Boyd: The Fighter Pilot who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram is a groundbreaking biography of the revolutionary war hero John Boyd. The book details Boyd's incredible journey from rural military beginnings to the heights of the Air Force, illuminating how his tactics changed the course of modern warfare.

John Boyd was born in 1927 to a Scottish father and a Union Army cavalryman from Tennessee, who combined their forces in a small farming community in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. A restless teen, Boyd found the monotony of rural life unbearable and decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps, training to become a fighter pilot.

John Boyd's rise to fame began in the Korean War, a conflict in which he flew thirty-six missions as part of the 8th Fighter Squadron. Although aggressive and skilled, Boyd was often reprimanded by his superiors due to his unconventional tactics. Despite this, he managed to effectively shoot down six enemy planes and received two Distinguished Flying Crosses. However, it was during the Vietnam War that Boyd truly made an impact.

In 1968, Boyd's unit was tasked with fighting North Vietnam's heavily defended areas but were met with stiff resistance. Boyd quickly developed a revolutionary strategy that has now become known as the "Boyd Loop". His tactic involved flying circles around enemy targets, allowing his squadron to out-maneuver the enemy aircraft and achieve air dominance. This tactic eventually turned the tide in the war and Boyd's actions earned him the Silver Star.

After the war, Boyd retired from the Air Force but his influence was far from over. He became an influential theorist on military reform and an early adopter of the Air Land Battle doctrine, which revolutionized how modern war is fought. His advocacy shifted the focus away from raw firepower and towards carefully planned strategies which made use of timing and maneuverability. Boyd's theories would have a profound effect on military operations for the remainder of the Cold War.

Boyd's accomplishments did not end when the Cold War ended, either. His work was referenced during the Persian Gulf War, Kosovo, and the U.S.-led offensives against Iraq. Robert Coram's book tells Boyd's story with insight and admiration. It is not only a portrait of a tactical genius, but a narrative about a teacher and mentor who was ahead of his time. Boyd believed that technology should never get in the way of human intuition and his approach to warfare was all about out-thinking the enemy, not out-muscling them. His ideas remain relevant today and Boyd is remembered as an innovator whose boldness and drive helped shape the modern military landscape.