The Hunters cover art

The Hunters

A Novel

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About this listen

Captain Cleve Connell has already made a name for himself among pilots when he arrives in Korea during the war there to fly the newly operational F-86 fighters against the Soviet MIGs. His goal, like that of every fighter pilot, is to chalk up enough kills to become an ace. But things do not turn out as expected.

Mission after mission proves fruitless, and Connell finds his ability and his stomach for combat questioned by his fellow airmen: the brash wing commander, Imil; Captain Robey, an ace whose record is suspect; and finally, Lieutenant Pell, a cocky young pilot with an uncanny amount of skill and luck.

Disappointment and fear gradually erode Connell's faith in himself, and his dream of making ace seems to slip out of reach. Then suddenly, one dramatic mission above the Yalu River reveals the depth of his courage and honor.

Originally published in 1956, The Hunters was James Salter's first novel. Based on his own experiences as a fighter pilot in the Korean War, it is a classic of wartime fiction. Now revised by the author and in audiobook form on the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Air Force, the story of Cleve Connell's war flies straight into the heart of men's rivalries and fears.

©1956, 1997 James Salter (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military Air Force War Imperial Japan Aviation
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Frustrated masculinity rendered in stream after stream of fantastic metaphor. Expertly read by Joe Barrett, Salter's story of military success and failure, simmering male rivalry is more episodic than knuckle-whitening plot intensity. That said Salter's lyrical descriptions of the lightning fast air skirmishes and dogfights, as well as the poignant final lines, live long in the memory. Fantastic!

Style versus Content?

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Tight, tense and beautifully written. Salter’s best work in my opinion. Excellent narration to complete the package.

Great story written with real class

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