Second to One

Arriving many years after the last publication on the 1965 war, this book commemorates its Diamond Jubilee. 1965 Air war stands out not only for its thrilling aerial engagements but for the operational and strategic insights it offers. The author revisits this war not as a historian, but as a student eager to learn and share.

This book is the result of countless hours spent poring over books by accomplished authors, official records of MoD, reports and articles by individual participants, veteran interviews, and academic papers. It is driven by a deep respect for the air warriors who flew into battle, often with limited resources, yet unmatched courage and resolve.

The comfort of the internet providing information to the present generation is not lost on the author. He honours the generations before for achieving what they did way before the telecommunications and information revolution.

Their experiences offer valuable lessons in raw courage, decision making, strategic planning, on field leadership, and tactical thinking (hundreds more actually) that remain relevant even in today’s high-tech air warfare environment.

This book is not intended to be an exhaustive history; rather, it is an attempt to highlight key lessons that the author believes are essential for young pilots, military professionals and enthusiasts of air power. The book urges young Air Warriors to look back at our rich aviation heritage with a fresh perspective, and hopes to spark discussions about how history continues to shape the future of air combat.

The book serves as a tribute to the courage and professionalism of those who flew in 1965, and as a learning resource for those who will take to the skies in the years ahead.

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At age 21, Mayank Zade is one of the youngest enthusiasts of air power, although his interest encompasses all the land, sea and air battles since 1900. His interest in military history stems from his love of the flying machine.

Role playing ‘combat’ with toy airplanes, he started showing interest in military literature as early as age 8. His expertise lay in WW2 but growing up, he believes that own history must be given more due.

He was probably the youngest registered participant in the Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh in 2019, at age 15, a student of 10th grade. He provides a fresh look at history from the eyes of Gen Z.

Mayank demonstrates original thinking and independent analysis, and certainly does not shy away from critical but constructive annotations.

His hobbies include aero modeling and collecting overall patches of flying units, types and exercises. He aspires to be a fighter pilot in the IAF soon.