This book presents: a unique perspective of the air war during Operation Iraqi Freedom; first-hand accounts of the pilots who flew these missions; and it is written by an ex-Marine pilot. If you’ve ever wondered what it is like to fly in combat, read this book. - Thomas E. Ricks, author of Making the Corps and A Soldier’s Duty . During the first two weeks of Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003, the US Army made rapid progress towards Baghdad, Basrah and the Rumalyah oilfields. During this swift advance, the Marines received vital air support in the form of attack helicopters, jet fighters, transport and various other support aircraft. Hammer From Above tells the story of the men and women who provided this support. On one mission, the crew of a communications helicopter found themselves fighting off hundreds of regular Iraqi and Fedayeen troops. Out of fuel and ammunition, they barely made it back in one piece. No other book on the Iraq War has examined the conflict from the perspective of the air war. With first-hand accounts of the pilots who flew on these missions, the reader gets a clear picture of what it was like to fly eighteen-hour combat missions under heavy enemy fire. From the build up to war to the vicious fighting in An Nasiriyah, the author, who was himself a Marine aviator, has been able to gather the extraordinary stories of the pilots who fought in this conflict.