -- after returning from Georgia Tech with an engineering graduate degree -- he moved to the Pentagon, designing some of the best fighter aircraft ever flown, and laid the ground work for the "A-" series ground-support aircraft. Later, trying to out-guess Soviet capabilities in dogfights, he invented the OODA (Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action) lo
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As I read this I was struck by a number of things. First is what a great impact Boyd has had on not only the USAF but the US military in general. Second, is that he wasted his opportunity to make that impact felt on a greater scale and in a more immediate way through his unprofessional behavior. Aside from the numerous examples of Boyd getting into "knife" fights with general officers, one of the most outrageous was when he took not only 1, but 2 gun runs at a B-52 on final approach to land! Whi
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Coram does the Boyd Legacy justice. Having met and worked in Pentagon in final years of Boyd's tenure, I can attest that author nails the emotions, impact, counter influences at play and cast of characters during that heady time. A must read.
Jan 10, 2016
Kevin Mencarelli
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Highly recommend
Recommended to Kevin by:
Ryan Holiday
Shelves:
e-book-library
This book is one of the most fascinating books I have read. If the book is accurate John Boyd is an American Hero. Even though the book does not go into his family life in great detail it shows you enough to see that this man that was loved dearly by his friends was not so loved by his family. Unfortunately, his anger and rage would not allow him to show the same love for his wife, sons and daughters that he showed for his friends. His anger also hindered him from becoming one of the greatest ge
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5/5 Boyd is a masterful tale of one of the most perplexing and radical officers of the 21st Century, a man scorned by the Air Force for challenging the status quo and the Pentagon's bureaucrats; Boyd left his discreet but indelible mark on history. Coram is almost a sleuth who retroactively ties together the clues which pins Boyd as the most influential tactical thinker since Von Clausewitz. While Boyd’s written legacy is sparse, his example is important for every aspiring leader – to be or to d
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Col. Boyd continues to be largely unknown and unrecognized for the significant contributions he made. He didn't just shake up the USAF, but his influence can be seen throughout Western militaries, even if most serving military only recognize the name of the man who developed the OODA Loop and aren't familiar with any of his other work. Mr Coram does an excellent job of recounting the story of Col Boyd. I recommend this book to all serving military officers and anyone else that might feel stuck i
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Robert Coram is the author of three nonfiction books and seven novels. He lives in Atlanta.
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“If our mental processes become focused on our internal dogmas and isolated from the unfolding, constantly dynamic outside world, we experience mismatches between our mental images and reality. Then confusion and disorder and uncertainty not only result but continue to increase. Ultimately, as disorder increases, chaos can result. Boyd showed why this is a natural process and why the only alternative is to do a destructive deduction and rebuild one’s mental image to correspond to the new reality.”
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“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.”
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