By: Randolph S. Reynolds
Independently published (2015)
This is a very readable and accessible book written by a retired F-105 Thunderchief pilot. It’s written in a straightforward and informative way that is free of bravado and has a minimum of unexplained jargon.
While the majority of books on the F-105 Thunderchief focus on the type’s use over Vietnam, the author himself flew them in that conflict, this book is a refreshing departure from that pattern as Reynolds has opted to put the focus of this work on his post Vietnam flying career in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command (AFRES) and the twilight years of the F-105’s service career. As such, the reader is given an insight into life and operations in a lesser covered branch of the U.S. Air Force and what F-105 operations were like on a daily basis outside of combat.
I can easily recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in the F-105 and what it was like to work around. The straightforward, no-nonsense style of writing is informative and not at all esoteric or alienating in feel.
If you’re looking for thrills and edge-of-your-seat reading, this isn’t your book. If you want to know what living and working around the mighty F-105 Thunderchief in peacetime was like, you should enjoy it.
Pickled Wings 