• Flight of the Intruder

  • Jake Grafton, Book 1
  • By: Stephen Coonts
  • Narrated by: Benjamin L. Darcie
  • Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (792 ratings)

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Flight of the Intruder  By  cover art

Flight of the Intruder

By: Stephen Coonts
Narrated by: Benjamin L. Darcie
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Publisher's summary

Hailed as the finest combat aviation novel to emerge from the Vietnam War, Flight of the Intruder spent 28 weeks on the New York Times hardcover best-seller list and became one of the top-20 best-selling first novels of all time. An instant classic, the book was translated into more than 20 languages and made into a major motion picture. Its hero, Jake Grafton, became a household name and the star of many more Coonts’ best-sellers. Without question, the strength of the book lies in its flying scenes when Jake Grafton straps himself into the cockpit of his A-6 Intruder. Jake’s love of flying is contagious whether you are hearing the book for the first time or listening to it for the third. No one better captures the world of Navy carrier pilots than Stephen Coonts. An Intruder pilot who flew combat missions off the deck of the USS Enterprise in the Vietnam War, Coonts lived the life he writes about, and he puts readers inside the hearts and minds of the pilots to reveal a world unknown to those outside the naval aviators’ fraternity. Few will forget the book’s final gut-wrenching scene when Jake’s once-innocent love of flying gives way to guilt and frustration and the need to give meaning to the deaths of his comrades.

©1987 Stephen Coonts (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Flight of the Intruder

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great stuff! War and romance.

Okay, I am an unabashed Stephen Coonts fan. This 1986 novel set in the Vietnam war period features 26 year old Jake Grafton as a US Navy pilot in combat. It is the first novel in the 10 book Jake Grafton series and it was also the first to be released as a movie in 1991.

Frankly, Stephen Coonts' books are of inconsistent quality, but the worst are excellent. Since the beginning of Coonts' Tommy Carmellini series, all books in both series have had Grafton and Carmellini as co-protagonists.

Narration is excellent, but Coonts changes narrators too often in his 38 audiobooks.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! I’ve flown with many of these men and

I’ve flown with the airlines since the late 90’s. Most of the senior captains that I flew with were Vietnam era Navy and Air Force pilots. The stories they told me were….. well they certainly touched on all the emotions and experiences that are conveyed in Flight of the Intruder.

I spend 6 years enlisted in the Navy working V-2 and later OI on CVN-69. You can tell the author was a Navy Pilot. The F-4’s were gone by the time I joined. But we still had the A-6. It was huge! Most people see the A-6 and see a massive nose and almost comical look. But I grew to love the Aircraft because the men who flew here loved her. Back then, their were clear differences in aircraft communities and even pilot personalities.

Anyway, as far as a fictional war novel goes, I think this is a 9-10. I just wish it was about twice as long. I’m already missing the action, the personalities and the era that this book covers.

Certainly worthy the time spent listening to. Mr Darcie’s narration was spot on, couldn’t have been better.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well Done!

Still fresh! Stephen's work never gets old! I am so glad I bought this audiobook!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Did not think I would really like it but then...

This book will suck you in hard and keep you in the whole way. I love the characters and the work the author outs in to making them unique and interesting. There is also a strong attention to detail on how things are conducted in the military and scary accurate depiction of the lifestyle. This is my first book by the author and I do not regret it.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Naval Aviation as told be a Naval Aviator

A good insight into how Naval Aviators are wired and how the felt, fighting an unpopular war with one hand toed behind their back.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story about heroes in a terrible war

Great story - well told!
Seemed accurate and full of suspense and adventure and sorrow and fear and true to life!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing......

A great read of how pilots lived and breathed during Vietnam and the levels they risked their lives

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Detailed, interesting and a good story...

A very long time ago I owned and heard this book on an earlier media type, possibly tape. I had forgotten until I started listening that I knew the story, I do not regret re purchasing.

This is an overall great story with a lively and interesting group of characters that were a pleasure to see through Jakes Graftons eyes. It ended too soon for me, one more chapter to close out the characters recovery after their rescue would have helped me.... I worried about them... this means then, that I was captivated which is a good indication of the quality of the entertainment.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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As good as the movie

As good as the movie, a little different, but good. ... ... ... ...

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story!

Stephen Counts is an absolute favorite of mine. I have read most of Jake Grafton series this is my first Audible book and the narrator helps to expand my memories of those books!

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1 person found this helpful