• Chickenhawk

  • By: Robert Mason
  • Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
  • Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,088 ratings)

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Chickenhawk  By  cover art

Chickenhawk

By: Robert Mason
Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
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Publisher's summary

With more than half a million copies sold, Robert Mason's Chickenhawk is one of the best-selling books ever written about the Vietnam War. Critically acclaimed for its unflinching detail, the book has been hailed by The New York Times as "a hypnotic narrative" and by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as "very simply the best book so far out of Vietnam."

Fascinated with flying from a young age, Mason earned his private pilot's license even before graduating high school. He enlisted in the army in 1964 and endured an extremely challenging "weeding out" process in an effort to fly helicopters. Sent to Vietnam, he survived more than 1,000 air combat missions despite the violence and brutality exploding all around him. This completely honest account of one soldier's traumatic experiences provides a perspective often neglected in print and film - that of the helicopter pilot. Through L. J. Ganser's powerful narration, the shattering story of men who lived and flew in constant peril is vividly retold.

©1983 Robert C. Mason (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about Chickenhawk

Average customer ratings
Overall
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Any additional comments?

Rarely review. More then 600 titles downloaded and this, by far, has been the best story I've listened. Waited years for this to come to audible.

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41 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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AWESOME!!!! A++

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I read this book in hardback many years ago.
If you've ever been in the military, especially if you've ever been in military aviation, you will love this book.
Not real sure what happened with this guy after he got out, but this book is awesome.

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredibly Impressive

Hard to describe how good this book is. For flight enthusiasts and those interested in the Vietnam War.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Needlessly Explicit

What was most disappointing about Robert Mason’s story?

Instead of simply telling the reader that it happened, Mason's book goes into detail about various sexual experiences while attempting to inoculate himself against the horror and stress of war. It would have sufficed to simply say those experienced happened - and why they happened - I don't need to be brought into the bedroom with the author and multiple Vietnamese prostitutes to understand that part of his struggle. As a helicopter pilot currently on active duty myself, I thought (and was told) that I would like this book. However, I found it overall audibly caustic intermixed with some good insight into what he dealt with as a person and a war-fighting pilot. I'm convinced I can get the latter from other books without dealing with the incessant profanity and description of sexual acts.Very, very disappointed.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book and naration.

great story, no fluff, just a lot of real and sometimes tough situations.

narrator really nailed it.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Lovely book.

It takes a little work if not a military buff (or pilot) but well worth the effort. Author lived a.n amazing life.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Superb, Painfully Honest Vietnam Memoir

I went on a streak of Vietnam books for the last few weeks, and this has been my favorite. The author captures the terror, humor, and the mundane in an anti-surreal way. Rather than being carried off to another world by this book, I left it more firmly understanding that I live in the same world as the Vietnam War's. Moreover, the book is a slick and interesting read. I highly recommend it.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Necessary, important and fun

There are too few books like Chickenhawk. Having read the paperback I thought this narrated version would leave me cold. Nothing could be further from the truth. Fantastic voice over to a fabulous book. Thank you!

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8 people found this helpful

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a listen thay can't be missed.

absolutely loved the book, really puts you in the boots of a slick pilot. will probably listen again in a few months

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I had two complaints. First, the audio is shoddy with repeated skipping and static. I download at low speeds for best audio and no issues with other titles. It didn’t impact my ability to understand the story, but it was frustrating.

While I was expecting details of serving in the air cav, there are many highly detailed descriptions of helicopter parts/mechanics along with detailed descriptions of how a pilot uses the pedals, the cyclic, and the collective in unison to fly. Such detailed accounts that repeat with various changes of scenery become tedious. The story wasn’t bad, but listing to “how to fly a helicopter” in various conditions scattered throughout the book instead of details of more missions or detailed accounts of various pilots/crew chiefs/military personnel was disappointing.

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7 people found this helpful