Kiss the Talisman — Howard Moss

This is Howard Moss's gripping novel about Captain Josh Randolph, USAF, an astute, brave pilot of F4-E jets during the Vietnam War. Lucky in love and air battles, Josh kisses his talismans before missions - a St. Christopher medal given him by his mom and a small Buddha presented to him by his gorgeous Thai lover, Malinee. Successes are many, but Josh also experiences loss of comrades, flight crashes and ill-fated rescue missions. The big question is whether he can survive the bittersweet trauma of love. Howard Moss, himself a highly-decorated combat pilot who once was Officer-in-Charge of the Tiger FAC program during the war, has the experience to tell this story about human emotions and conflict among different cultures in an engaging manner that is authentic, humane and often humorous. Kiss the talisman and enjoy the journey!