Published: 1 September 2008
Air & Space Power
Journal - Fall 2008
Roaring Thunder: A Novel of the Jet Age by Walter J. Boyne. Forge
Books, Tom Doherty Associates (http://www.tor-forge.com), 175 Fifth Avenue, New
York, New York 10010, 2006, 304 pages, $24.95 (hardcover).
Many people
believe that the age of jet aviation began in the final days of World War II
when the German Luftwaffe produced a few new jet-fighter aircraft to patrol the
skies over central Europe in a final, desperate effort to hold off the massive
bomber raids of the Allies. What might have changed the course of the war proved
too little and too late, however. Actually, the race to be first in designing,
testing, and flying jets began several years before the war and involved British
designers as well. Roaring Thunder, written by noted aviation authority Walter
J. Boyne, captures the dramatic story of the beginning of the jet age of
aviation—and then some. Boyne makes an imaginative choice by using the novel
form to lay out an accurate tale of actual events and achievements presented
against a background of diverse personalities, both real and fictional.
Very qualified to discuss this subject, the author has written about aviation since the early 1960s when he served as a pilot in the US Air Force. After retiring as a colonel with more than 5,000 flying hours, he later became director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Working since the mid-1980s as an aviation consultant and novelist, the prolific Boyne has published five novels, 33 works of nonfiction, and over 500 articles. He has entrenched himself in the exclusive company of authors who have made both the fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists of the New York Times.
Roaring Thunder is the initial entry in a fictional trilogy that encompasses the complete history of the air and space industry. This first segment covers a three-decade period from the contested beginnings of jet aviation in the pre–World War II years, through the US military’s involvement flying combat and support jet aircraft in the Vietnam War, to the beginnings of the commercial jet-transport industry. The saga highlights the true pioneers responsible for the birth of the jet age, including such notables as Sir Frank Whittle, British inventor of the jet engine; Hans von Ohain, designer of jet engines for the Luftwaffe during the war and then a successful engineer who worked for the US government afterwards; Kelly Johnson, a famed American aeronautical engineer and designer; and fellow American Tex Johnston, an early test pilot of great fame.
Boyne blends the real-life adventures of these giants with the story of the fictional family of Vance Shannon and his two sons, who serve as good counterparts to the actual movers and shakers of the jet age. Their tale spans the formative years of the air and space industry, covering the successes, failures, trade-offs, and complexities inherent in this competitive arena.
Aviation enthusiasts will find that Roaring Thunder makes for worthwhile reading. The story does become a bit stretched at times as it integrates the Shannon family into the plot—impressive when involved in aviation matters but much less so with their personal lives. More important, the rest of the epic tale—the factual aspects—comes through loud and clear as it enlightens and entertains.
Dr. Frank P. Donnini, Lt Col, USAF,
Retired
Newport News, Virginia
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