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Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed Audio CD – Unabridged, July 14, 2015

by Ben R Rich (Author), Leo Janos (Author), Pete Larkin (Reader)

4.7 3,693 ratings

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From the development of the U-2 to the stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies, Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation.As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds. Here are up-close portraits of the maverick band of scientists and engineers who made the Skunk Works so renowned. Filled with telling personal anecdotes and high adventure, with narratives from the CIA and from Air Force pilots who flew the many classified, risky missions, this book is a riveting portrait of the most spectacular aviation triumphs of the twentieth century.

Language

English
Publisher

Little Brown and Company
Publication date

July 14, 2015
Dimensions

5.3 x 1.5 x 5.9 inches
ISBN-10

1478934786
ISBN-13

978-1478934783
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little Brown and Company; Unabridged edition (July 14, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1478934786
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1478934783
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 1.5 x 5.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,668,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #513 in Business Infrastructure
- #4,874 in Military Strategy History (Books)
- #6,767 in Biographies of Business & Industrial Professionals

Customer Reviews:
4.7 3,693 ratings

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Ben R. Rich
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Gordon C

Very interesting history

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024

Verified Purchase

Great story about a powerhouse of American ingenituy - the story provides a lot of details and insight into a world you don’t normally get to see.

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William C Ruediger

An Important Part of Military History

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2024

Verified Purchase

This is another "surprise " book that exceeded my expectations. The people that worked at the"Skunk Works" at Lockheed were motivated, ingenious and exactly the right people at the right time for the job. This small group helped maintain our countries military advantage. Wonder if such an arrangement could even be possible now with all the regulations and oversights that would be required? Not to mention the diversity aspects (looks like a bunch of white "guys". We all owe the people that worked on these projects a huge measure of gratitude. It's a great story - and a story not well know outside a few in the military. Highly recommended for those that have an interest in military history.

4 people found this helpful

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maelje

Extraordinary story; great writing that could've been even better

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2012

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This is a phenomenal book, and I want to stress that the few criticisms I'm going to offer should not dissuade people from picking this up and reading it. With help from co-writer Leo Janos, Ben Rich has written a fascinating account of one of the most secretive and successful "black projects" outfits in American military history.

Lockheed's "Skunk Works" was responsible for developing the P-38, but its real fame began to build as it concentrated on spy planes during the Cold War, specifically the U2 and the SR-71 Blackbird. Rich's account of the conception, construction and deployment of these two iconic aircraft is absolutely ... well, pun intended here ... RIVETING. The narrative is exciting; how could it not be? Here you had a secretive division of a major aeronautical contractor working on planes that would change the course of world history, and this division was facing deadlines, problems with materials, difficulties in coming up with new construction methods, and on and on. The Blackbird's use of titanium alone proved a major engineering hurdle, given how difficult that metal is to work with, but Skunk Works pulled it off...and the Blackbird remains the FASTEST air-breathing aircraft ever constructed, years after its retirement!

Two brief criticisms: One, the "other voices" interludes sometimes break up the narrative flow a bit too much. But Rich being what he was -- the second leader of a highly complex organization -- would naturally feel drawn to this kind of structure, in which value is placed on multiple viewpoints. Two, and I can't believe I'm writing this: Most books, if length is a problem, suffer from being too long. With "Skunk Works," I was hoping it would last even longer. Again, though, the book's concision is indicative of its author's personality; Rich was a "get it done" kind of guy who belied the image of a greedy contractor stretching out a project for as long as possible. Skunk Works prided itself on making or even beating deadlines, and thus Rich the author wasn't going to write a bloated book.

This is just a terrific read, especially for anyone interested in how successful organizations of any kind work, how America truly did win the Cold War, and how complexity challenges people with creative minds.

16 people found this helpful

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Phillip

A truly innovative and well executed work.

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024

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Like my title says, this book has all of the elements of a great spy story and some of the elements of an interesting espionage report.

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Gary Wood

Great Read with Fascinating Insights

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024

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Growing up in Alhambra in the 60s & 70s plus serving at Beale and SAC locations, there were many familiar names and events. I served under a few and many of the presidents. Also, as a history buff surrounding our federalist republic, I learned a lot about root causes for today's challenges. Many highlights and notes are now set for further action. as Epictetus said, "Only the educated are free." I'm thankful for Ben Rich leaving this to discover.

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Nathaniel Bush

Great book on the history of the Skunk Works

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2018

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The author of the book,Ben Rich led the Skunk Works design team after Clarence Kelly Johnson retired in 1975. Ben talks about the development of Have Blue which would later become the F-117 Nighthawk or the Stealth Fighter. The book also talks about the U-2 spy plane and its being shot down over the Soviet Union. It also tells how Clarence Kelly Johnson gave Francis Gary Powers, the pilot shot down in the U-2 incident, a job at Lockheed working on the U-2, which Powers accepted. The next plane that is talked about in length is the famous SR-71 Blackbird and its development. To date, the SR-71 is the only air breathing jet plane to have flown at Mach 3 speeds. Sure,the X-15 was faster but the X-15 used rocket propulsion instead of jet power The D-21 drone is also talked about briefly. The D-21 was a drone built by Lockheed to be launched from a modified A-12 but this was scrapped after one of the drones collided with the mothership M-21 at launch, causing the loss of the drone, aircraft, and one of the two crew. The project was later revived and the D-21 would be launched from B-52 bombers but it was cancelled again because of lack of success as no drones were recovered with their photographs. The book talks briefly about the Sea Shadow. The Sea Shadow was a ship built by Lockheed to determine how to develop stealth for a ship. The book has events in Ben's life like the passing of Kelly Johnson as well as the passing of Ben's wife Faye. Ben Rich died in 1995 of cancer but the Skunk Works still lives on today. This book is a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is curious about the Skunk Works, its people and the aircraft it created

16 people found this helpful

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Amazon Shopper

Business book on how to remain relevant

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2023

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"Skunk Works" is not just a chronicle of the history of advanced aircraft development but a masterclass in innovation, leadership, and adaptability. The book delves deep into the behind-the-scenes operations of the secret Lockheed division responsible for producing some of the most groundbreaking aircraft in history, like the U-2 and the SR-71 Blackbird. What makes it a standout business book is its emphasis on the importance of a lean management structure, the need for a culture that encourages risk-taking, and the value of empowering talented individuals. By showcasing how Skunk Works managed to stay ahead of the curve despite bureaucratic and budgetary challenges, the book offers invaluable lessons for businesses aiming to remain relevant in an ever-evolving market. It's a testament to the idea that with the right culture and leadership, innovation can thrive even in the most challenging environments.

5 people found this helpful

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