The Price of Vigilance: Attacks on American Surveillance Flights

Shortly after reading Curtis Peebles' "Shadow Flights," I saw "The Price of Vigilance" on the shelf at my local bookstore. Recognizing the doomed C-130A '528' on the front cover, I could not resist picking the book up. I was concerned that the introduction of the book began by discussing the recent EP-3E incident near Hainan, PR China, fearing the book was a cheap attempt at capitalizing on recent events. I am glad to say that I thought wrong. The book is an incredible compendium of incidents between U.S. reconaissance aircraft and Soviet fighters. Every incident is described and analyzed in exacting detail. Even the EP-3E-focused introduction is intensely researched and well thought out. I was impressed that Tart and Keefe were able to acquire internal Soviet documents detailing the incidents and the U.S. reaction, which provides fascinating and fresh viewpoints from which to view these provocative moments of the Cold War. As mentioned, the introduction focuses almost exclusively on the April 2001 collision involving a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II ELINT aircraft and a Chinese J-8II fighter. The first half of the book details most every hostile incident between U.S. recce crews and Soviet 'defenders,' a history of U.S. aerial SIGINT and COMINT since WWII, and a history of the USAF Security Service, which was responsible for much of the airborne electronic intelligence gathering along the Soviet border regions. The second half of the book details the shootdown of an USAF C-130A on 2 September, 1958 over Soviet Armenia, and its repercussions. The wayward C-130, tail number 60528, lost with all 17 aboard, became a symbol of the risky aerial ELINT game played in the 1950s and 1960s along the Soviet border regions. Though not as friendly to the causal reader as "Blind Man's Bluff," to which it has been likened, "The Price of Vigilance" is a fascinating look at a shadowy and deadly aspect of the Cold War that is a must-read for anyone interested in the Cold War, the history of surveillance, or someone looking for a real life spy thriller.

From the hearts of two "been there, done that" experts obsessed with presenting a masterful recital of a heretofore mysterious Cold War tragedy, comes a story chock-full of indisputable evidence of what actually happened to 17 American patriots at a critical period in Soviet-American history. Superbly interwoven from contemporary international tensions of U.S. Navy EP-3E's encounter with Communist Chinese fighter jets to four-decade-old obscurity of U.S. Air Force C-130's tragic shootdown by Soviet MiGs, this work focuses on American intelligence-gathering airborne platforms and personifies those unsung heroes who selflessly put their lives on the line to maintain American freedom. Presents a candid revelation of true-to-life events in the past with enlightening postulations of the rationale for this obscure incident, aptly amplified by the excruciating personal heartaches suffered by those innocent victims--the families--of such a senseless tragedy. Absolutely a monumental tribute to 17 "Silent Warriors" who made the ultimate sacrifice and to their loved ones who were left adrift in wonderment for half their lives. God bless each and every one of them! This book should excite now- and future-generation readers to explore and understand historical events so that they can more fully appreciate the extraordinary "Price of Vigilance" in preserving the American way of life. Regrettably too many had to wait too long for the "true story" of this dasterdly historical event. My sincere gratitude to the authors and publisher for their untiring efforts in bringing this meaningful expose' to readers everywhere.

Larry Tart and Robert Keefe have written a book which will establish itself as an historical documentary on aerial reconnaissance during the Cold War.This book should be read by every American so that they will know that while they were sleeping young airmen were keeping vigilance over them 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year. It was a dangerous business by some extremely bright and creative young men, often times too bright and creative for the military service. But they did an outstanding job and helped win the Cold War.Larry Tart and Robert Keefe were two of the men involved in this business. They know the inside scoop and the behind the scenes stuff like no one else but those who did the work.This book will undoubtedly surprise those who were not aware of these covert activities during the Cold War. Planes were shot down, men died, and some were never accounted for. Now at least the world will know their story and hopefully offer up a silent "Thank you" to these "Silent Warriors."

Mr. Tart and Mr. Keefe have combined on a very interesting, easy reading and enjoyable book. When I started on it I could not put it down until I finished it. When my wife went to bed the last thing she said was "don't stay up all night reading!" Well it was not all night but did comsume most of it. The authors have not only presented the "facts" side of the Soviet shoot down of C-130 60528 but have covered the "human" side as well. The other major confrontations and shoot downs by Russia, China and others which are covered in the book are simply bonus material. The authors have included material that I would have never thought that they could have found such as actual Soviet documents containing details, investigations and decisions that the Russians had made at the time of the incident. The authors have done a great job and I highly recommend the book not only for the interesting reading but also for the historical significance as well. This book is NOT just for former U.S. Air Force Security Service personnel such as I but needs to serve as a lesson(i.e.-The Price of Vigilance) for everyone!

This book is written from an insider's perspective. It gives the reader an idea of what went on during the Cold War. It also gives you an idea of the secrecy that pervaded certain American endeavours during this time. The secrecy was such that it took the families of those lost almost 40 years to get a true idea of what their loved ones did and what they died for. It was a difficult time for all involved."The Price of Vigilance" is well written and well researched; it is also eminently readable. It reads like a thriller; except, it all happened as written.The title for the review, "All Nines", is an Air Force expression for outstanding performance. Enlisted performance reports had numerical ratings from zero to nine, nine being outstanding.