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  • Topgun Days

  • Dogfighting, Cheating Death, and Hollywood Glory as One of America's Best Fighter Jocks
  • Written by: Dave "Bio" Baranek
  • Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
  • Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (9 ratings)

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Topgun Days

Written by: Dave "Bio" Baranek
Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
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Publisher's Summary

Dave Baranek (callsign "Bio") was one of 451 young men to receive his Wings of Gold in 1980 as a naval flight officer. Four years later, seasoned by intense training and deployments in the tense confrontations of the Cold War, he became the only one of that initial group to rise to become an instructor at the navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. As a Topgun instructor, Bio was responsible for teaching the navy's and Marine Corps' best fighter pilots how to be even better. He schooled them in the classroom and then went head-to-head with them in the skies.

Then, in August 1985, Bio was assigned to combine his day-to-day flight duties with participation in a Pentagon-blessed project to film action footage for a major Hollywood movie focusing on the lives, loves, heartbreaks, and triumphs of young fighter pilots: Top Gun. Bio soon found himself riding in limousines to attend gala premieres, and being singled out by giggling teenagers and awed schoolboys who recognized the name "Topgun" on his T-shirts. The audiobook ends with his reflections on his career as a skilled naval aviator and his enduring love of flight.

©2010 David Baranek (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

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What listeners say about Topgun Days

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic story

A well written book that conveys a fantastic story. The monotone narration does not do it justice.

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Enjoyable book on life in TOPGUN

I enjoyed this book on life as a naval flight officer. Easy listen. Entertaining stories.

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  • Randy
  • 2013-02-19

Top Gun or Topgun

I admit it, I’ve watch Top Gun the movie over and over. I love it. So when I had to a chance to read how it was put together I jumped at it. I had no reviews to help me (I really depend on reviews) so I felt a need to write a this review.

Bio (his call sign and it is in the credits I checked) our author tells us about how he learned to be a REO. A reo is the weapons officer in the back seat. Bio tells us about having to eject on a failed landing attempt. Bio relates how they study and study and study to fly those jets with such safety and menace.

Top Gun the school according to Bio didn’t have a trophy given to the winner of the class. Tony Scott took some liberties with that one.

I think the preparation for the flights, the preparation for the teaching of the classes our author lets us know that being in a fighter jet is for in shape young men and women that are well trained and dedicated.

When I listen to a book some go by real fast, and that usually means to me it was riveting. This book flew supersonic by me and of course, I did stream the movie this weekend to check the credits and see exactly what Bio was talking about.

If you liked the movie this book is for you.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2021-07-18

Very interesting and enjoyable

Very interesting story and generally well told. occasionally repeating information and the way times are narrated wind me up.

1 person found this helpful

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  • zebra20
  • 2019-04-05

Its alright.

an average book, nothing exciting here that you probable didn't know already and if you didn't know it's not that all interesting

1 person found this helpful

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  • Christine Hicks
  • 2023-02-21

Can’t believe it’s free

Good story about a new Naval Aviator’s journey through training to a squadron to Topgun at Miramar.

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  • Topgun Fan
  • 2022-12-12

Great story

Very enjoyable. It kept my interest the entire read. A great behind the scene look at TOPGUN.

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  • Mommy B.
  • 2022-12-05

Very good book

The book was very good, but I thought that the narrator could start rambling at times.

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  • Lars Hagen
  • 2022-10-18

Top Gun

As a Top Gun trained pilot, I got engulfed in this audiobook presentaion of NAS Miramar and the folks who changed modern air combat warfare. The backstage info of the making of the first Top Gun movie was really cool! You can allways tell a fighter pilot, but not very much….even back seat drivers, who can save your life when the heat is on . Speed is life, Check your Six, lean back and listen!

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  • JPatrick_725
  • 2022-10-08

Inspiring

Great story and honor to peek into the lives of America's best. My grandson (six yrs.old) saw the movie and loves jets now . He already knows a lot of names and specs. This has caused me to buy more books,models, and videos for him. This has also been a bonding experience for us. Hopefully your story will create a new wave of "Topguns" and the world's best. Thank you for your service ! SALUTE !

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • KJ
  • 2022-08-17

great view into the real Topgun

Hollywood always changes things for the big screen, which is why this book was so fascinating. Hearing the real life stories of Topgun training and what it takes made the chapters breeze by. The narrator was pleasant to listen to as well.

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  • Michela
  • 2022-06-16

Great Book- Easy listening

Not so technical and detailed with a lot of characters to keep track of like some books are! The kind of style I enjoy when I can’t put my mind too deep into something! A little more humour in the book and inflection in the narrator’s voice would be nice - but he did a great job. Writer did not come across as arrogant! Easy to understand and pleasant to listen to…