Skunk Works
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4.6 • 208 Ratings
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
This classic history of America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies. "a gripping technothriller in which the technology is real" —New York Times Book Review
From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of cold war confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds.
Here are up-close portraits of the maverick band of scientists and engineers who made the Skunk Works so renowned. Filled with telling personal anecdotes and high adventure, with narratives from the CIA and from Air Force pilots who flew the many classified, risky missions, this book is a riveting portrait of the most spectacular aviation triumphs of the twentieth century. "Thoroughly engrossing." —Los Angeles Times Book Review
Customer Reviews
Incredible Story
This account chronicles the Skunk Works from the viewpoint of Kelly Johnson’s successor rather than the renowned founder himself. For those familiar with the aircraft, it offers a compelling perspective on the internal processes that enabled such extraordinary achievements.
This Is How Audiobook Narration Should Be Done
Pete Larkin understands something a lot of narrators don't — the material is the star, not the performance. Skunk Works is a remarkable story told by the people who lived it, and Larkin delivers it with steady pacing, natural cadence, and emphasis that follows the meaning rather than decorating it. You stop noticing the narrator within minutes, which is exactly the point. The result is that Kelly Johnson, Ben Rich, and the extraordinary history of Lockheed's Skunk Works come through cleanly and compellingly. If you have any interest in aviation, aerospace, or American Cold War history, this is the edition to get.
Fascinating
From marvelous engineering challenges and people management to history, there are so many types of interests this book can spark. My only wish is that I had found it sooner.