Hellcat: The F6F in World War II Paperback – January 1, 2000

Tillman has become the pre-eminent steward of 20th century historical facts as they pertain to WWII. Through interviews with survivors, to extensive research of not only written accounts from participants, but also countless After Action Reports, he is able to paint a composite picture of specific times and locations from air, land, and sea.This book is like a color commentary of technical data. By the time one gets to the operational roster of each F6F Hellcat Air Group they will see the names as familiar glimpses into a powerful moment in time, and the young men that defined it. Salute to Mr. Tillman for compiling this engaging record of the life of the F6F Hellcat and the men who flew her.

Tillman does a workmanlike job in this history of the F6F Hellcat. The book covers the development and deployment of the type and chronicles the major actions in which F6Fs participated. There are rosters of air groups and commanders at various times in the Pacific War and a good deal of attention to aces and notable airmen who fought in the Hellcat.This is not really a history of the war, which is well-covered elsewhere, including some of Tillman's other works such as his history of Enterprise. The F6F was arguably the best overall piston driven carrier aircraft of all time, but it was probably not decisive, as the main factor in the Pacific War was the power of US industry to provide weapons and logistic support. So in the end it was great that Grumman built this very fine aircraft but the US and its Allies would have won anyway due to sheer numbers of an alternative and of course the bravery and dedication of our well-trained crews who would have fought in whatever they had.

Another fine example of Barrett Tillman's research and background knowledge brought to the page. He has interviewed the pilots and other participants, giving us a closer perspective of the Hellcat and events where the Hellcat was involved. Barrett Tillman's books are cited as research material by other authors. He is found in bibliographical references in most every book about WWII carrier aviation, the war in the Pacific, and other Theaters. So read the source book and gather even more information. He writes in an engaging style, even when explaining technical details. Facts become story. Yes, this book has been around awhile, but it is still fresh and very relevant.

If you are a WWll History buff, like me, a genuine "war baby" and a Naval Air veteran and aircraft "nut"......this book is for you!! The Hellcat was built by Grumann, aka "The Iron Works" right here on Long Island , designed to take advantage of the weakness of the Japanese Zero fighter. A fully intact but damaged Zero was found upside down after the short lived Alaskan Island incursion, taken and repaired, inspected and flown to find out what made it tick, and this powerful fighter was developed in record time to blow the Zekes out of the skies and to relieve the hardworking Wildcats that held the carriers in the game since Pearl Harbor. Interesting and informative. Ken

Decent book on the subject - not enough on the nuts and bolts, and the operation use becomes (of necessity) rather repetitive. The main problem with this and the the Corsair book is that there should be a much better comparison section, and explanations as to why post-war and later use issues developed, why one was preferred over another, etc. They were really built for differing roles (on purpose or not). Comparison between other contemporaries, both land and sea based would have been welcomed. But...that all wasn't really the purpose of the book, and as conceived, it is a good read.

. THIS ACCOUNT OF THE U.S. NAVY'S AIR SUPREMACY FIGHTER IS INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE.. THE GRUMMAN F6F HELLCAT SHOT DOWN ABOUT 2/3 OF ALL JAPANESE PLANES OUR NAVY AND MARINE CORPS BAGGED, WITH A KILL RATIO OF ABOUT 19 ENEMY FOR EVERY LOSS. IT SHOT DOWN MORE ENEMY PLANES AND MADE MORE ACES (5 OR MORE VICTORIES) THAN ANY OTHER U.S. FIGHTER IN THE WAR, WAS GOOD FOR CARRIER OPERATIONS,, RUGGED, AND EASY TO FLY. BARRETT TELLS THIS IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING STORY WITH ACCURACY..BY Cobalt 41, former Hellcat pilot

Good book. Well written. I wish it had more info on the design of the A/C

If you're interested in starting to learn about the combat career of the F6F, this is the place to start. A great read that only misses out on 5 stars because I would have liked to seen more tables of deployments, aces, squadrons, etc., plus some more information on specific tactics like escort altitudes, formations, bombing techniquie, etc., but again, this is an introductory albeit thorough look. Makes a very good Kindle read.

Inhaltlich wirklich gutes Buch zur F6F. Zustand des Buches war gerade noch Ok. Aber es ist 1978 veröffentlicht worden. Tja, so ist es wohl wenn man in der Geschichte zurück geht. Für Fans imme noch eine Empfehlung wert.

fast delivery. good book