Listen free for 30 days

  • Chickenhawk

  • Written by: Robert Mason
  • Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
  • Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (96 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Chickenhawk cover art

Chickenhawk

Written by: Robert Mason
Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $37.53

Buy Now for $37.53

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

With more than half a million copies sold, Robert Mason's Chickenhawk is one of the best-selling books ever written about the Vietnam War. Critically acclaimed for its unflinching detail, the book has been hailed by The New York Times as "a hypnotic narrative" and by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as "very simply the best book so far out of Vietnam."

Fascinated with flying from a young age, Mason earned his private pilot's license even before graduating high school. He enlisted in the army in 1964 and endured an extremely challenging "weeding out" process in an effort to fly helicopters. Sent to Vietnam, he survived more than 1,000 air combat missions despite the violence and brutality exploding all around him. This completely honest account of one soldier's traumatic experiences provides a perspective often neglected in print and film - that of the helicopter pilot. Through L. J. Ganser's powerful narration, the shattering story of men who lived and flew in constant peril is vividly retold.

©1983 Robert C. Mason (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners love about Chickenhawk

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    70
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    82
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Chickenhawk

Robert Mason does an excellent job of telling the story; from flight school to war university. As a helicopter pilot myself, his description of his first flight was exactly what I experienced. I didn’t go to war and I can’t imagine what that was like, but the story brought it all out. Great book, and ‘thank you for your service’’.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Helicopter NAM

All the hype is worth it good book that shows the dangers of a Vietnam Huey Pilot . #Audible1

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely worth getting

This book had me from the beginning. I’ve now gone through it 2 times and it’s going to become my yearly book now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal

Incredible book about aviation, courage, and perseverance. I never knew about off course navigation before this book. I'm going to make it into a metaphor and use it in my own life. We can all come back from hell, though not all of us do.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It’s as true as he remembers it, both for good and bad.

This feels to be a true memoir of a pilot’s time in Vietnam being a helicopter pilot. There are moments that are uncomfortable because the author was at the time slightly racist, the outlook equally true to the time as far as other attitudes as well. It’s honest to the point of casting the author in a slightly negative light as to some of his choices. (Apparently a later book that dove into some of his poor choices afterwards wasn’t as popular and is out of print)
I will never listen to this again, but I can’t say it isn’t worth exploring if you want to have an honest slice of someone’s memory of the war.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely enthralling

A direct, honest book about the Vietnam War that puts you in the pilot's seat. Don't miss the author's notes at the end. I'm really glad to have listened to this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I was in that cockpit

I would have listened to this in one go but I had to go to work.
Brilliant descriptions on learning to fly and the sheer difficulty of keeping a chopper in the sky, never mind doing all the crazy s**t they managed to do whilst in combat.
You really get the feeling of Mason going in green and coming out the other end as a seasoned, battle-hardened pilot.
Impressive stuff.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping

Read this as a teenager 30 years ago. The Audible version, with Mason's added Afterword was a wonderful revisit. His description of harrowing experiences is remarkable and his sharing of the human condition with his comrades is relatable for anyone who has experienced traumatic events/first response to critical events.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing book

When I was younger I was obsessed with Vietnam and read almost a hundred books on the fighting there. Chickenhawk was my second favourite book (Dispatches by Micheal Herr was #1) and I read it at least a dozen times. Listening to it now, decades later, it is still an amazingly powerful book.

Robert Mason writes his story without trying to make himself a hero or warrior - the title Chickenhawk says it all... they were chicken until the action starts, then they became hawks.

It's Robert's honesty about what he saw/experienced and how he felt about it that makes this book so good. If you want insight into what it was like to be an average Joe flying choppers in the 'Nam, this is the (audio)book for you.

He wrote a sequel called "Chickenhawk: Back In The World" about his battle with PTSD, writing Chickenhawk, drug smuggling, marital problems and reintegrating into society. It is honest and shocking. I recommend it (if you can find it).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for richard olson
  • richard olson
  • 2015-08-21

Best

Any additional comments?

Rarely review. More then 600 titles downloaded and this, by far, has been the best story I've listened. Waited years for this to come to audible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

41 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for James J. Higgs
  • James J. Higgs
  • 2015-08-26

AWESOME!!!! A++

Any additional comments?

I read this book in hardback many years ago.
If you've ever been in the military, especially if you've ever been in military aviation, you will love this book.
Not real sure what happened with this guy after he got out, but this book is awesome.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Joshua James
  • Joshua James
  • 2015-09-08

Incredibly Impressive

Hard to describe how good this book is. For flight enthusiasts and those interested in the Vietnam War.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Ricke
  • Ricke
  • 2015-11-28

Needlessly Explicit

What was most disappointing about Robert Mason’s story?

Instead of simply telling the reader that it happened, Mason's book goes into detail about various sexual experiences while attempting to inoculate himself against the horror and stress of war. It would have sufficed to simply say those experienced happened - and why they happened - I don't need to be brought into the bedroom with the author and multiple Vietnamese prostitutes to understand that part of his struggle. As a helicopter pilot currently on active duty myself, I thought (and was told) that I would like this book. However, I found it overall audibly caustic intermixed with some good insight into what he dealt with as a person and a war-fighting pilot. I'm convinced I can get the latter from other books without dealing with the incessant profanity and description of sexual acts.Very, very disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for chris
  • chris
  • 2015-10-03

Great book and naration.

great story, no fluff, just a lot of real and sometimes tough situations.

narrator really nailed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for K. Wilson
  • K. Wilson
  • 2015-10-26

Lovely book.

It takes a little work if not a military buff (or pilot) but well worth the effort. Author lived a.n amazing life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Matt Turner
  • Matt Turner
  • 2016-01-03

A Superb, Painfully Honest Vietnam Memoir

I went on a streak of Vietnam books for the last few weeks, and this has been my favorite. The author captures the terror, humor, and the mundane in an anti-surreal way. Rather than being carried off to another world by this book, I left it more firmly understanding that I live in the same world as the Vietnam War's. Moreover, the book is a slick and interesting read. I highly recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Nicholas Grey
  • Nicholas Grey
  • 2015-12-13

Necessary, important and fun

There are too few books like Chickenhawk. Having read the paperback I thought this narrated version would leave me cold. Nothing could be further from the truth. Fantastic voice over to a fabulous book. Thank you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for David Brennan
  • David Brennan
  • 2015-10-14

a listen thay can't be missed.

absolutely loved the book, really puts you in the boots of a slick pilot. will probably listen again in a few months

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Mike P.
  • Mike P.
  • 2022-04-19

Disappointing

I had two complaints. First, the audio is shoddy with repeated skipping and static. I download at low speeds for best audio and no issues with other titles. It didn’t impact my ability to understand the story, but it was frustrating.

While I was expecting details of serving in the air cav, there are many highly detailed descriptions of helicopter parts/mechanics along with detailed descriptions of how a pilot uses the pedals, the cyclic, and the collective in unison to fly. Such detailed accounts that repeat with various changes of scenery become tedious. The story wasn’t bad, but listing to “how to fly a helicopter” in various conditions scattered throughout the book instead of details of more missions or detailed accounts of various pilots/crew chiefs/military personnel was disappointing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful