Snake Pilot: Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam | 
 enlarge | Author: Randy R. Zahn
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 169013
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 302
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 1574886118
Dewey Decimal Number: 355
EAN: 9781574886115
ASIN: 1574886118
Publication Date: October 7, 2005
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Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
Based on audiotapes he recorded during the war and sent home to his family, Randy Zahn’s Snake Pilot recounts his experiences flying AH-1 Cobra helicopters during the Vietnam War. First deployed in Vietnam in 1967 and loaded with a formidable arsenal of weaponry, the Cobra was the first helicopter designed from inception as an attack aircraft. It dramatically changed the nature of the war in Vietnam by offering the Army, for the first time, its own powerful and highly accurate weapons platform for close-air-support missions.
Randy Zahn arrived in Vietnam shortly before the 1970 U.S. invasion of Cambodia, one of the most impressive demonstrations by the Cobra in the war. He describes his stunning transformation from a naive, middle-class teenager from southern California to a hardened killer during his tour in Vietnam. Unlike the pilots who flew the fast-moving strike jets, Zahn experienced the war “up close and personal,” witnessing the grisly effects of the Cobra’s firepower on enemy soldiers. The author does not glorify killing but rather explains in sharp relief the kaleidoscope of emotions associated with combat: fear, revenge, hate, remorse, pity, and even ecstasy. He captures many of the ironies and nuances inherent in Vietnam, especially during the final years of the conflict. Zahn displays a sensitivity rarely found in memoirs written by battle-hardened warriors. This human element, combined with the vast amount of archival research and interviews with members of his former unit, ensures that Snake Pilot will become the definitive account of the role helicopters played in Vietnam.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Outstanding book from an outstanding pilot August 7, 2008
Just finished Randy's book and must say it didn't disappoint. He tells an in-depth story of his time in South Vietnam as well as some brief "visits" flying into Cambodia. It's obvious from his writing he has a deep devotion to his country and love of those he fought with. As a reader i was drawn into his world and immediately identified with him and his fellow aviators. He describes day-to-day life there and all his feelings at the time with the help of letters and recordings he made for family members. His accomplishments are all the more incredible when i thought about how young he was. I have much admiration and respect for Randy and appreciation for his service. I would recommend this book as a great first person narrative of a great American fighting a very difficult war.
I throughly enjoyed This book July 27, 2008
I flew Hueys in Nam in 1968, mostly in the 4 corps area. The book brought back a lot of memories.
 snake pilot May 8, 2008
Talk about "Take me back!" Randy Zahn did just that. What a memory! The heat, the killing of friends and the enemy, incoming and the showers, it's all there! I was there three years earlier than Randy, but I met his persona every day, 19 years of age, but much more mature. The soldiers aged ten years in one month in the "Nam." Great read, thanks for baring your sole Randy.
Richard L. Snider, M.D., author of Delta Six, Soldier Surgeon
 Should Be Called "Snake Pilot: Missing Home & Whining About it in Vietnam" September 24, 2007
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
Sure, everyone's going to hate me when they read this, but maybe I'll save someone like me from reading this. After reading Low Level Hell by Hugh Mills (couldn't put it down!), I thought I had to read Snake Pilot. Now I know that I could've skipped it. I am sure that war is hell to go through, that people miss their families, that the Army doesn't always take care of their own, etc, etc. Having said that, this account is really a lot more about having a lame time in Vietnam than "Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam". I was really looking for more operational info, mission sorties, weapon load outs, hair raising tales, things like that. The author seemed to overlook most of that though. Maybe he was trying to spare the casual reader the technical mumbo-jumbo, and make it more about his personal demons. Just not what I wanted to read about though.
Great book about the war November 10, 2006
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book would make a great movie.... The way it is written makes you feel like you are out there with him... I believe I've read about every book written about the war and this is one of my favorites. The Author has a very good way of telling a story of a small group of young men doing a job that not many people could accomplish in a war zone.
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