"John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest U.S. fighter pilot ever - the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than forty seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft - the F-15 and F-16. Still others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story." "Boyd, more than any other person, saved fighter aviation from the predations of the Strategic Air Command. His manual of fighter tactics changed the way every air force in the world flies and fights. He discovered a physical theory that forever altered the way fighter planes were designed. Later in life, he developed a theory of military strategy that has been adopted throughout the world and even applied to business models for maximizing efficiency. And in one of the stories of modern military history, the Air Force fighter pilot taught the U.S. Marine Corps how to fight war on the ground. His ideas led to America's swift and decisive victory in the Gulf War and foretold the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001"--Jacket.

Haunted beginnings -- The big jock and the Presbyterian -- Fledgling -- K-13 and MiG Alley -- High priest -- Pope John goes severely supersonic -- Rat-racing -- Forty-second Boyd and the tactics manual -- Thermo, entropy, and the breakthrough -- P₈=[T-D/W]V -- The Sugarplum Fairy spreads the Gospel -- Pull the wings off and paint it yellow -- "I've never designed a fighter plane before" -- Bigger-higher-faster-farther -- Saving the F-15 -- Ride of the Valkyries -- The fighter Mafia does the Lord's work -- A short-legged bird -- Spook base -- Take a look at the B-1 -- "This briefing is for information purposes only." -- The buttonhook turn -- Destruction and creation -- OODA Loop -- Reform -- The great wheel of conspiracy -- Boyd joins the Marines -- Semper fi -- Water-walker -- They think I'm a kook -- The ghetto colonel and the SecDef -- Epilogue : El Cid rides on.