Reviews of B.K. Bryans Books

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www.those67blues.com

Retail Price: $17.95 + S&H ($4.00 USD)

Review by the Association of Naval Aviation, published in the Fall Edition of Wings of Gold Magazine

Those ’67 Blues by B.K. Bryans. As one reviewer wrote, “This my kind of book. It has the accurate detail that satisfies the guy who’s ‘been there and done that’ and intrigues the guy who wishes he could have. Blues takes you through virtually every aspect of the carrier war in 1967 and does it so precisely you feel as if you are right there getting shot at.”

This is a story about the aviators who went in harms way big time. “At night,” writes Bryans, “Navy all-weather A-6 Intruders went in low and alone.”

A brief excerpt: “The SAM that hit their A-6 right after weapons release knocked out everything electrical, set the port engine on fire, and caused the plane to shake like a dice cup.”

Bryans knows his subject. He flew A-6s during the war earning a Silver Star and DFC, and commanded VA-35 aboard USS Nimitz.

Review by John (Toy) Mittell, CDR USN (RET)

‘I was a young naval aviator and flew those ’67 skies myself. The book is faithful to my experience. You will witness the days as though you too were there. You will feel the emotions and the love of country that lived in the hearts of the men who flew and their women who waited for their return. Those ’67 Blues is on the level of ‘Flight of the Intruder’ and the ‘Bridges of Toko Ri’. I now have 3 favorite books about our navy at war.’

Review by Lee Eilbacher
‘Bryans captures the tableau of the flight deck as only could be written by one who has seen it from the cockpit. In Those ’67 Blues, he takes us with him to that special place. A great read!’

Prerelease Reviews:

‘I loved Those ’67 Blues, but it touched nerves that I thought were long buried. It has the authentic feel of someone who has actually flown combat missions in that war that I've found missing in most of the books I’ve read on the subject. The emotion conveys so well.’

Tony Tambini, Vietnam War A-4 / A-7 pilot.

'Those ’67 Blues is my kind of book. It has the accurate detail that satisfies the guy who’s “been there and done that” and intrigues the guy who wishes he could have. ‘Blues’ takes you through virtually every aspect of the carrier war in 1967 and does it so precisely you feel as if you are right there getting shot at. Those readers who flew into the flak, missile, and MiG mess in North Vietnam will relive the adrenalin rush that comes from dodging SAMs, and feel the heartbreak of seeing our guys going down in flames or swinging under a chute (if they’re lucky). To the curious readers, you can’t get any closer to being there than Those ’67 Blues.'

Phil Waters, a Vietnam-era A-6 Bombardier/Navigator

Press Releases

A Window into the Navy's Air War in Vietnam

Tucson, Arizona, April 18, 2011 – Author Brian K. Bryans has signed a contract with Patriot Media, Inc. of Niceville, Florida, to publish his upcoming book titled, Those ’67 Blues.

The book reveals a two-week period in a day by day account of flight operations and the heroic acts of men flying the hostile skies of North Vietnam during the angry autumn of 1967. Many of the exploits in the book are based on his Vietnam War experiences as an A-6 pilot.

Before becoming a naval aviator, author Brian K. Bryans was a teenage cowboy on two southern Arizona ranches and the young horse wrangler for a film company shooting western movies for television at the Old Tucson movie set. He entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in Pensacola, Florida after two years at the University of Arizona and became a carrier-qualified jet pilot at age twenty.

As a naval aviator, Bryans flew 3,669 hours in thirteen different types of aircraft, made 652 carrier landings (163 of them at night), and flew 183 combat missions in A-6 Intruders during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and thirteen Air Medals. He went on to command Attack Squadron Thirty-Five (VA-35) aboard USS Nimitz. He retired from the Navy as a captain.

Association of Naval Aviation (ANA)