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John Golan

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://john-golan.blogspot.com/

Genre

History, Nonfiction

Member Since

November 2015

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I have served as a designer, structures analyst, and engineering manager within the U.S. aerospace industry for the past two decades, working on a variety of civilian and military programs. I have participated in the design, development and support of the jet propulsion systems that power aircraft ranging from the Boeing 737 to the Airbus A380, and from the Boeing F-15 to the Lockheed F-35 - in addition to a number of next-generation technology programs. My past publication credits include articles in Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, Aviation History, and the Jerusalem Post Magazine, not to mention an upcoming book on Israel's Lavi fighter. ...more

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

John Golan The idea behind writing a book on the Lavi was something that I had wanted to do for quite a while. It had always seemed to me that this was a story t…moreThe idea behind writing a book on the Lavi was something that I had wanted to do for quite a while. It had always seemed to me that this was a story that had never been fully told - both in terms of why the Lavi was built, and what this airplane was intended to do and be, and also in terms of the behind-the-scenes political struggle that ultimately led to its demise.

The Lavi was far more than just another military development program. It was the largest weapons program in Israel's history - a unique window into Israel's military and political leadership, and into the U.S.-Israel relationship. As such, I have striven to capture the wider context behind the Lavi's development: Israel's unique security situation and needs; the impact on Israeli society from decades of war; the U.S.-Israel relationship and how it shaped this program; and the inner workings of the Reagan Administration which alternately nurtured and opposed the development of this fighter jet.

As an aerospace engineer by training, with decades of experience in the industry, I also tended to approach the story from a slightly different viewpoint from most journalists or historians. To my eye, I could recognize features and trades that had gone into this airplane that gave evidence to why it was built and the role for which it was intended. It always seemed to me, therefore, that I was a natural choice to write this story.

The book on the Lavi is consequently a combination of the political story behind the evolution of the program, as traced in its chapters, and the technological story of its development, as captured in the appendices. I hope that it is a combination that will provide food for thought to a wide audience, highlighting issues that remain equally relevant with us today as when the Lavi program was first launched more than thirty years ago.(less)

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Average rating: 4.0 · 7 ratings · 2 reviews · 1 distinct work

Lavi: The United States, Israel and a Controversial Fighter Jet

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2016

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295 posts
John Golan's Blog

Moshe Arens: Engineer, Diplomat and Statesman

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Moshe Arens earlier this week- a man who devoted his life's work towards securing Israel's national defense and economic well-being.

Born in Lithuania in 1925, Moshe Arens moved to the United States with his parents in 1939 - narrowly evading the tragedy that was to befall the friends and family that he left behind. As a young man, in the aftermat Read more of this blog post »

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Published on January 08, 2019 05:21

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