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July 4, 2008 Author's |
Book DisplayThe Light on the Star
 by Robert S. Dotson | Availability |
Description | |
Six months before he is murdered, President John F. Kennedy looks into the eyes of the graduating cadets of the Class of 1963 at the U. S. Air Force Academy. He speaks of the singular burden America shoulders in protecting freedom around the globe. He says, “This is the role which history and our own determination has placed upon a country which lived most of its history in isolation and neutrality, and yet in the last 18 years has carried the burden for free people everywhere. I think that this is a burden which we accept willingly, recognizing that if this country does not accept it, no people will, recognizing that in the most difficult time in the whole life of freedom, the United States is called upon to play its greatest role.” The graduates rise, vigorously applauding their young warrior-president, answering his call to serve their country, having no inkling of the turbulent decade about to break over them. The Light on the Star is about a time of upheaval in America, as a war in Asia fans the flames of incendiary turmoil at home. Through it all, idealistic young men from the Class of ‘63 struggle with duty, honor and bonds forged with classmates as their once-proud, once-victorious Air Force staggers to defeat, trying to fight a new kind of air war. Unlike earlier air battles in World War II where civilian casualties mattered little, they become central in political debates as Americans grapple with the realities of a war televised nightly. The Light on the Star is also about the end of one era in the American way of aerial warfare and the emerging of another dimly. The consequences reverberate through the lives of fighter pilots caught in the crosshairs, battered by forces they can’t comprehend. Their long, tumultuous journey through the sixties is an inspiring story of service to country under adversity, marked by the breadth of emotions of the cockpit - ranging from the pure thrill of flying jet airplanes to the stark terror of things going desperately wrong under fire. Steve Dotson's novel, The Light on the Star, is well-written, gritty and intelligent. Combining drama with history, it captures the turmoil of the sixties at a gut level. Its authentic flying scenes, especially its vivid combat missions, make the joys and fears of the cockpit real. It's a great read. | |
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