|
|
Colonel
John R. Boyd
W H O W A S J O H N R.
B O Y D ?
Many who knew Col. John Boyd during his lifetime, or who heard of him, were
aware of only certain facets of his career.
But Boyd may have been the most important unknown man of his time and the
most remarkable unsung hero in American military history.
You can read below what the publisher is telling book buyers around the
country about the Boyd biography;
BOYD: -THE FIGHTER PILOT WHO CHANGED THE ART OF WAR
that will be published in November of 2002.
Boyd was all the things mentioned by the publisher. And more. More than any
other person, saved fighter aviation from predations of the Strategic Air
Command.
His manual of fighter tactics improved the way every air force in the world
flies and fights.
He discovered and developed the Energy-Maneuverability Theory which today is fundamental to any study of aviation.
He developed the OODA Loop, an idea now used by much of the world, often
times without knowing Boyd was the source.
|
|
In one of the most startling and unknown stories of modern military history, this Air Force fighter pilot taught the U.S. Marine Corps how to fight war on the ground. His ideas on waging war led to America's swift and decisive victory in the Gulf War and foretold the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001.
Because Boyd rarely met a general he couldn't offend, many senior officers
today dismiss him as a man who had a flair for math, but who otherwise was
an unprofessional officer unworthy of promotion and incapable of making any contribution to the military.
But there is
still more.
In the Boyd biography you will
find:
How the F-15 jet almost had a variable-sweepwing and how Boyd, by making it
a fixed wing aircraft, saved the Air Force from having to adopt another
saltwater airplane. The untold story of Boyd's pivotal role in Mission BOLO.
The never-before told story of Boyd's role in developing plans for the Gulf
War. What Vice President Dick Cheney says today about Boyd.
Whether you like Boyd or not, whether you believe he was capable of all this
or not, his biography is a book you will want to read and to have in your
library. I hope you will e-mail your friends about it.
Cordially, Ginger Richards "Kettle Creek Corp" kettlecr@attbi.com
PUBLISHER'S COMMENTS
Coram's biography of John Boyd will be published by Little, Brown & and
Company in November, 2002. The following appears in the Little, Brown sales
catalog:
Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram
What Tom Wolfe did for Chuck Yeager in THE RIGHT STUFF, Robert Coram now does for John Boyd - our greatest fighter pilot and most brilliant military
theorist.
John Boyd was the greatest fighter pilot in American history. He defeated
every pilot who challenged him in less than 40 seconds. But what made Boyd
a man for the ages was what happened after he left the cockpit. Boyd made a
career of challenging the intractable Pentagon bureaucracy, making enemies
and a few devoted disciples who would become known as "The Acolytes".
Boyd transformed the way military aircraft - in particular the F-15 and F-16
- were designed with his revolutionary "Energy-Maneuverability Theory,"
fighting the Air Force's entrenched ideas every step of the way. He then
dedicated lonely years to a radical theory of conflict that at the time was
mostly ignored, but now is acclaimed as the most influential thinking about
conflict since Sun-Tzu.
A man of daring, of ferocious passion, of remarkable stubbornness, John Boyd
was that most American of heroes - a rebel who cared not for his reputation
or fortune, but for his country. And in BOYD, Robert Coram finally tells his
incredible story. Until now, John Boyd has been the great secret hero of the
American military. No longer.
BOYD comes at a moment when America finds its front pages filled with
details of military strategy and patriotic enthusiasm for our armed forces.
There is a huge core audience for this book: everyone who has flown for the
military recognized John Boyd's name, and many still idolize him.
As for his family, he was born in Erie, PA on January 23, 1927, the fourth
child of Hubert and Elsie Boyd. Hubert died when John Boyd was only three
years old. Hubert was of Irish extraction, the son of Mary Golden and
Thomas Boyd. Thomas Boyd worked on a boat, probably a fishing boat, on the
Great Lakes. Elsie was German, the daughter of Julia and Rudolph Beyer. Her
father was a farmer just south of Erie. John Boyd had three older siblings:
Bill, who died in his twenties; Marion, who today lives in Erie; and Hubert
- called Gerry - who lives in Florida. Boyd's younger sister Ann died of
cancer about 1972.
(Robert Coram is the author of three acclaimed nonfiction books and seven
novels. Twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his work at The Atlanta
Constitution, his work also has appeared in the New Yorker and numerous
other magazines. He is a commercial-rated pilot and is one of the few
civilians to have flown in both the F-100 and the F-15. Coram lives in
Atlanta.) "Kettle Creek Corp" kettlecr@attbi.com
BLURBS
Here are the blurbs that will appear on the book, Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War, by Robert Coram, to be published by Little, Brown in November 2002.
"The military services should welcome more people like Colonel John Boyd.
He was something of a legend in the Pentagon for his willingness to swim
against the tide and to challenge service orthodoxy". James Schlesinger,
former Secretary of Defense
"Coram has captured the invincible spirit that is John Boyd in all its fury and intensity of purpose and genius. Though the book is about Boyd the fighter pilot who made lasting contributions to aeronautical design and warfare to me, Colonel Boyd will always be a brave-hearted soldier for the truth. He was a man who relished a world-class confrontation with the top brass on things that really mattered. He inspired others to follow. And that includes me".
Senator Charles Grassley, Iowa
"Robert Coram's book paints an extremely accurate picture of a man whose
contributions to the art of war rival those of the greatest military minds. In no small way, the victory in Desert Storm belongs to John Boyd, and more
importantly, victory in future conflict will belong to him also. Robert Coram has captured the essence of the man. This book is a must-read.. not just for the warrior but for the statesman as well!
General Charles Krulak, (Ret.) Former Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps
"What a story! Robert Coram's Boyd is the exhaustively researched, dramat-
ically written biography of one of America's little-known military heroes.
John Boyd was a tough, uncompromising maverick of a fighter pilot and Coram
tells this unforgettable story with the same passion as the man who lived
it. A great read!" William Diehl, author of EUREKA
"Coram captures the essence of John Boyd. It is all there: the audacious
candor, the trenchant wit, the unbridled arrogance, the intellectual honesty, the courage borne of conviction, the patriotic fervor, the
unyielding determination, the heart of the fighter pilot, but most of all the truly brilliant mind. Bravo!"
Ron "Mugs" McKeown, first commander of the U.S. Navy's Top Gun School
"GENGHIS JOHN"
This is from an article entitled "Genghis John" which appeared in "Air & Space January/2003.
Questioning General Norman Scwarzkopf's initial Desert Storm battle plan, a "head-to-head assault against the
main strength of the Iraqi forces," then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney summoned John R. Boyd, a retired
Air Force Colonel, for extended consultation.
The subsequent Marine Corps amphibious feint toward Kuwait, followed by a successful Army left-hook attack
through the desert, was, writes Robert Coram, a direct reflection of Boyd's theories. Indeed, Marine Corps
Commandant Charles Krulak's 1997 tribute hailed Boyd as an "architect of America's victory in the Gulf War".
NOTE:
Use this data as a finding tool, just as you would any other secondary
source. When you find the name of an ancestor listed, confirm the
facts in original sources. Back
to Main Page
|
|
|
NOTES
TO RESEARCHERS
When
you use this site, please keep in mind the difference between
primary and secondary sources and the importance of checking those
sources. Accept nothing without further checking. It is our hope
that through this collection of data from many sources, you will
find a piece of the puzzle that you are working on and that may
lead you to other discoveries.
|
|
