{"product_id":"the-tonkin-gulf-yacht-club-naval-aviation-in-the-vietnam-war-9781472845955","title":"The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the tongue-in-cheek nickname of the US Seventh Fleet that was stationed off the coast of Vietnam and this book tells the full story of the US Naval air campaign in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn August 2, 1964, the USS \u003ci\u003eMaddox\u003c\/i\u003e became embroiled in the infamous Gulf of Tonkin incident that led directly to America's increased involvement in the Vietnam War. Supporting the \u003ci\u003eMaddox\u003c\/i\u003e that day were four F-8E Crusaders from the USS \u003ci\u003eTiconderoga\u003c\/i\u003e, and this was the very start of the US Navy's commitment to the air war over Vietnam. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club\u003c\/i\u003e is titled after the nickname for the US Navy's Seventh Fleet which was stationed off the coast of Vietnam, and it tells the full story of the US Navy's war in the air. It details all the operations from the USS \u003ci\u003eMaddox\u003c\/i\u003e onwards through to the eventual withdrawal of the fleet following the collapse of South Vietnam in 1975. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Seventh Fleet's Task Force 77, which at points during the war had as many as six carriers on station at any one time with 70-100 aircraft on each, provided vital air support for combat troops on the ground, while at the same time taking part in the major operations against North Vietnam itself such as \u003ci\u003eRolling Thunder\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLinebacker I\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eII\u003c\/i\u003e. All of these operations took place in a hostile environment of flak, missiles and MiGs. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe story is told through the dramatic first-hand accounts of those that took part in the fighting, with many of the interviews carried out by the author himself. The Vietnamese perspective is also given, with the author having had access to the official Vietnamese account of the war in the air. The author also has a personal interest in the story, as at the age of 20 he served with the US Seventh Fleet off the coast of Vietnam and was personally involved in the dramatic history of \u003ci\u003eThe Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Osprey Publishing (UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/12\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781472845955\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 400","brand":"Thomas McKelvey Cleaver","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40994709668021,"sku":"9781472845955","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_2fffa196-3a31-4dfd-97e1-505f6a0b5550.jpg?v=1631627603","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-tonkin-gulf-yacht-club-naval-aviation-in-the-vietnam-war-9781472845955","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}