THE HUNTER KILLERS The Extraordinary Story of the First Wild Weasels, the Band of Maverick Aviators Who Flew the Most Dangerous Missions of the Vietnam War

In a distinctive baritone, John Pruden nearly flawlessly delivers this amazing account of heroism, initiative, and sheer guts. In 1965, the U.S. military was blindsided by the capabilities of Soviet surface-to-air missiles (SAMs.) A group of fighter pilots and "electronic warfare officers" volunteered to go after the heavily defended (often by Soviet troops) SAMs and developed a highly effective way of defeating the missiles. Nicknamed the "Wild Weasels," these men have been given a splendid account by author Hampton, who was a "Wild Weasel" himself in the post-Vietnam Air Force. Pruden's voice is strong, steady, and confident in delivery. He enunciates splendidly, and the only thing that takes away from his performance is some mispronunciations of military acronyms/abbreviations. Still, this is a splendid reading of a history that needs to be told. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2015]