The Hunters

A Novel

By: James Salter

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

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.

The Hunters

Just a beautifully written book and a great introduction to James Salter. I would highly recommend.

Predictable but good

You could tell how this story was going to proceed but was still interesting. Learned about air war with North Korea

Superb for any reader

Fighter pilots will find this book extraordinary in its capture of real flying and combat
Non Aviator’s will enjoy the straightforward eloquence that captures a life few can understand.

Incredible

So much detail into the thoughts of pilots and the torment they go through. Today's generations wouldn't live through the ordeal like those did 75 years ago.

Fell a little short for me

I was hoping for great accounts of the air battles of the Korean War. Instead it was mostly a depressing story of personal battles.

Free yourself from identity politics and rush through the cirrus layer.

A book about fighter pilots in the Korean War and their interpersonal dynamics. An old dog is falling from grace and his youthful nemesis drives him nuts. In the final chapters the old dog relinquishes and unburdens himself through an unexpected gesture of supreme selflessness. Has the slightly overblown bravado of a movie script but the prose is as smooth as mercury and the protagonist’s personality is carefully constructed and thus magnetic. Written by a guy who actually flew and fought in the Korean War so the descriptions of life in the airfield and in the air and compelling, like a soft ethnography. Easy to listen to, authentic voice and exciting. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

One of the Best Novels I've Read

I read a short story by Salter, and his prose intrigued me. So I bought this novel. The Hunters is probably the best war novel I've read and one of the best works of fiction I've read. Every sentence is elegant and readable but it is the story that draws you in and captivates you. Salter is brilliant.

Breathtaking

Puts you in the mind and cockpits of flying men through beautiful language, finely drawn narrative and characterisation

This book is mis-categorized as a flying book

Very disappointed. Flying may be 15% of the book, the rest is chatting about girl friends, home, growing up, describing wispy clouds and what they remind one of. The story is a solid 2 and the writing for a war story is a solid 2