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From the Publisher
“Mike Franzak has written a brilliant and moving account of the war in Afghanistan from a unique perspective. As a Marine Harrier pilot, he offers an unvarnished and honest view of combat in this strange land. A Nightmare’s Prayer is a must read for all those who seek an exceptional insight into a complex war.”—General Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Retired)
“Every combat aviator will instantly recognize Franzak’s work as compellingly
authentic and honest. This is a book for grown-ups; an effort that treats the
personal as well as the professional aspects of wartime flying. A
Nightmare’s Prayer is the best autobiographical account of combat flying yet
to come out of the War on Terror.”
—Lieutenant Colonel Jay A. Stout (retired), author of Hammer from Above: Marine Air Combat Over Iraq
“Mike Franzak’s account of the Flying Nightmares’ twelve month deployment to Afghanistan provides a rare look at an attack squadron at war. His vivid descriptions of the challenges of flying and fighting in that austere and dangerous environment will reinforce the faith of ground Marines in the dedication and skill of their flying counterparts. A Nightmare’s Prayer provides an inside view of a largely overlooked element of the fight in Afghanistan.”
—T. X. Hammes, author of The Sling and the Stone
“Franzak’s vivid writing puts you inside his jet, and also inside his head. This is a gripping account of a Marine pilot’s fight to help win a war—and to make peace with himself.”
—Nathaniel Fick, author of the New York Times bestseller One Bullet Away
"A compelling and powerful combat memoir of a Marine Harrier pilot's deployment in Afghanistan—the war we never hear about."
—Steve Pressfield, author of The Afghan Campaign
"Mike Franzak has written an important literary memoir about the close-air support in Afghanistan from the perspectives of a night attack, single-seat Harrier jump jet pilot and senior officer. Zak's cockpit was dangerous, dark, and lonely. The crying pleas of distressed soldiers on the ground required quick and precise bombing decisions that meant life or death. Read A Nightmare's Prayer, the best personal narrative about Marine Corps aviation since Gregory Boyington's bestselling Baa Baa Black Sheep."
—Quang Pham, author of A Sense of Duty: Our Journey from Vietnam to America
Overview
Winner of the 2012 Colby Award and the first Afghanistan memoir ever to be written by a Marine Harrier pilot, A Nightmare’s Prayer portrays the realities of war in the twenty-first century, taking a unique and powerful perspective on combat in Afghanistan as told by a former enlisted man turned officer. Lt. Col. Michael “Zak” Franzak was an AV-8B Marine Corps Harrier pilot who served as executive officer of VMA-513, “The Flying Nightmares,” while deployed in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003. The squadron was the ...