Customer Reviews:
 Joint Force harrier Review October 4, 2008
0 out of 12 found this review helpful
Such an immature book, almost like boys own, one of the worst military history books I have read. I am sure that it will not be missed.
 As good as it gets in a Harrier. September 10, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
First of all I would like to thank Peter Thompson for his review which prompted me to purchase and read this account by Commander Ade Orchard on the part played by the Gr7 crews in the Afghan theatre of war.
It has been well written and is a documented account of the time spent by the Royal Navy on a land based, ground attack tour of duty.
This is a very educated read and comes without all the humerous anecdotes of life in the mess rooms and bunk houses. No accounts of wives, children or what they are missing back home.
This is what the reader wants to hear...scrambles to get airborne, pressure on crews to direct attacks at the right targets, life in the cockpit of a Harrier jump jet and what happens when the going gets tough and things go wrong....this hero stayed cool, calm and collected under immense pressures and it is an honour to have read his book.
Much like the pilots during WW2 they remain a cut above the rest and have a quality that few of us share.
A damm good read...this will become essential reading for many many years to come.
An excellent read, un-put-downable! September 4, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
An excellent book that will appeal to military historians and those just looking for a good, genuine read. The pace and detail is just right, a real human story.
Joint Force Harrier September 1, 2008
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
Joint Force Harrier is the personal story of Commander Ade Orchard the first Officer Commanding 800 Naval Air Squadron following its transition from the Sea Harrier FA2 to the Harrier GR7. Commander Orchard details the Squadrons highs and lows from standing up on 3rd April 2006, through a work up on HMS Illustrious, to deployment to the Afghan airbase of Khandahar, and goes on in depth to outline the trials, tribulations, and fears of a commanding officer, and his personnel on a front line ground attack squadron, in an all to real shooting war.
The book is a gripping read throughout; putting it down almost became a chore. Commander Orchard details in an easily digestible manner the preparations for, and the detail in which, every sortie is planned and executed, and the level of professionalism that is inherent in ensuring that the right target is accurately identified even in the heat of the battle, both by those in the air and those on the ground.
If you enjoy reading about military history, military aviation, just like the Harrier, or simply want to try to understand what the pressures and conditions in Afghanistan are like for the men and women that serve there, then in my opinion you really should add this fine book to your bookshelves, and I can assure that you will read it again and again.
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