Flight of the Intruder

The book that introduced millions of readers to  Jake Grafton. A smash bestseller, Coonts's explosive Vietnam novel captures carrier combat with unparalleled authenticity. An instant classic the start of an amazing series.

No one before or since ever captured the world of Navy carrier pilots with the gripping realism of Vietnam veteran Stephen Coonts, who lived the life he wrote about. More than a flying story, Flight of the Intruder is also one of the best novels ever written about the Vietnam experience. It's all here—the flying, the dying, the blood and bombs and bullets, and the sheer joy—and terror—of life at full throttle.
"Gripping...Smashing. —The Wall Street Journal

Grazing the Vietnam treetops at night at just under the speed of sound, A-6 Intruder pilot Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton knows exactly how precarious life is. Landing on a heaving aircraft carrier, dodging missiles locked on his fighter, flying through clouds of flak—he knows each flight could be his last. Yet he straps himself into a cockpit every day.
"Extraordinary!"—Tom Clancy

Then a bullet kills his bombardier while they're hitting another 'suspected' truck depot. Jake wonders what his friend died for—and why? Hitting pointless targets selected by men piloting desks just doesn't make sense. Maybe it's time to do something worthwhile. Something that will make a difference...
"Superbly written." — Washington Times

Jake and his new bombardier, ice-cold Tiger Cole, are going to pick their own target and hit the enemy where it hurts. But to get there and back in one piece is going to take a lot of nerve, even more skill, and an incredible amount of raw courage. Before it's over, they're going to fly into hell.

"Coonts sets the bar for military adventure fiction, and the Grafton novels remain the genre's gold standard." — Tom Clancy

MORE PRAISE FOR THE JAKE GRAFTON SERIES

"Jake Grafton is one of thriller fiction's most compelling heroes—bold, human, and unforgettable." — The New York Times

"A landmark military-thriller series: authentic, tightly plotted, and relentlessly exciting." — Publishers Weekly

"Coonts's mastery of aviation action and geopolitical tension finds its fullest expression in the Grafton novels." — Booklist

"Razor-sharp storytelling with the authority of lived experience—Grafton feels real, and so do the stakes." — Library Journal

"The Jake Grafton books deliver everything readers crave: high drama, moral complexity, and white-knuckle suspense." — The Washington Post