Son of Thunder is one of the finest
Vietnam-era fighter pilot stories I have ever read. Once I started it I could not put it
down. While the book is fiction based on actual experience, after a few pages any thoughts
of fiction were gone. I thought I was back in Southeast Asia again myself. The central
character, Lt. John Ellsworth, is an F-100 pilot flying out of Tuy Hoa, RVN, in 1968-9. JD
relates all of Lt. Ellsworth's experiences, thoughts and emotions like no else ever has.
Having flown as a Lieutenant in Vietnam myself, I can tell you he is
right on the money--from letting ego get in the way of good judgment to the forming of
idols out of crusty old Majors and Lt. Colonels who were our commanders. If you ever flew
in combat, you can relate one of JD's characters to someone you knew.
The "language of warriors" has been softened somewhat so
this is a perfect book to let your grown children read to help them understand what it was
like flying in combat in Vietnam. I highly recommend Son of Thunder.
I don't think you will be disappointed.
Steve Miller,
Editor, Mig Sweep (Red River Valley Fighter Pilots
Association)
Son of
Thunder "…makes the reader feel like he is in the cockpit of a
virtual reality simulator…. If you like the movie "Top Gun," you will
surely enjoy this book. …a story of ego, gripping fear and adrenaline rushes….
It explores…the human relationship where the power of love fights to prevail. …a
lasting tribute…."
Sarasota
Herald-Tribune
Son of Thunder "…reads like a
Grisham novel. It can't be improved on in movie format, so don't wait."
Siesta
Key Pelican
Son of Thunder "…captures the
essence of a fighter pilot in combat…a charming love story…a subtle analysis of
a war that went bad…told just about as well as it can be told. I enjoyed it
immensely.
The Longboat Observer
"Though (Son of Thunder is)
written as a novel, it is a true mirror of those turbulent times. The story is fast
paced and had to put down, as Wetterling's writing about flying is breathlessly real.
Veterans will sweat while the rest of us will be given a vivid image of what it
must have been like. The only thing missing is the oxygen mask."
Flight Journal
"…graphic…"
The
Bradenton Herald
"JD Wetterling captures the (Vietnam) experience better than anyone I've read or
heard."
Gen. Ron Fogleman, former Chief of Staff, USAF
"…captures the essence of a fighter pilot in combat… a charming love
story…a subtle analysis of a war that went bad…told just about as well as it can
be told."
Lt. Gen. James Edmundson (USAF, Ret.)
"SON OF THUNDER--Sierra Hotel."
Maj. Gen. Ken Miles, (USAF, Ret.)
"I recently purchased SON OF THUNDER from Amazon.com and was most
thoroughly pleased with the book. I must in all honesty praise your
writing skills and how vividly you have described events. Your book is
thoroughly readable and I found myself unable to put it down until I had
perused it. Congratulations!
Maj. Gen. Muhammad Rahimullah (Afghan Air Force, Ret.)
"Reading his emotional and exhilarating account was like living it again."
Brig. Gen. Tom Wittman, NM ANG
"I felt like I should have been wearing a G-suit…. Thanks for writing SON OF
THUNDER."
Brig. Gen. Lon Walter (USAF, Ret.)
"SON OF THUNDER is one of the finest Vietnam-era fighter pilot stories I have ever
read."
Lt. Col. Steve Miller (USAF, Ret.)
"Read SON OF THUNDER and understand what it was really like."
Col. Mark Berent (USAF, Ret.), Best-selling author
"You owe me a full night's sleep."
Col. "Hawk" Moll, (USAF, Ret.)
"It's the first book that ever made me sweat…and I've been there, done
that."
Joe Vincent (former USAF fighter pilot)
"The guy with the Right stuff tells the Right kind of story. If only he'd been in
the right service."
Carl Stattin (former Navy fighter pilot)
"I couldn't put the book down. Wonderful…."
Don Castleman (former fighter pilot)
"I'm personally aware of JD's abilities as a fighter pilot, but his skill as a
writer is equally impressive."
Col. "Herk" Herculson (USAF, Ret.)
"…spellbinding!"
Col. Win Reither (USAF, Ret.)
"It is without doubt one of the best aviation based novels I
have read (and
I have read a few!).... It ranks as one of the aviation greats in my
opinion. You have captured the exhilaration and horror of flying
combat as
well as encompassing the sheer beauty of flight that all pilots feel."
Lt. Cdr. Kevin Potts, (Royal Navy (UK) pilot, Desert Storm Veteran)
Son of Thunder is great. The story is right on the
mark and the writing is superb. It's a must read for any and all Vietnam fighter jocks. If
anyone wants to know what it was like to be an F-100 fighter jock in combat, this tells it
like it was.... Get the book--read it!
Dick
Rutan, Aviation Pioneer
Son of Thunder is the catharsis for the Vietnam
fighter pilot, this era’s sequel to Red Badge of Courage, War and Remembrance
and Winds of War.
J. D. Wetterling has captured the sentiment, interaction and
parameters more exacting than if one were actually serving a tour and flying each mission.
If you ever flew missions like the F-100 pilots and others did, you know that in order to
function you had to suppress the human emotional content so deeply that it might never
resurface again in one’s lifetime—unless you experience Wetterling's vivid
story, Son of Thunder.
This is a Steven Spielberg, Ken Burns, Oliver Stone level
undertaking; I wonder who will obtain the movie rights?
Stewart
Gable (Col. USAF, Ret.)
I just finished your book- I couldn't put it
down. I relived my F-100 flying days and reviewed several midnight movies last night.
Wonderful book--you have a great future as a writer.
Don Castleman, Patriot, Fighter Pilot. Payson, AZ.
Once you start Son of Thunder, I guarantee
you will not be able to put it down. It's an ambush, a gripping and suspenseful account of
raw nerve, courage, survival, vulnerability and love—an historical, military thriller
that is at the same time a classic love story.
Theresa
Stefanidis, The Stefanidis Agency
