Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

by Robert Coram

Near the end of his life, he confided to a close friend that when he was faced with the burden of sitting down and writing, he was afraid he would “spin off and lose control.” Spradling came up with the solution. “John, don’t make this a big thing. We have some good Dictaphones. Why don’t you dictate the damn thing?” Boyd paused and thought. “You dictate it and I’ll have my secretary transcribe it,” Spradling said. “Then I’ll edit it for you.” For a month Boyd worked on an outline. Two or three days each week, he moved into the bachelor officers’ quarters and worked far into the night. He slept two or three hours, taught in the morning, flew in the afternoon, and worked on his outline until almost dawn. Then one morning about 3:00 A.M., Spradling’s phone rang. “Spradling residence.” “Sprad. John.” “Hey, John. What is it?” “Sprad, it’s time to get that mechanical monster in operation.” “What mechanical monster, John?” “The goddamn dictating machine.” Several hours later, one morning in September 1959, Boyd began dictating.