CHICKENHAWK
by Robert Mason (Recorded Books, $44.95) Read by L.J. Ganser, 14 1/2 hours, unabridged
When the order came to hand in his underwear so it could be dyed olive green, Robert Mason knew where he was headed. In Vietnam, the newly trained helicopter pilot flew more than 1,000 air combat missions. Though most of what we know about that era comes from films and books about the ground war, Mason’s riveting, graphic detail puts us in the airborne Huey with him. It’s technical and brutal, but one of the best.