Real life examples of what the Vietnam War was like. Written in the first person, gripping and brutal!

It is riveting as it describes the day to day harrowing action and danger of flying combat missions in close support of ground troops in fierce firefights. There are special missions into Laos with LRRP teams and mercenaries for monitoring and bombing the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Also, an incredible love story of young people in a distant land.

Excellent book on the Vietnam helicopter war. It will keep reading right to the very end. I have firsthand experience from the ground.

I loved this book! Written from a first person perspective it gives you a very detailed account of what it was like to fight a helicopter war and the frightening danger these crews were in on a daily basis. This is the type of story which could not be accurately portrayed unless the author was actually over there and experienced it first hand. I highly recommend this book. It is a fast read and undoubtedly will leave you entertained and more knowledgeable about the Vietnam war.

All my senses were involved in reading this novel. I sat in the co-pilots seat during fire fights with the enemy. I laughed during bar room drinking with young chopper pilots. I cried at the death of the authors best friends. I tasted the sickening burnt flesh of American and north Vietnamese bodies inside helicopters.

The truth of this book hit me straight in the face and my heart. I am forever changed as it relates to war. It’s almost too real. But thanks to Kelly for an honest dose of reality. I’m humbled and saddened by the bravery and danger these young men and women experienced on a daily basis.

the author is a true war hero and great author. I hope it’s made into a movie. Bravo!!

McHugh paints a picture that can only be done by someone who was there. As a ground combat veteran, he made me draw parallels to my own experiences. An Up-front, in your face view of the Vietnam War.

Read this book in three evenings. If you like Vince Flynn or Tom Clancy you’ll love the action in this book. Has plenty of detail to let you know what’s it like to fly in extreme dangerous helicopter combat. Vietnam was a terrible war for the soldiers and pilots in combat. This book explains it extremely well. You can’t put it down after starting to read it.

“God’s Own Lunatics” by Kelly McHugh is a story set in the context of the helicopter war in Vietnam. As the author notes, Vietnam was the first time armed helicopters played a pivotal role in a war, and the learning curve was brutal. This book gives detailed descriptions of what being a gunship pilot was like, both the technical and physical challenges and the moral compromises of combat. Engaging and realistic, this is one of the best a reality of war I have ever read. Full disclosure: I helped the author edit this book.

This book was like watching a movie for an old grunt. Brought me back to Vietnam after 55 years.