CHARIOTS IN THE SKY
Join Captain Taylor St. James, along with his friends and comrades, as they fly harrowing combat missions, cover for each other, deal with bad weather, mechanical problems and human error during the later part of the Vietnam War. When not flying, they are harassed by rocket attacks and sappers in the wire. Taylor discovers the North Vietnamese are not his only enemy as he copes with the pressures put on him by a commander more interested in personal glory than his men’s well being.
This is the story of Captain Taylor St. James, a dedicated Army helicopter pilot, who is sent to Vietnam. He just wants to do his job, survive the war and return home to his wife Sandy and family. While performing his duties, Taylor will be challenged and tested beyond any measure he could have ever envisioned.
He is assigned to the Eagles, a Huey Assault Company with the 101st Airborne Division in I Corps. Taylor’s unit is stationed at Phu Bai Base where they fly missions throughout the northern region. Their flying exploits take them into many familiar places to include: A Shau Valley, Khe Sanh, Quang Tri Province, Hue, DMZ, North Vietnam and Laos.
Along the way Taylor participated in Lam Son 719, the last major American Offensive Operation of the war. This historical campaign lasted for sixty days and involved over 750 helicopters flying in and out of Laos supporting the South Vietnamese incursion into Laos. Lam Son 719 was the costliest period of helicopter warfare for the Americans. More helicopters were shot down and sustained battle damage than any other period during the Vietnam War.
REVIEWS
In Praise of Chariots In The Sky
Brotherhood Above the Battlefield...
Chariots in the Sky by Larry A. Freeland is a war novel that plunges readers right into the airborne chaos of the Vietnam War with unflinching realism and emotional clarity. We’re with Captain Taylor St. James and his Huey helicopter crew, as the novel chronicles high-risk missions into places like the deadly A Shau Valley and Lam Son 719. What emerges is way more than a war story; a tribute to courage, brotherhood, and the quiet endurance required to survive under constant threat. The novel does not shy away from the brutality of combat, but also shines in the moments between battles: the tensions within the unit, the burden of leadership, and the fragility of hope.
Author Larry A. Freeland, himself a Vietnam veteran, has a strong sense of authority and compassion that elevates this novel above standard military fiction and makes it into something where you can really put yourself in the place of those experiencing conflict. There’s something very raw and impactful about the visceral writing style, yet it never feels gratuitous or too shocking in any way. His prose captures both the technical precision of flight and the raw emotion of men facing impossible decisions. I found myself deeply invested in the crew’s fates, and the scenes in the air are some of the most gripping I have read. Freeland understands not only the tactics of war but the emotional weight it leaves behind. Overall, Chariots in the Sky is an essential, unforgettable novel about sacrifice, camaraderie, and the cost of duty in one of America’s most complex wars.
Riveting Novel Of Air Combat Action...
Larry Freeland’s “Chariots in the Sky ” is a riveting novel of air combat action during Lam Son 719, one of the last big American combat operations of the Vietnam War. He has written a great book about men who control their fears and fly into action knowing they need to be prepared to handle whatever happens.
Remarkable Story...
Based upon his experiences in Vietnam Larry Freeland provides a thrilling, compelling and heartbreaking account of a combat helicopter pilot and his crews at the height of the war. The narrative brings to life the meaning to the phrase “they give their all” with vivid examples of courageous, tenacious and selfless service day after day under the most horrendous and stressful circumstances imaginable. The book is a MUST READ and certainly on par with other noteworthy Vietnam accounts such as “We Were Soldiers Then and Young”. I found it so engaging that I read it the day after receiving it from Amazon.
Great Vietnam Story...
A gripping novel of helicopter action in Vietnam. The characters were well developed and the plot was great. The action scenes were interesting and suspenseful. I really enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author. A must read.
Outstanding Book...
My husband was in the USAF and says it is especially a great book for those who were pilots or anyone who served our country.
What a ride!
I was transported to Vietnam during the end of the war through this book. The bravery and fear of the helicopter pilots constantly facing death was palpable. I felt like I was in the helicopter with TJ and his 3 crewmates – breathing the heavy and artillery charged air, searching out the hidden enemy, anticipating the attack. The author made it possible to live those days as one of them – experiencing their daily routine – and the characters were so very real. I highly recommend reading the book!
Chariots in the Sky, felt like I was there with the characters...
Written in such a way that you could be forgiven for thinking this is non-fiction, the book handles the context of a terrible war with respect and also in a way which does not sugar coat the realities of a conflict situation. I enjoyed the writing style and really felt like I was there with the characters.
Chariots In The Sky is right up there with some of the best...
I loved the book! Anne and I do a lot of reading – Clancy, Patterson, Jeremy Waldron and a few others and I have to say Chariots In The Sky is right up there with some of the best. The book really held my attention and let me visualize all of the various scenes as they unfolded. I think you are a very talented writer and I am looking forward to your next story.
My only suggestion is that you “write faster”!
Chariots in the Sky brings the reader to the war in Vietnam...
The author of Chariots in the Sky brings to life the experiences of a combat helicopter pilot and crew in the Vietnam war. Chariots in the Sky places readers in the assault helicopter as the horrific insanity of war rages. It makes the reader appreciate the difficulties of a soldier who has been separated from his country and loved ones while he also must deal with the politics of his superiors in the chain of command. A good book to read and a war that should never be forgotten.
Chopper Jockey...
For any Viet Nam vet who depended on the choppers to take him to his objective or act as Medivac for wounded personnel in the battlefield, a great read.
Also, this book has the protagonist, ie, an officer who sacrificed his men to climb the ladder of success.
Although fiction, the author was a chopper pilot, who has been there, done that.
Enjoy.
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A Story ABOUT U.S. ASSAULT Helicopter Pilots at War IN VIETNAM
I’ve written this novel, “Chariots in the Sky” as a historical fiction story. I didn’t want it to be a story about one man’s or one aircrew’s personal experiences in Vietnam. But rather, I wanted to take the reader on a ride through the eyes and exploits of one fictional character, Captain Taylor St. James. He is the embodiment of a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. It is through his exploits and adventures that the reader will gain a better understanding of what it was like for pilots and crews during the Vietnam War. Those who served in Vietnam as pilots and crew members may certainly relate to some of Taylor’s experiences, thoughts and feelings about the Vietnam War. For those readers who may not be familiar with that period of our collective history, it is my hope that you would find this reading experience insightful, educational and rewarding.
This novel is a work of fiction. All characters and military call signs used in this book are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Many of the military units were real, however, all of the characters associated with them in this book are fictional. Although many settings are referred to by their real names and certain military operations did occur; they are used as backdrops for the fictional characters and incidents depicted in the book.
As I look back over my life, I would have to say that my five years in the U.S. Army, and particularly my year in Vietnam serving with the 101st Airborne Division as an Infantry Officer and CH-47 Chinook pilot, were the most challenging, demanding, and many times the most intense I’ve ever experienced. It was also one of the most rewarding. During this time I trained, served, and flew with many brave men, who were courageous, compassionate, dedicated and professional. I do not believe I’ve ever experienced that level of dedication and comradeship in an organization since leaving the military service in the fall of 1973. This novel is dedicated to those men who served as helicopter pilots and crew members during the Vietnam War. I believe, these are some of the finest men America has ever produced.