Barrett Tillman Barrett Tillman ( born 1948 ) is an American author who specializes in naval and aviation topics in addition to fiction and technical writing . Tillman ' s most influential book to date is " On Yankee Station " ( 1987 ) , written with John B . Nichols . A critical appraisal of naval aviation in the Vietnam War , it was added to the US Air Force and Marine Corps professional reading lists and became a " reality check " for various Navy and Marine squadrons . Biography . Early life . Born a fourth - generation Oregonian , descended from American pioneers , American Revolutionary War Patriots , Pilgrims ( e . g . Priscilla Alden ) and Pocahontas , Tillman was raised on the family wheat and cattle ranch . His younger brothers include a breeder of exotic animals and a Rhodes Scholar . In high school he was an Eagle Scout , won two state titles as a rudimental drummer , and was a champion speaker and debater . Tillman was first published in 1964 at age 15 and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1971 with a bachelor ' s degree in journalism . Like his father , a Navy trained pilot in World War II , Tillman developed an early passion for aviation and learned to fly at age 16 . Over the next several years he flew a variety of vintage and historic aircraft , including a pre - WW II Navy trainer and a restored dive - bomber . The latter became the subject of his first book , " The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War II " , published in 1976 . It established the format for many subsequent books , operational histories of U . S . Navy aircraft . Marriage and children . Tillman lives in Arizona with his wife , Sally . Career . After college Tillman worked as a freelance writer until 1982 when he founded Champlin Fighter Museum Press in Mesa , Arizona , publishing out - of - print and new titles on military aviation . In 1986 he moved to San Diego to become managing editor of " The Hook " , quarterly journal of the Tailhook Association . He remained in that position for three years before deciding to focus full time to writing fiction . His first novel was published in June 1990 . " Warriors " depicted a Mideast air war and became an immediate best seller when Iraq invaded Kuwait two months later . Tillman ' s next two novels appeared in 1992 : " The Sixth Battle " , ( written with his brother John ) which captured a wide following among computer war gamers ; and " Dauntless " , intended as the first in a trilogy . It was followed by " Hellcats " , nominated as military novel of the year in 1996 . He has also published original fiction in the Stephen Coonts anthologies , " Combat " and " Victory " . Tillman remains active as a magazine writer . He is a regular contributor to " The Hook " , " Flight Journal " , and several firearms publications . He has also reported from Africa for Soldier of Fortune magazine . Tillman is a former executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association . Works . Published works . Nonfiction . Chapters in non - fiction works : Introductions to : Awards . Tillman has received six writing awards including the second Admiral Radford Award for Naval History and Literature and is an honorary member of three Navy squadrons . He has been honored by the Air Force Historical Foundation , the American Aviation Historical Society , the U . S . Naval Institute , and remains the youngest recipient of the Tailhook Association ' s lifetime achievement award . Genealogy . Barrett Tillman is descended from Christopher Tilghman , Jr . , ( b . Kent , England 1592 ; arrived Virginia 1635 ; died 1673 ) . The first of the line born in America was Christopher Junior ' s eldest son , Gideon ( b . Virginia 1643 ; d . 1720 ) . The family name was changed to Tillman by Barrett ' s great - 4X grandfather Tobias ( b . North Carolina 1751 ) . Barrett Tillman further descends from Joshua Tillman ( b . Ohio 1824 ) and John H . Sr . ( b . Ohio 1881 ) who moved to Oregon c . 1907 . Barrett Tillman ' s mother ' s lineage is incomplete but family records indicate that the Barrett family arrived in America in 1638 .