Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan

Description

The inspiring and riveting first-ever memoir of active combat by a female
helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. Amber Smith flew into enemy fire in
some of the most dangerous combat zones in the world. One of only a few women
to fly the Kiowa Warrior helicopter—whose mission, armed reconnaissance,
required its pilots to stay low and fly fast, perilously close to the
fight—Smith deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the elite 2-17
Cavalry Regiment, part of the legendary 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming
Eagles. She rose to Pilot-in-Command and Air Mission Commander in the premier
Kiowa unit in the Army, repeatedly flying into harm’s way during her 2005 and
2008 deployments. In Danger Close, Smith takes us into the heat of battle,
enabling readers to feel, hear, and smell the experience of serving as a
combat pilot in high-intensity warfare. This is an edge-of-the seat story of
learning to perform under pressure and persevere under extreme duress—both in
action against an implacable enemy and within the elite “boy’s club” of Army
aviation. Smith’s unrelenting fight for both mastery and respect delivers
universal life-lessons that will be useful to any civilian, from “earning your
spurs” as a newbie to “embracing the suck” through setbacks that challenge
your self-confidence to learning to trust your gut as a veteran of your
profession. Intensely personal, cinematic, poignant, and inspiring, Danger
Close is a war story on one hand, and also the story of a brave pilot who
fought for and earned a lifetime membership in the ranks of the best of the
best. Read more

Features:

Product Details:

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Illustrated edition (September 6, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 4
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 84
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #1,631,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #422 in Afghan War Biographies #15,678 in Women's Biographies #43,540 in Memoirs (Books)
• #422 in Afghan War Biographies