Read an Excerpt

A disclaimer, here: I am in awe of pilots. From the ones who pilot
the two-seater puddlejumpers to those who move the Concorde from
here to there. Anyone with the intestinal fortitude and
self-confidence to even think that they can learn to bring a plane
up in one place and down in another is better than I am.

My admiration for pilots is up another hundred notches after
reading EVERY MAN A TIGER. It is Tom Clancy's second (INTO THE
STORM was the first) account of war and combat as interpreted by
some of the United States' most important military leaders. Clancy
wrote EVERY MAN A TIGER in collaboration with General Chuck Horner
(ret.), whose bonafides are beyond question. EVERY MAN A TIGER
traces Horner's career from his commission into the Air Force
Reserve in 1958 to flying combat missions into North Vietnam;
through the post-Vietnam decline in the Armed Forces in general,
and the Air Force in particular, under the Carter Administration,
and its restoration under the Reagan Administration; to the
pinnacle of his career as the Commander of all United States and
allied war assets during the Desert Shield and Desert Storm
operations.

We learn along the way how airstrikes and air combat have evolved
from strategic, tactical and technological standpoints. There are
several "gee whiz" descriptions of what Air Force hardware is able
to do. Though, to Clancy's credit, the descriptions do not get lost
in the technological jargon. Clancy and General Horner also bring
the reader to the table during the preparatory meetings when Desert
Shield and Desert Storm were being planned (there are times when
the reader will feel that he is seated to the immediate right of
President Bush). The ultimate focus here, however, is on General
Horner, and rightly so. For this is an extremely complex man: he
hates war in his soul, yet loves combat, he loves his wife and
family, yet is drawn to the thrill of leaving his home in the dark
of night to partake in missions vital to national defense while the
rest of us sleep peacefully. The ultimate worth of EVERY MAN A
TIGER is that Clancy and General Horner put a human face upon the
technological strategy, and tactics of the United States Air
Force.

EVERY MAN A TIGER (and its companion volume, INTO THE STORM) is the
perfect gift for the man who has served in any branch of the Armed
Forces, or for anyone interested in learning about the whys, hows
and wherefores of the military. And it should be required reading
for anyone concerned with the ongoing necessity for a strong state
of readiness among the United States Armed
Forces.