Inspiring and ârivetingâŚvivid and harrowingâ (Sean Parnell, author of Outlaw Platoon), Danger Close is the first memoir of active combat by a female helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor raves, âMen and women alike will love this incredible tale of heroism, humility, and high-octane feats of bravery.â
Amber Smith flew into enemy fire in some of the most dangerous combat zones in the world. One of only a few women to fly the Kiowa Warrior helicopterâwhose mission, armed reconnaissance, required its pilots to stay low and fly fast, perilously close to the fightâSmith deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and rose to Pilot-in-Command and Air Mission Commander in the premier Kiowa unit in the Army. She learned how to perform and survive under extreme pressure, both in action against an implacable enemy and within the elite âboyâs clubâ of Army aviation.
In Danger Close, Smith âcovers each mission with edge-of-your-seat detail and a coolness that demonstrates how she gained the respect of fellow pilots and soldiers on the groundâ (Library Journal). Smithâs unrelenting fight for both mastery and respect delivers universal life-lessons that will be useful to any civilian, from âearning your spursâ as a newbie to âembracing the suckâ through setbacks that challenge your self-confidence to learning to trust your gut as a veteran of your profession.
Intensely personal, cinematic, poignant, and inspiring, Danger Close is âthe captivating story of one womanâs fight to serve her country in the direct line of dangerâ (Dana Perino, co-host of The Five on Fox News).