Before Topgun Days cover art

Before Topgun Days

The Making of a Jet Fighter Instructor

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Before Topgun Days

By: Dave Bio Baranek
Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
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About this listen

Becoming the best doesn't happen overnight; you've got to work for it.

Before becoming an instructor in the Navy's Topgun program, Dave "Bio" Baranek was just another kid with a dream. Upon graduating from college, he joined the Navy with the goal of becoming a fighter pilot. But, his eyesight waning, he knew that he would never be able to reach that goal. Undaunted, he plowed ahead and found his niche as a radar intercept operator in the backseat of the sleek, new Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

Join Baranek in Before Topgun Days as he takes you along for this greatest, most exciting time of his young life: training to become a naval flight officer. Taking place before the events recounted in his previous memoir, Topgun Days, Baranek brings to life the anxieties and excitement of entering the fast-paced world of fighter jocks. From a green recruit to an experienced flyer, discover what it took to become a Topgun instructor.

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times best seller or a national best seller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Dave Baranek (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Air Forces Engineering Military & War Naval Forces Aviation Transportation Military US Air Force
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What listeners say about Before Topgun Days

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Sound interested!

This is one of a pair of books and they are great, but the reader of this one was utterly uncharismatic, bored even. At first I thought it was a computer generated voice.
Spoilt an otherwise great addition to my library.

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Another great book

Loved the book, but I found Stephen's narration a bit off-putting. Nothing wrong with it technically, it was clear and a good pace, I just found the intonation a bit distracting. I much preferred the narrator of Topgun Days.

Some great stories, written well. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Terrific Read

Loved this book. Listened to his other book Top Gun days first which was amazing itself. This is the story of his training then transition to the tomcat and takes place before Top Gun Days. Highly recommended.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Story flies, narration bombs.

Content would have been interesting but crushed by the almost intonationless (imo) narration.

Almost sounds like it's been run through a program rather than human.

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Microsoft sans

Narrator was the most boring sounding person in the world.. Awful truly awful way to narrate what should be interesting

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