Barrett Tillman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barrett Tillman (b. 1948) is an American author who, as of 2005, published 35 books and some 500 articles. He specializes in naval and aviation topics focusing on history, biography, and autobiography in addition to fiction and technical writing. He has also sold an as yet unproduced screenplay.
Born a fourth-generation Oregonian, Tillman was raised on the family wheat and cattle ranch. His younger brothers include a breeder of exotic animals and a Rhodes Scholar. Like his father, a Navy trained pilot in World War II, Tillman developed an early passion for aviation and learned to fly at age 16. Over the next several years he flew a variety of vintage and historic aircraft, including a pre-WW II Navy trainer and a restored dive-bomber. The latter became the subject of his first book, The Dauntless Dive Bomber of WW II, published in 1976. It established the format for many subsequent books, operational histories of U.S. Navy aircraft.
Tillman was first published in 1964 at age 15 and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He worked as a freelance writer until 1982 when he founded Champlin Fighter Museum Press in Mesa, Arizona, publishing out-of-print and new titles on military aviation.
Contents |
[edit] First Novel
In 1986 Tillman moved to San Diego to become managing editor of The Hook, quarterly journal of the Tailhook Association. He remained in that position for three years before deciding to devote full time to fiction. His first novel was published in June 1990. Warriors depicted a Mideast air war and became an immediate best seller when Iraq invaded Kuwait two months later. Tom Clancy called it “The most intelligent thriller I’ve seen this year.”
Tillman’s next two novels appeared in 1992: The Sixth Battle, (written with his brother) which captured a wide following among computer war gamers; and Dauntless, intended as the first in a trilogy. It was followed by Hellcats, nominated as military novel of the year in 1996, but the final Korean War installment remains unfinished. He has also published original fiction in the Stephen Coonts anthologies, Combat and Victory.
[edit] On Yankee Station
Probably Tillman’s most influential book to date was On Yankee Station (1987), written with the late John B. Nichols. A critical appraisal of naval aviation in the Vietnam War, it was added to the US Air Force and Marine Corps professional reading lists and became a “reality check” for various Navy and Marine squadrons.
Though best known as a writer and speaker on naval matters, Tillman has ventured farther afield with a D-Day encyclopedia, a history of the Air Force, and an upcoming biography of Curtis LeMay.
Tillman has received five writing awards including the second Admiral Radford Award for Naval History and Literature and is an honorary member of three Navy squadrons. He has been honored by the Air Force Historical Foundation, the American Aviation Historical Society, and remains the youngest recipient of the Tailhook Association’s lifetime achievement award. Additionally, Tillman remains active as a magazine writer. He is a regular contributor to The Hook, Flight Journal, and several firearms publications. He has also reported from Africa for Soldier of Fortune magazine.
Tillman’s other interests have been varied. In high school he was an Eagle Scout; won two state titles as a rudimental drummer; and was a champion speaker and debater. A dedicated marksman, he led the 1997 national championship posse of the Single-Action Shooting Society. He is a registered Independent.
Tillman lives in Arizona with his wife, Sally.
[edit] PUBLICATION: NONFICTION BOOKS
- The Dauntless Dive-Bomber of WW II 1976. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis.
- Hellcat: the F6F in WW II 1979 Naval Institute Press, Annapolis.
- Corsair: the F4U in WW II and Korea (1979) Naval Institute Press, Annapolis.
- TBF-TBM Avenger at War (1979) Ian Allan Ltd., UK. Re-released by USNI, 1991.
- MiG Master: Story of the F-8 Crusader 1980 Nautical & Aviation, Annapolis. Second edition by USNI, 1990.
- Wildcat: the F4F in WW II 1983 Nautical & Aviation, Baltimore. Second edition by USNI, 1990.
- On Yankee Station: the Naval Air War Over Vietnam 1987 Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. (With CDR John B. Nichols)
- Sun Downers: VF-11 in WW II 1993 Phalanx Publishing, St. Paul, MN
- Carrier Battle in the Philippine Sea 1994 Phalanx Publishing, St. Paul, MN
- Pushing the Envelope: The Career of Test Pilot Marion Carl With MGEN Marion E. Carl, USMC (Ret) Naval Institute Press (1994)
- Wildcat Aces of WW 2 1995 Osprey Books Ltd., UK
- Wildcats to Tomcats: The Tailhook Navy (1995) With CAPTs W.M. Schirra, R.L. Cormier & P.R. Wood, USN (Ret.) Phalanx Publishing, St. Paul, MN
- Carrier Air War: WW II in Original Color 1996 With Robert L. Lawson Motorbooks, Osceola, Wisconsin Reissued as World War II U.S. Navy Air Combat 2002 Lowe & B. Hold, Ann Arbor, MI
- Hellcat Aces of WW 2 (1996) Osprey Books Ltd., UK
- Warbird Tech: Vought F4U Corsair 1997 Specialty Press, North Ridge, MN
- U.S. Navy Fighter Squadrons and Aces of WW II (1997) Phalanx Publishing, St. Paul, MN
- SB2C Squadrons of WW 2 (1997) Osprey Books Ltd., UK
- U.S. Navy Fighters of WW II 1998 Motorbooks, Osceola, WI (with R.L. Lawson)
- SBD Squadrons of WW 2 (1998) Osprey Books Ltd., UK
- TBD Squadrons of WW 2 2000 Osprey Books Ltd., UK
- The Complete Guide to AR-15 Accuracy (2000) Precision Shooting, Manchester, CT (with Derrick Martin)
- U.S. Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers 2001 Motorbooks, Osceola, WI (with R.L. Lawson)
- Above & Beyond: The Aviation Medals of Honor (2002) Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
- The Alpha Bravo Delta Guide to the U.S. Air Force 2003 Alpha Books, New York.
- Brassey's D-Day Encyclopedia 2004 Brassey's, Inc., Washington, D.C.
- Clash of the Carriers: The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II 2005
Berkley-Caliber, New York.
- Heroes: Army Recipients of the Medal of Honor 2006 Berkley-Caliber, New York.
[edit] CHAPTERS IN NONFICTION VOLUMES
- History of U.S. Naval Air Power (1985) Aerospace Publishers, UK. (R.L. Lawson, ed.)
- Samurai! (1991) Saburo Sakai; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis.
- War in the Air (1996) Pocket Books, New York (Steve Coonts, ed.)
- Great American Naval Battles (1998) Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. (Jack Sweetmen, ed.)
- U.S. Naval Aviation (2001) Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Pensacola. (Hill Goodspeed, ed.)
- Fighter Wing (Tom Clancy series, revised chapter) (2004) Berkley Nonfiction, New York.
- Today's Best Military Writing (2004) Forge Books, New York. (Walter Boyne, ed.)
[edit] Introductions to:
- Another Country by Jeff Cooper (2005)
- Fire Works by Jeff Cooper (2005)
- To Ride, Shoot Straight & Speak the Truth by Jeff Cooper (2005)
[edit] FICTION
- Warriors Bantam trade/mass market, New York. 1990
- The Sixth Battle Bantam mass market, New York. 1992 (With John L. Tillman)
- Dauntless Bantam hardcover, New York. 1992
- Hellcats: A Novel of the Pacific War Brassey's hardcover, McLean, Va. 1996
- Combat "Skyhawks Forever." Fiction anthology Forge Books, New York (Steve Coonts, ed., et al) 2001
- A Date Which Will Live in Infamy "I Relieve You, Sir." Fiction anthology Cumberland House, New York. (Brian Thomsen and Martin Greenberg, eds., et al) 2001
- Victory "Flame On Tarawa." Fiction anthology Forge Books, New York. (Steve Coonts, ed., et al) 2003
- Pandora’s Legion with Harold Coyle. Tor/Forge, New York. 2006
[edit] PUBLICATION: PERIODICALS
Over 500 articles in 50+ publications in North America, Europe and Asia, including:
- Aerospace Historian,
- Airpower,
- Air Progress,
- American Handgunner,
- America's Skyways,
- Arizona Highways,
- Asia-Pacific Review (Malaysia),
- Guns, Guns & Ammo,
- The Hook,
- USAF Fighter Weapons Review,
- Flight Journal,
- Icare(France),
- Interavia (Switzerland),
- International Defense Review (UK),
- Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society,
- National Aeronautics,
- Naval Aviation News,
- Naval Institute Proceedings,
- Naval War College Review,
- Precision Shooting,
- Revi (Czech Republic),
- Soldier of Fortune,
- Southwest Art,
- Tactical Shooter,
- Wings,
- Wings of Gold.
