"Viper Pilot" is the high-octane memoir of one of America's elite aviators: a twenty-year battle-seasoned pilot who flew 151 combat missions in the world's most iconic fighter plane - the F-16 Fighting Falcon - the Viper as its pilots call it. A fighter pilot who came of age at the end of the Cold War, Dan Hampton was one of the flyers scrambled into the skies on 9/11. With the onset of the Iraq War, he saw extensive action and was one of the Wild Weasels, a select cadre of highly trained, innovative, and gutsy fighters who flew into hostile territory first to draw enemy fire-revealing the positions of their antiaircraft weaponry for our forces to destroy. For his actions Hampton received an extraordinary three Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor and a Purple Heart. As a young flyer a decade earlier, he flew combat sorties in the first Gulf War and the Kosovo conflict. Hampton takes readers into rarefied air: the closed world of fighter pilots and modern air combat, offering a fascinating look into the mind and making of those elite few who have "the right stuff." He recounts gripping stories of saving American soldiers on the ground from certain death, of evading heat-seeking missiles that were locked on his tail, and of being wounded in an enemy's air strike on his base. He also reveals what it takes both mentally and physically to become the best of the best. A thrilling true story of courage and commitment rife with excitement, danger, and glory, "Viper Pilot" is one remarkable man's tale of what's like to be a true hero of the skies.

About the Author
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years (1986-2006) in the United States Air Force. For his service in the Iraq War, Kosovo conflict, and first Gulf War, Col. Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School (TOGS), and USAF Special Operations School. A frequent guest analyst on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs, military, aviation, and intelligence issues, he has published in Aviation History, the Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, Vietnam magazine, and Airpower magazine, and written several classified tactical works for the USAF Weapons Review. He is the author of the national bestsellers Viper Pilot and Lords of the Sky, as well as a novel, The Mercenary.

Reviews
"A rare riveting memoir of a highly decorated fighter pilot that's packed with grit, swagger, and great humor. Do not miss this one!" -- W.E.B. GRIFFIN & WILLIAM E. BUTTERWORTH IV "Hampton's one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history. ... We may never see his like again." -- New York Post "Offers a gripping cockpit view of modern air combat ... Hampton is a vivid writer and an unabashed warrior. ... An outstanding work." -- Booklist (starred review) "Viper Pilot is an awesome adrenaline rush. If you love action packed modern day war stories then strap yourself in and get ready for a gut-wrenching, g-force defying thrill ride!" -- ALEX KERSHAW, bestselling author of The Liberator and The Few "Viper Pilot is fantastic. Lt. Col. Dan Hampton offers a personal, irreverent, no-holds-barred look into the life of an Air Force fighter pilot. A great read!" -- DALE BROWN, former USAF Captain and New York Times bestselling author of A Time for Patriots "Viper Pilot is an instant aviation classic. Dan Hampton's thrilling portrayals of combat missions kept me glued to the story, and he has captured the essence of Wild Weasel fighter operations as no one has before." -- BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID L. MOODY (Retired USAF) "Dan Hampton's Viper Pilot truly impressed me--if you're a combat vet, it's sweaty palms again; if not, strap in and get ready. Filled with lots of action, here's a real and up-close look at modern fighter combat, told straight from the cockpit." -- COLONEL JACKSEL BROUGHTON (USAF, Ret.), recipient of the Air Force Cross for extraordinary heroism and author of Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life "Dramatic. ... Viper Pilot delivers 300 pages of aviation fireworks." -- Kirkus Reviews "The best air combat memoir I have ever read... An incredible look into the unique culture of Wild Weasels." -- Tyler Rogoway, Foxtrot Alpha, a Gawker Media site



Book Information
ISBN 9780062130341
Author Dan Hampton
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint William Morrow Paperbacks
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Weight(grams) 327g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 135mm * 21mm