Unknown to the public and cloaked in the utmost secrecy, the United States flew missions against the Communist bloc almost continuously during the Cold War in a desperate effort to collect intelligence and find targets for all-out nuclear war. The only hint of the relentless, clandestine operations came when one of the planes was shot down. Many of the air force and navy flyers were killed on the top secret missions. But now, for the first time, award-winning historian William E. Burrows shows that others were captured by the Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans, and were tortured, imprisoned, and killed, while their loved ones grieved and their government looked the other way. In an effort to improve relations with Russia, Washington is still looking the other way, though it pretends otherwise.
Burrows has interviewed scores of men who flew these 'black' missions, as well as the widows and children of those who never returned, all of whom want the full story finally told. He has done so with an eye to this story's immensely human dimension. By Any Means Necessary is not about airplanes, but about the people who've sacrificed their lives in the interests of national security.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - recon
Great book! I was in a Naval Air Reconnaissance Squadron during the Viet Nam era. Lost a plane to N. Korean migs. True book, tells it like it is. I learned alot of history of recon reading it, that I never fully understood before.Hard to put this book down.
Rating: - For those interested...
This is a must read. Exceptional coverage of the topic and even adds a bit of humor here and there ("Berlin for lunch bunch"). Within the subject this book is worth the five stars.
Rating: - The Cold War that cost lives.
At the beginning of this book, it quotes Teller as saying at least the Cold War did not cost any lives. Burrows points out in this book that the Cold War did cost lives. At least 15 planes were shot down, and close to a hundred Air Force and Navy airmen were killed. The U.S. Government hid the fact that many flights were ferreting radar information and bombing sights in case of offensive nuclear war. The Soviets and Chinese did the same thing, even if their propaganda said otherwise. The real ... Read More
Rating: - FEET TO THE FIRE!
I remember reading stories of Americans, mainly servicemen, who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain following World War II. To the everlasting shame of every single President from Truman to the current occupant of the White House, we have never demanded a full accounting of their fates, not even from so-called "Democratic" Russia.
Burrows story is a sad, despairing one, of brave men who flew their reconnaisance aircraft over hostile, yes, enemy airspace without fighter jet protection, ... Read More
Rating: - Buy it, read it, give a copy to a friend
Bottom Line - This is an excellent book. Buy it, read it, give it to a friend.
If you are in the business of Intelligence, you owe it to those who preceded you to hear their story. This book should be required reading for every prospective intelligence officer. It lets you know what the standard is.
If you are an American who values your freedom, you should read this to understand what the price of that freedom is. In these days when people openly talk about and debate ... Read More
- recon
- The Cold War that cost lives.
