Recreational Reading

In addition to the writing associated with their technical work, a number of AFIT graduates and staff members have also become published authors of books of more general interst.  Watch for these in bookstores or your library. If you see or hear of other works by AFIT authors, please pass them on to the AFIT AOG Librarian for addition to this page.

Angels Zero. Robert V. Brulle, Lt Col USAF (Ret), Smithsonian Press, Washington, 2000, ISBN I-56098-374-4 

    Angels Zero, P-47 Close Air Support in Europe, will be released by the Smithsonian Institution press in September, 2000. This new book is written by Robert V. Brulle, a 1952 graduate of the resident graduate program in Aeronautical Engineering (GAE52), and a former member of the faculty of the School of Engineering (1954-1957).

    Angels Zero is based on Col Brulle's personal experiences from seventy ground support missions, research in U.S. and German records, and interviews with participants from both sides.

Nine Thousand Miles to Adventure, by John P. Santacroce, (November, 1998) Four Oaks Publishing; ISBN: 0966876008
    Recollections of growing up in the Phillipines. John earned a Master's degree in the resident program in astronautics. He was a member of the class GA92.

Silent Lightning, Joe L. Gribble, Mass Market paperback (November 1998), Onyx books, ISBN 045 1194055
    An AF Reserve officer is recalled to active duty to bring the test aircraft for the high-power laser program out of the AF museum in order to resolve a mid-east conflict. Gribble earned a MS in physics in the resident program (GEP84D).

Red Lightning – Black Thunder. Colonel Jimmie H. Butler, Col USAF (Ret), Signet (Penguin Books), New York, 1992, ISBN 0 451-17328-7
    A tale, of the Tom Clancy genre, in which a new Russian regime launches a secret system of space weapons – "Red Lightning," but is foiled by a resourceful AF officer.

    Col Butler served a 24 year career in the USAF. He compiled 5000 hours in SE Asia combat and airlift missions and served as chief of stsaff of the Air Force Space Divison. He earned a Master's degree through the resident program in astronautics (GA69). Col Butler's daughter, Camala, is also a pilot.

The Iskra Incident, Col Jimmie H. Butler. Mass Market Paperback (November 1991) Signet Book; ISBN: 0451170830 ;
    This was Colonel Butler's first book, and it earned for him the Aviation/Space Writers Association Award of excellence for aviation fiction.

The Gates of Wonder : Poetry of Places by Sanders Laubenthal
    Laubenthal served on the AFIT staff in the late 1970's, and is remembered for writing the definitive AFIT history, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow which was published in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of AFIT (1979).