John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest U.S. fighter pilot ever-the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than forty seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country’s most legendary fighter aircraft-the F-15 and F-16. Still others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story.Boyd, more than any other person, saved fighter aviation from the predations of the Strategic Air Command. His manual of fighter tactics changed the way every air force in the world flies and fights. He discovered a physical theory that forever altered the way fighter planes were designed. Later in life, he developed a theory of military strategy that has been adopted throughout the world and even applied to business models for maximizing efficiency. On a personal level, Boyd rarely met a general he couldn’t offend. He was loud, abrasive, and profane. A man of daring, ferocious passion and intractable stubbornness, he was that most American of heroes-a rebel who cared not for his reputation or fortune but for his country.

From the earliest days of his thirty-four-year military career, Victor “Brute” Krulak displayed a remarkable facility for applying creative ways of fighting to the Marine Corps. He went on daring spy missions, was badly wounded, pioneered the use of amphibious vehicles, and masterminded the invasion of Okinawa. In Korea, he was a combat hero and invented the use of helicopters in warfare. In Vietnam, he developed a holistic strategy in stark contrast to the Army’s “Search and Destroy” methods-but when he stood up to LBJ to protest, he was punished. And yet it can be argued that all of these accomplishments pale in comparison to what he did after World War II and again after Korea: Krulak almost single-handedly stopped the U.S. government from abolishing the Marine Corps.

Robert Lee Scott was larger than life. A decorated Eagle Scout who barely graduated from high school, the young man from Macon, Georgia, with an oversize personality used dogged determination to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a famed fighter pilot.
First capturing national attention during World War II, Scott, a West Point graduate, flew missions in China alongside the legendary “Flying Tigers,” where his reckless courage and victories against the enemy made headlines. Upon returning home, Scott’s memoir, God Is My Co-Pilot, became an instant bestseller and a successful film. Later in life, Scott traveled the entire length of China’s Great Wall and helped found Georgia’s Museum of Aviation.
Yet Scott’s life was not without difficulty. His single-minded pursuit of greatness was offset by bouts of depression, and his brashness placed him at odds with superior officers. What wealth he gained he squandered, and his numerous public affairs destroyed his relationships with his wife and child.
Backed by meticulous research, Double Ace brings Scott’s uniquely American character to life and captures his fascinating exploits as a national hero alongside his frustrating foibles.