num_pages: 488
description: In the wake of the hard lessons of the Vietnam War, a pantheon of committed naval aviators struggled valiantly to modernize fighter aircraft and overhaul tactics.  It was a seemingly titanic task marked by political intrigue, doctrinal apoplexy, and, sadly, petty politics.  Roger Ball! is a seven "G", heart-in-the-throat story of the very unforgiving profession of naval aviation.  It tells of the raw courage of naval aviators operating from the decks of aircraft carriers in peace and in war, during good weather and in poor.  It captures the personal sacrifice, visceral loyalty, unswerving commitment, and the unsinkable camaraderie that is the brotherhood of naval aviation.  Roger Ball! is the true and very personal story of one of those naval aviators—Captain John Monroe "Hawk" Smith.  It chronicles his growth as a naval officer, his seasoning as a fighter pilot, his hardening as a commanding officer, and his ascension as a leader.  This is the story of his quest to help make naval fighter aviation the world’s most formidable, innovative, and lethal air combat force in the world. 
language: English
title: Roger Ball!: The Odyssey of John Monroe "Hawk" Smith Navy Fighter Pilot
titlecomplete: Roger Ball!: The Odyssey of John Monroe "Hawk" Smith Navy Fighter Pilot
genres: Military Fiction
ratings_count: 67
publisher: Iuniverse Inc