Publishers Weekly
02/18/2019
In this niche but accessible history, aviation writer Winchester (American Military Aircraft) recounts a Broken Arrow incident (code for the loss of a nuclear weapon) that occurred onboard the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga in December 1965. During a drill to test preparing a nuclear strike from an aircraft carrier, an A-4E Skyhawk fighter bomber loaded with an unarmed one-kiloton nuclear weapon slipped off the elevator of the aircraft carrier and landed in the water upside down, sinking more than 16,000 feet along with its pilot, Lt. Doug Webster. Winchester devotes attention not only to Webster’s background and the process of notifying his family of his death, but also to why the incident occurred and why the military kept some crucial details quiet—namely that a nuclear weapon was involved. (This later caused public uproar about potential health hazards, particularly in Japan, when Greenpeace disclosed the payload’s location in 1989.) Other aspects of naval aviation are also explored, including carrier operations against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War and the Navy’s role in overall U.S. national nuclear strategy. Despite occasionally wandering away from its center subject, this informative account will appeal to readers interested in the details of Cold War nuclear strategy or air operations during the Vietnam War. (Mar.)
Air Power History
"The pictures are generally good and relevant. One especially interesting addition was illustrations of the nuclear-specific and general-subject safety flyers routinely posted on board."
Barrett Tillman
In Broken Arrow, Jim Winchester illuminates a not-so-minor aspect of the overlapping Vietnam War and Cold War. In 1965 an A-4 Skyhawk carrying a nuclear weapon was lost overboard from USS Ticonderoga, with its unfortunate pilot. Through documents, interviews and analysis, Winchester’s thorough research probes deeply into the story, including official lies years after the incident became known."
Naval Aviation News
"...an entertaining look at what it was like to serve aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War."
The Skyhawk Association Journal
"... very good account of the title event, the loss of the aircraft and pilot, and of the nuclear weapon during a combat deployment, and of life aboard a “giant” carrier."
The VVA Veteran
Jim Winchester summarizes the dilemma of nuclear weapon disasters across the years—at least to the degree that the services have made them public. Overall, he illuminates virtually every lesson available about the incident.
Booklist
Winchester never loses sight of the human side of the story, remembering Webster with honor. Winchester’s informative and unnerving expose is a valuable contribution to the history of the navy, the cold war, and nuclear weapons.
Booklist
Winchester never loses sight of the human side of the story, remembering Webster with honor. Winchester’s informative and unnerving expose is a valuable contribution to the history of the navy, the cold war, and nuclear weapons.
