Thunderchief

Novel by Don Henry

 Fighter pilots have the Right Stuff. But what is the Right Stuff and how do they get it? Thunderchief, by Don Henry, introduces the reader to the elusive, magical, and perplexing world of fighter pilots through the eyes of one of its most uniquely qualified insiders. Thunderchief explores the perilous and passionate journey of Ashe Wilcox as he struggles to gain respect as a combat fighter pilot. Wartime is when fighter pilots come into their own, when their actions become meaningful and explicable (though they seldom bother.) Combat flying brings a focus and singularity of purpose that reveals a truckload of unusual traits that seem to go with the territory. Ashe’s mentor, Hunter, is an American Indian and tortured survivor of a POW camp who is obsessed by aerial combat and revenge. Their relationship in which Hunter is a reluctant and demanding instructor launches an intricate emotional web that leads Ashe on a dangerous and passionate journey of self-discovery. He learns that winning is important but not losing is critical and that in a time when people aren’t dying so much he will be more harshly judged because some people who think they understand human nature forget that humans are predators.